I get to use a lot of phones. As we head into Q4 and what will be a busy holiday season, I've already gone through over 40 phones. Although a majority of phones I use tend to be aimed at the mid-range category, I tried out all flagships released over the last 12 months.
That includes the Galaxy Z Flip 4, Z Fold 4, Galaxy S22 Ultra, iPhone 13 Pro Max, Pixel 6 Pro, Find X5 Pro, OnePlus 10 Pro, Xiaomi 12 Pro, 12S Ultra, ASUS Zenfone 9, and the Realme GT 2 Pro. Of all the devices I used this year, one stands out in particular: the Pixel 6 Pro.
Because of the frenetic launch cycle at the start of the year, I could only use the Pixel 6 Pro for any extended amount of time three months ago. I've always liked Pixel devices for their software and camera prowess, so I couldn't wait to get started with the Pixel 6 Pro.
What was immediately evident after I switched to the Pixel 6 Pro as my daily driver was the fluidity. All Pixels I've used up to this point felt somehow lacking on the hardware front; they never really measured up to their rivals. But that wasn't the case with the Pixel 6 Pro.
Thanks to the custom Tensor platform and software optimization, the Pixel 6 Pro held its own against the best Android phones, and that's true to this day. After nearly three months of use — and most of it on the Android 13 beta — I have zero issues with the device.
There are two areas where the Pixel 6 Pro has a big lead over all other phones: software and cameras. Google's software efforts with Material You makes Android that much more fun to use, and I like the bright colors and redesigned widgets. Pixel-first features like Now Playing and Recorder are small additions, but they make a big difference in day-to-day use. There's also something to be said for the fact that the Pixel 6 Pro has no bloatware — I can't say the same for most flagships.
The best part? It's an insane value. The Pixel 6 Pro launched for $899, but it's now available for just $649, making it one of the best bargains of the year. In fact, the price is lower than during Amazon's summer deals event, which is when I initially wrote this post.
Then there are the cameras. The Pixel 6 Pro combines Google's software wizardry with custom hardware and great new lenses that make the phone stand out a lot more.
The result is that the Pixel 6 Pro continues to take outstanding photos. What it does better than any other phone is portrait shots of inanimate objects — I took these photos of the Nothing phone (1) from the Pixel 6 Pro, and they're on par with what I would get from my Olympus OM-D E-M5 II.
All flagships take great photos in any situation. The Pixel 6 Pro does it on the first try itself, and that's something I don't get with any other phone.
With the Pixel 6 Pro now selling for $649 — $250 off its usual retail price — it is a terrific value that's hard to pass up. I like the Galaxy S22 Ultra and Samsung's latest foldables, and as good as Samsung's phones have been this year, they just don't have the same value as the Pixel 6 Pro. For under $700, there isn't a better deal around.
