Is the pro a Flagship?

[shook187]

I’m gonna have to pose this question to everyone and be honest with yourself when you compare it to current flagships. Is the pro really a flagship?

If you ask me I’m gonna have to say no which is why I returned mine and settled for the cheaper Pixel 6. Let’s start off with the screen… it was off to a bad start upon booting the phone. Could Google have selected a better wallpaper? The default plant wallpaper with the green accents just made my first impression of the sceeen look washed out and dull. Definitely didn’t have that wow factor a Samsung or iPhone has when I initially boot it up.

The fingerprint scanner is quite possibly the worst compared to other phones even with walk around like adding the same finger twice and cranking up the sensitivity in the settings.

The charging speeds are laughable. Sorry but I need my phone to charge a lot faster than what the pixel 6 pro was charging at.. topping off my phone is important during my lunch breaks and the pixel barely went up 4% during that time frame. Let me not get into wireless charging because it was useless.

 

[dmxjago]

I’m gonna have to pose this question to everyone and be honest with yourself when you compare it to current flagships. Is the pro really a flagship?

If you ask me I’m gonna have to say no which is why I returned mine and settled for the cheaper Pixel 6. Let’s start off with the screen… it was off to a bad start upon booting the phone. Could Google have selected a better wallpaper? The default plant wallpaper with the green accents just made my first impression of the sceeen look washed out and dull. Definitely didn’t have that wow factor a Samsung or iPhone has when I initially boot it up.

The fingerprint scanner is quite possibly the worst compared to other phones even with walk around like adding the same finger twice and cranking up the sensitivity in the settings.

The charging speeds are laughable. Sorry but I need my phone to charge a lot faster than what the pixel 6 pro was charging at.. topping off my phone is important during my lunch breaks and the pixel barely went up 4% during that time frame. Let me not get into wireless charging because it was useless.

These topics are always subjective. I think it's a flagship for "Google" when compared to their other phones and also think it can compete with other manufacturers flagships.

The finger sensor is slow but works for me I ended up scanning both my thumbs twice and all angles and don't get many false positives works almost every time. Then I tried smart lock for the first time which I knew of but never had the need to use it before. I basically added my Garmin watch as a trustee device so it keeps my phone unlocked when it's on me and I'm okay with that.

If you feel the way you feel but still wanted to stay with a pixel then I think your decision was valid and you saved yourself $300. Now I don't think many phones can compete with the pixel 6 for $599 imho.

 

[swebb]

Of course it's a flagship. Top of the line hardware specs pretty much across the board. But no phone will check all the boxes for everyone, so there will be dealbreakers for some. Check any of the forums of the top of the line phones on AC, and you'll see complaints on all of them. You just have to find the phone that works best for you.

 

[buzzy3970]

Agree with above it is a flagship in it's on right. The best speced pixel to date. Sure it has it's short comings with the fps, but that doesn't negate it from being a flagship and neither does charging speeds. Let's not forget just a few years ago Apple had the worst charging speeds of any flagship on the market and no one questoned those devices being flagship worthy. Same in this case. They did a great job in pricing these devices and their seems to be more positive than negative when you factor in cost vs value.

 

[buzzy3970]

These topics are always subjective. I think it's a flagship for "Google" when compared to their other phones and also think it can compete with other manufacturers flagships.

The finger sensor is slow but works for me I ended up scanning both my thumbs twice and all angles and don't get many false positives works almost every time. Then I tried smart lock for the first time which I knew of but never had the need to use it before. I basically added my Garmin watch as a trustee device so it keeps my phone unlocked when it's on me and I'm okay with that.

If you feel the way you feel but still wanted to stay with a pixel then I think your decision was valid and you saved yourself $300. Now I don't think many phones can compete with the pixel 6 for $599 imho.

No major phone brand competes with them on a cost level this go around. They basically +1'd OnePlus lol, but provided the specs that have always been lacking when it comes to purchasing a device at what I would consider mid range price. It will be interesting to see if they can make this pricing more of the norm or if they're just trying build the brand and get people invested into spending more on the next iteration of pixel devices.

 

[lcs101]

Of course it's a flagship. Top of the line hardware specs pretty much across the board. But no phone will check all the boxes for everyone, so there will be dealbreakers for some. Check any of the forums of the top of the line phones on AC, and you'll see complaints on all of them. You just have to find the phone that works best for you.

Well-said.

 

[shook187]

Of course it's a flagship. Top of the line hardware specs pretty much across the board. But no phone will check all the boxes for everyone, so there will be dealbreakers for some. Check any of the forums of the top of the line phones on AC, and you'll see complaints on all of them. You just have to find the phone that works best for you.

Every Flagship has something that it does great over the other Flagship unfortunately I think the pro doesn’t have one single category it does better than the other flagships… Can someone enlightening me and tell me what the pro is Better at compared to other flagships?

 

[hub1]

Every Flagship has something that it does great over the other Flagship unfortunately I think the pro doesn’t have one single category it does better than the other flagships… Can someone enlightening me and tell me what the pro is Better at compared to other flagships?

The Pixel is better at being a Pixel than Apple and Samsung. Samsung is better at being Samsung than the others and Apple is better at being Apple. I like my Pixel 6 Pro and think it's the best. What everyone likes is what they think is the best, so no one needs to prove theirs is better or not. Just my opinion....

 

[shook187]

The Pixel is better at being a Pixel than Apple and Samsung. Samsung is better at being Samsung than the others and Apple is better at being Apple. I like my Pixel 6 Pro and think it's the best. What everyone likes is what they think is the best, so no one needs to prove theirs is better or not. Just my opinion....

Thanks for your response I was better off just listening to crickets. Being a Pixel just isn’t good enough. The main stream customer is not gonna buy a pixel just because it’s a Pixel. If you’re paying top dollar for a device you want it to perform and or be comparable to devices in its price range. If not it’s just going to get overlooked and fall by the wayside like other pixel devices.

 

[ahaxton]

The term "flagship" is meaningless. Does the phone (ANY phone) do what you need it to do, in a manner and at a price you consider reasonable. If yes, huzzah, you have the right phone for you. If it does not, fine a phone that does. The word "flagship" should not enter anyone's thinking.

 

[bhatech]

After having used both Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, personally I could tell 6 Pro was the more polished, premium feeling and felt more of a flagship than the regular 6. Obviously the regular 6 is $300 cheaper and for me cost is never a criteria for buying phones so I went with one that felt best to me.

It's all a personal preference, generally everyone including me tries to justify their own choices

 

[mustang7757]

No question it's a flagship

 

[bkdodger2]

I'm in the same boat. Most definitely a flagship in my opinion, camera quality and it's going to improve with more updates which is what you want. A phone that has 5 years of updates. Google Assistant and translation to the next level unmatched by others..I don't even think the Pro is high priced ..all my opinion..don't care it's charging at 22W instead of 30W .. fingerprint I enjoyed the back or side buttons better but still 98% success rate for me..screen is bright and pleasant to view ...I can keep going on ...lol

 

[buzzy3970]

Every Flagship has something that it does great over the other Flagship unfortunately I think the pro doesn’t have one single category it does better than the other flagships… Can someone enlightening me and tell me what the pro is Better at compared to other flagships?

Well for one you can tell that Google assistance was created with the pixel in mind. Although I don't have a problem with it on my Samsung devices it operates much more fluently then it does on 3rd party devices. Dictation is also better. I've never been a fan of talking into my phone for texting, but the accuracy on the pixel makes me reconsider for long texts. Call assistant feature is unmatched and to me a feature that every phone could benefit from. The now playing feature works fast and accurate everytime. It finds the song in a matter of seconds even if your far away from what's playing with the sound low. There are a couple others I've noticed, but these are some that matter to me.

 

[bhatech]

Thanks for your response I was better off just listening to crickets. Being a Pixel just isn’t good enough. The main stream customer is not gonna buy a pixel just because it’s a Pixel. If you’re paying top dollar for a device you want it to perform and or be comparable to devices in its price range. If not it’s just going to get overlooked and fall by the wayside like other pixel devices.

If you are talking about value between 6 Pro and 6, most know that 6 Pro is not the value choice here and Pixel 6 is the way to go. For most people Pixel 6 is a great choice but for those who want the best possible Pixel then 6 Pro is available. And I'm glad Google gave this option and obviously it's not for you since it doesn't offer you enough differentiation compared to 6. Which is fine and you choose what's best for you.

If you want the Pixel experience and best Pixel in terms of hardware possible (screen, build, additional camera lens, 120hz display) then 6 Pro is available at a premium price point. If you just want the Pixel experience and don't care about some additional shiny things then there are many options like Pixel A series or the cheaper Pixel 6. For me, 6 Pro was an easy choice after having both 6 and 6 Pro but that won't be the same for everyone.

How does it stack up against other flagships, well 6 Pro MSRP is cheaper than S21 Ultra or iPhone 13 Pro Max etc. (And yes there are deals which make the MSRP prices moot point when buying from carriers)

Having had all of them, they all are great in their own way. It's not breaking news that Samsung and Apple are going to sell tons more phones compared to Pixel and it all comes down to how the useless US carriers push the new Pixels to their customer throats

 

[buzzy3970]

I'm in the same boat. Most definitely a flagship in my opinion, camera quality and it's going to improve with more updates which is what you want. A phone that has 5 years of updates. Google Assistant and translation to the next level unmatched by others..I don't even think the Pro is high priced ..all my opinion..don't care it's charging at 22W instead of 30W .. fingerprint I enjoyed the back or side buttons better but still 98% success rate for me..screen is bright and pleasant to view ...I can keep going on ...lol

Was just saying this. I had no problem with Google assistant on my galaxies until I tried it on the pixel 6. Using it on only other devices seems out dated and 2nd class lol. Can definitely tell that it's intergrated more into the software of the device instead of an app that's downloaded from the playstore.

 

[buzzy3970]

If you are talking about value between 6 Pro and 6, most know that 6 Pro is not the value choice here and Pixel 6 is the way to go. For most people Pixel 6 is a great choice but for those who want the best possible Pixel then 6 Pro is available. And I'm glad Google gave this option and obviously it's not for you since it doesn't offer you enough differentiation compared to 6. Which is fine and you choose what's best for you.

If you want the Pixel experience and best Pixel in terms of hardware possible (screen, build, additional camera lens, 120hz display) then 6 Pro is available at a premium price point. If you just want the Pixel experience and don't care about some additional shiny things then there are many options like Pixel A series or the cheaper Pixel 6. For me, 6 Pro was an easy choice after having both 6 and 6 Pro but that won't be the same for everyone.

How does it stack up against other flagships, well 6 Pro MSRP is cheaper than S21 Ultra or iPhone 13 Pro Max etc. (And yes there are deals which make the MSRP prices moot point when buying from carriers)

Having had all of them, they all are great in their own way. It's not breaking news that Samsung and Apple are going to sell tons more phones compared to Pixel and it all comes down to how the useless US carriers push the new Pixels to their customer throats

Idk about the carriers being useless. I believe it's the other way around especially in terms of T-Mobile. They hands down have the best promotion going on for the pixel especially those that are price conscious. Based on your plan you can get the 6 or 6 pro for free without adding a line not to mention they allow you to trade-in phones that are like 4 years old for the highest value. Google priced these phones right and have done a good job getting it on all the major carriers and mnvo's that matter. It will of course be their most pixels to date (not that it will be hard) lol, but it's a step in the right direction that will hopefully get them more market share and attract a new audience that never really paid the pixels and attention.

 

[bhatech]

Idk about the carriers being useless. I believe it's the other way around especially in terms of T-Mobile. They hands down have the best promotion going on for the pixel especially those that are price conscious. Based on your plan you can get the 6 or 6 pro for free without adding a line not to mention they allow you to trade-in phones that are like 4 years old for the highest value. Google priced these phones right and have done a good job getting it on all the major carriers and mnvo's that matter. It will of course be their most pixels to date (not that it will be hard) lol, but it's a step in the right direction that will hopefully get them more market share and attract a new audience that never really paid the pixels and attention.

Haha, Yeah no doubt the "useless" tag being my usual dislike of carriers and not in reference to them giving good promotions or anything else

I could have got the Pixel 6 Pro from T-Mobile for free (24 month bill credits which I don't like) by trading the Pixel 5. Great deal but as usual I bought it directly from Google store unlocked fully knowing the T-Mobile deal.. I'm more of an exception since I am not getting any phone from carriers irrespective of whatever promotions they have. But for 99.9% of the people the carriers generally have great deals for most phones.

I did like the iPhone 13 Pro max promo though. Where I was eligible for promotion of $200 bill credits even though I bought the unlocked iPhone 13 Pro Max directly from Apple and just activated on magenta max plan. That way I can still buy it directly from Apple and still get the promo.


Also, we have to see throughout the whole year how they push the Pixels. There are always great promotions at launch for most phones.

 

[bkeaver]

Idk about the carriers being useless. I believe it's the other way around especially in terms of T-Mobile. They hands down have the best promotion going on for the pixel especially those that are price conscious. Based on your plan you can get the 6 or 6 pro for free without adding a line not to mention they allow you to trade-in phones that are like 4 years old for the highest value. Google priced these phones right and have done a good job getting it on all the major carriers and mnvo's that matter. It will of course be their most pixels to date (not that it will be hard) lol, but it's a step in the right direction that will hopefully get them more market share and attract a new audience that never really paid the pixels and attention.

This for sure. I got my pixel pro for free.

 

[B. Diddy]

I’m gonna have to pose this question to everyone and be honest with yourself when you compare it to current flagships. Is the pro really a flagship?

If you ask me I’m gonna have to say no which is why I returned mine and settled for the cheaper Pixel 6. Let’s start off with the screen… it was off to a bad start upon booting the phone. Could Google have selected a better wallpaper? The default plant wallpaper with the green accents just made my first impression of the sceeen look washed out and dull. Definitely didn’t have that wow factor a Samsung or iPhone has when I initially boot it up.

The fingerprint scanner is quite possibly the worst compared to other phones even with walk around like adding the same finger twice and cranking up the sensitivity in the settings.

The charging speeds are laughable. Sorry but I need my phone to charge a lot faster than what the pixel 6 pro was charging at.. topping off my phone is important during my lunch breaks and the pixel barely went up 4% during that time frame. Let me not get into wireless charging because it was useless.

I'm guessing you have other reasons why you're dissatisfied with the phones besides the wallpaper, the FPS, and the charging. Those aren't the usual things I think about when I think about high end phones.

Let's dispense with the wallpaper quibble, since that's clearly not relevant. I mean, you know how to change the wallpaper, and use live wallpapers, right?

I haven't used other in-screen FPS's, but I can say that my experience with the 6 Pro has been totally fine. It works, it works promptly, and its failure rate is about the same as traditional capacitative FPS's. Maybe it doesn't activate the exact very moment I touch the screen, but if the difference in response time is on the order of hundredths of seconds, i don't consider that a major point of comparison.

As has now been documented, it's clear that charging speeds are not as fast as Google claimed -- that's definitely a black eye for Google. But to me, the race to faster and faster charging speeds is kind of like the arms race of who can make a phone with the least bezel, or even negative bezel. Superfast charging has not been important to me personally, and there is always the concern that the faster you charge a battery, the more you contribute to battery degradation over time. I'm also curious -- how much has your battery drained by your lunch break? If it's enough to require a significant charge, you're either using your phone really heavily (which, of course, may be understandable depending on your job requirements) or something is wonky and causing the battery to drain.

i would say that this phone is definitely a flagship. For me, one of the most important features of a phone is the camera, and the Pixel camera is the best around. Of course, the phone is also fast, smooth, and made with premium materials. I also appreciate the usual Pixel benefit of timely updates and -- can't emphasize this enough -- zero bloat (but of course, you get that with the midrange "a" series as well). Let's not forget the value proposition either: $899 vs >$1000 for most other flagships.

But hey, if a phone doesn't feel right to you, then by all means, move on. Everyone has different wants and different needs.