Google’s upcoming Pixel 6 will feature a brand-new chip and a big-ass camera bar

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It’s been five years since Google first launched the Pixel line, and now it’s time for the sixth iteration. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are going to be hitting stores later this fall, powered by Google’s own custom-built chips.

Yes, the SoC powering the Pixel 6 range is custom-made by Google, and it’s called Tensor. It’s specifically made to compute all of the AI and ML models Google uses for things like computational photography, all on-device without needing to send data to superpowered servers. It’s taken Google four or five years to create, drawing on decades of computing experience.

What that all means for you, the consumer, is that it promises that the cameras on Pixel 6 devices will be even better than Google’s previous efforts. That’s big because the Pixel camera was already the benchmark that other Android devices were measured against.

The new cameras are also why there is the huge camera ‘bar’ because the news sensors and lenses are too big for the usual bump. The custom chip also promises better speech recognition, and “many other Pixel 6 features.”

I guess we’ll have to wait till later on this year to hear more about those features, but here’s what else was released today. Material You is the new iteration of design language for Android, coming with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro (and Android 12). The custom chip will make everything including animations feel more fluid than ever before.

We’ll see what happens when Google releases the new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro in the fall. Until then, we’re going to be cautiously optimistic about what the new Tensor core promises to bring.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.