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Dell XPS 12 review: A unique take on the convertible laptop/tablet

Dell XPS 12 review: A unique take on the convertible laptop/tablet

If you're one of the few who remember the original Dell Inspiron Duo from 2010, pat yourself on the back. Like that Duo, the new XPS 12 has a screen that swivels at the middle of the lid's sides, so it can rotate 180 degrees along its horizontal axis and end up facing out from the back of the lid's frame. This allows you to display the screen in what some call a "stand" mode, or else fold the clamshell shut to form a slate-style tablet.

While inventive, the original Duo was hobbled by a low-power Intel Atom processor and never lived up to its potential. Dell walked away from the Duo, which seemed doomed to be another too-early hardware leap, much like Dell's long-lost proto-ultrabook Adamo laptops.

Imagine my surprise when Dell announced that the Duo was back, originally showing us the system behind closed doors this summer. The new version, now part of the high-end XPS line, has gotten a massive physical upgrade. Now it's ultrabook-thin, with a slim metal frame around its screen, and a button-free clickpad. The new version trades up to current-gen Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors, along with solid-state-drive (SSD) storage, meaning that in terms of hardware it can stand toe-to-toe any mainstream ultrathin laptop.

Between our preview this summer and now, the biggest change has been in the name. Dell has decided to drop the "Duo" branding altogether (perhaps it still has negative connotations) and simply call this the XPS 12. That's certainly apt for a laptop with 12-inch display, but I do miss the descriptive nature of the Duo moniker -- now there's nothing in the name to indicate this laptop's special physical features.

The XPS 12 starts at $1,199 for a Core i5 CPU and 128GB SSD, and goes up to $1,699 for the hardware we tested, with a Core i7 CPU and a 256GB SSD.

This is one of the first laptops with Windows 8, the new touch- and tablet-friendly OS, and it's meant to be used as both a traditional laptop and a tablet. But when evaluating new hardware and new software at the same time, the question is: how much of the user experience in the XPS 12 comes from Dell, and how much from Microsoft? In an Apple laptop, it's fair to consider software and hardware together, as a single company is responsible for both. For Windows-based systems, it's sometimes hard to tell on which side of the fence the faults lie.

And, there are faults. Even though the XPS 12 is a slim, well-built, and frankly ambitious convertible, it works better as a laptop than as a tablet. In the closed, slate mode, it's obvious that the Windows 8 operating system still doesn't always know what to do with your apps and fingers. The not-Metro interface (my own shorthand name for the Windows 8 tile-based UI) works fine, but jumping into apps, even Windows 8-specific ones such as Internet Explorer 10, can yield unpredictable results.

For example, at this point, nearly everyone in the universe uses some form of Web-based e-mail, but Gmail navigation on the small screen in IE10 is tough. Shift the screen just a bit and the orientation changes, with just enough lag to be annoying. Tapping on a text field sometimes brings up the Windows 8 onscreen keyboard, sometimes not (and it takes several steps to call it up otherwise).

That onscreen keyboard is miles ahead of previous Windows ones, but the layout of some keys is counterintuitive, and I ran into just enough lag to make using the Shift and Caps Lock keys especially troublesome.

But, these are the same problems I've found on other Windows 8 systems, so is it fair to lay them at Dell's feet? On the excellent Acer Aspire S7, the touch screen was a secondary experience, mainly used for finger-swiping and scrolling. On the XPS 12, you're expected to use touch much more. And as a touch-screen laptop, the XPS 12 works well. Folded up as a slate, it's still not an entirely satisfying tablet experience.

Price as reviewed / Starting price	$1,699 / $1,199
Processor	1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U
Memory	4GB, 1,333MHz DDR3
Hard drive	256GB SSD
Chipset	Intel QS77
Graphics	Intel HD 4000
Operating system	Windows 8
Dimensions (WD)	8.5x12.5 inches
Height	0.6-0.8 inches
Screen size (diagonal)	12.5 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter	3.4 pounds / 4 pounds
Category	Ultraportable

Design and features
Aside from the swiveling lid, the XPS 12 shares an overall design with Dell's other recent high-end laptops, such as the XPS 14 and XPS 15. All are thin, with full or partial metal construction and dark accents. When closed, the XPS 12 looks like any small ultrabook, although at nearly 3.5 pounds, it feels dense and sturdy.

The interior is minimalist, with only the keyboard and touch pad. A power button, in the uncommon form of a slider switch, is located along the left edge, and most other functions, from the Wi-Fi antenna switch to volume control, are mapped to the row of Function keys. The wrist rest, keyboard, and keys are all matte black, with a powdery finish that resists fingerprints and nicely offsets the metal trim along the outer edge.

The XPS 12's island-style keyboard is similar to the ones found on most current laptops. In Dell's version, the keys have more-rounded corners than most, and the top row of Function keys is half-height. Typing was comfortable and accurate, and the keyboard is backlit.

The buttonless clickpad is only used when the system is set up as a traditional clamshell laptop. It's a good size, considering this is a small laptop, and works well for general pointing and navigation. But, again, Windows 8 sometimes seems to not know what to do with touch-pad gestures. With some apps and Web pages, two-finger scrolling works well, other times it's too fast and jumpy, and still other times, it's very slow. Trying to execute Windows 8 moves such as displaying the Charms bar or calling up the Taskbar is a pain on a touch pad, and I usually found myself performing these tasks via the touch screen.

The biggest feature here, as previously described, is the rotating screen. Unlike other convertible laptops with rotating screens that swivel along the vertical axis via a central hinge, the XPS 12 rotates along the horizontal axis, flipping end over end. This is possible because the screen is placed inside a thin metal all-around frame, hinged in the center of the left and right sides.

The screen mechanism feels well-designed, and it stays in the traditional laptop position without slipping. Dell says the mechanism has been tested to 20,000 cycles, and it certainly feels sturdy enough.

When you want to flip the screen, a gentle push pops it out of the frame, and it rotates freely, locking in again at 180 degrees; this leaves the screen pointing out from the back of the lid, making it easy to show your screen to someone sitting opposite you (the motion sensor automatically flips the screen image over, so everything appears right-side-up). From there, you can push the lid all the way closed, so the keyboard and touch pad are inside the clamshell but the display is pointing up, making this a slate-style tablet.

When the XPS 12 is folded down as a tablet, you can access the onscreen keyboard built into Windows 8. As I mentioned above, it's thankfully better than the onscreen keyboards in previous Microsoft operating systems, with responsive, well-spaced keys. I found the Shift key would lag a little occasionally, leading to some typing mistakes, and you'll have to spend some time getting used to the layout, which is slightly different from that of the iPad's familiar onscreen keyboard. Besides the standard keyboard layout, there are also split-key and handwriting options.

The biggest difficulty I encountered was the onscreen keyboard not popping up when it should have, in Google Docs, for example. If you need to call up the onscreen keyboard manually, it's an unintuitive procedure, requiring too many steps (slide out the Charms bar from the right side of the screen; tap Settings, tap Keyboard, then pick the style of keyboard you need).

The 12.5-inch screen has a native resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels, which is incredibly high for an ultraportable laptop. The Windows 8 not-Metro interface scales nicely to it, but Web pages and the traditional Windows desktop view can look very shrunken. Fortunately, the display's pinch-to-zoom feature works great, much as it does on an iPad or Android tablet. That said, I found some Web sites didn't render correctly after pinching to zoom, and in Google Docs, for example, the onscreen cursor and the zoomed view didn't quite match up.

Audio was predictably thin, but fine for basic online video watching. Interestingly, the original Dell Duo had a sold-separately docking stand with bigger speakers built in.

	Dell XPS 12	Average for category [ultraportable]
Video	DisplayPort	HDMI or DisplayPort
Audio	Stereo speakers, headphone jack	Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data	2 USB 3.0, SD card reader	2 USB 3.0, SD card reader
Networking	802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth	Ethernet (via dongle), 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional mobile broadband
Optical drive	None	None

Expandability, performance, and battery life
With such a small body, the port selection on the Dell XPS 12 is likewise slim. The most notable deviation from the norm is the video output -- you get a DisplayPort output, rather than the more common HDMI.

Dell offers four base configurations of the XPS 12 (the unit I reviewed is the most expensive one). The entry-level model starts at $1,199 for a Core i5 CPU and 128GB SSD, and by adding either a Core i7 CPU, a larger 256GB SSD, or both, you can take it all the way up to $1,699. Several of the more design-heavy Windows 8 laptops we've seen have targeted that premium price range, but a $1,600 laptop is still a very tough sell, no matter how clever its engineering.

With an Intel Core i7 low-voltage CPU and 8GB of RAM, the XPS 12 was predictably fast in our benchmark tests. Honestly, if you're interested in this system, the lower-end Core i5 configurations will be more than fine for everyday Web surfing, productivity, and media playback tasks.

Battery life was, unfortunately, not the strongest in this laptop. That's a shame, as this is a slim system clearly intended for travel or use as an untethered tablet. In our video playback battery drain test, the XPS 12 ran for 4 hours and 43 minutes, which is on the low side for an ultraportable laptop -- especially one with a power-efficient SSD hard drive. Anecdotally, while using this laptop I found myself reaching for the A/C adapter more often than I'd expected.

Conclusion
The Dell XPS 12 is unique among the Windows 8 laptops we've previewed and reviewed, offering a different take on the convertible laptop/tablet concept. At the same time, it's not exactly an original idea, being based on one of Dell's previous high-concept designs, the Inspiron Duo.

The flip-screen construction is surprisingly practical for sharing your screen with others, and using a touch screen with a keyboard and touch pad works well in Windows 8. But it's hard to justify spending $1,699 when the XPS 12 doesn't entirely satisfy as a slate-style tablet, even if Microsoft shoulders most of the responsibility for that. If you're in love with the XPS 12's design, I'd suggest sticking to the less expensive configurations.

Find out more about how we test laptops.

System configurations:

Dell XPS 12
Windows 8 (64-bit); 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 32MB (Shared) Intel HD 4000; 256GB Lite-On IT SSD

Sony Vaio Duo 11
Windows 8 (64-bit); 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U; 6GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 32MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 128GB Toshiba SSD

Toshiba Satellite U925t
Windows 8 (64-bit); 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 32MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 128GB Samsung SSD

Asus Zenbook Prime UX32VD
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 620M / 64MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 500GB Hitachi 5,400rpm

Vizio Thin and Light CT14-A2
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 64MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 256GB Toshiba SSD

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iPhone, Galaxy S, Pixel: How smartphones evolved to dominate your life

iPhone, Galaxy S, Pixel: How smartphones evolved to dominate your life

This story is part of The 2010s: A Decade in Review, a series on the memes, people, products, movies and so much more that have influenced the 2010s.

Steve Jobs' pitch for the original iPhone in 2007 as a phone, music player and internet communicator was a landmark moment in the tech world. It crystalized the iPhone's almost mythic reputation from the start -- remember the nickname, the Jesus phone? -- and helped usher in the idea that smartphones could be chic. But looking back, those three capabilities barely scratched the surface of what we can do with the modern smartphone.

What can you do with one now? Everything.

"We never imagined how a decade later iPhone would become such an essential part of our lives, from streaming TV shows and playing games, to finding directions when traveling, to managing health and fitness, to opening garages in smart homes, to sharing beautiful memories with stunning photos and videos," Phil Schiller, head of marketing for Apple, said in an email.

As CNET explores the impact of various technologies over the past decade, none has changed our lives as dramatically as the smartphone. When the original iPhone launched, and the first Android phone, the G1, followed in 2008, they were still the stuff of gadget enthusiasts with loads of disposable income. Even 10 years ago, at the launch of the Motorola Droid -- the first Android phone to enjoy mass appeal, thanks to a massive marketing blitz by Verizon Wireless -- we were just getting started with the potential that came with smartphones and mobile applications.

Nowadays we take for granted that we have a virtual supercomputer in our pockets. Our iPhones and Android handsets let us hail a car right to our location, draw from a library of hundreds of thousands of television shows and movies stored online, or livestream our silly antics to millions across the world. You can shoot down cartoonish avatars of your friends in Fortnite. They've literally been revolutionary, with secure messaging apps playing a role in the Arab Spring movement in the early 2010s and the Hong Kong protests against China playing out today.

We never imagined how a decade later iPhone would become such an essential part of our lives.

Phil Schiller, head of marketing for Apple

Think about it: What's the one thing you can't leave your home without? Chances are, it's your smartphone. It's become such a critical part of our lives that we're starting to question whether we're spending too much time on them. Tech giants like Apple and Google have even introduced ways to tell you how much time you're spending on your phone -- with apps found on the phone.

"It's astonishing how quickly we've gone from being astonished to having an always-connected supercomputer in our pockets to somewhat resenting having a supercomputer in our pockets," said Avi Greengart, an analyst at research firm Techsponential. 

No matter where you stand on the spectrum of smartphone dependence, it's undeniable the staggering impact they've had on society, culture and how we live our lives.

"A lot has changed since 1.0," Stephanie Cuthbertson, director of Android, said during her Google I/O keynote speech in May. "Smartphones have evolved from an early vision to this integral tool in our lives, and they are incredibly helpful."

Clumsy to coveted

Smartphones had been around for years before iPhones and Android handsets became the default mobile devices of choice. The white-collar crowd happily tapped on the physical keys of their BlackBerrys. Old-school gadget enthusiasts would've proudly shown off their Palm Treos or their "Pocket PC" phones (with a stripped-down version of Windows jammed behind a smaller screen). Never mind that these devices required a precise stylus to navigate. 

With the original iPhone, Steve Jobs and Apple changed how we interact with the world. 

Getty Images

In 2007, Jobs and the iPhone changed the meaning of a smartphone, making a touchscreen device intuitive -- and fun -- to use, thanks in large part to the full browser experience and tricks like pinch to zoom. It's the only phone that I could pull out at a bar and legitimately impress women with. (That still wasn't enough help.)

In July of 2008, Apple introduced its App Store, opening it up to third-party apps. Google would follow with the G1 smartphone (also known as the HTC Dream) and its own app store a few months later. The G1 catered more toward gadget enthusiasts and lacked the mass appeal of the iPhone, but it was no less influential as the launchpad for Android.

Today, there are more than 2.5 billion active Android devices out there, making Google's OS the most dominant platform in the world.

"Today, everyone has a smartphone, and that's amazing," said Peter Chou, co-founder and former CEO of HTC, which built the G1, who stood on stage with Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page when the device was unveiled.

Smartphones have evolved from an early vision to this integral tool in our lives, and they are incredibly helpful.

Stephanie Cuthbertson, director of Android

But it wasn't until the debut of the original Droid, which next month celebrates its 10th anniversary, that Android catapulted into the mainstream, thanks in part to a huge marketing campaign from partners Google, Verizon and Motorola.

Upping the ante even further, Samsung jumped into Android in 2010 with a willingness to build up its Galaxy S franchise by way of an even more impressive marketing push, which created the two-horse dynamic we see today (Apple vs. Samsung, Apple's iOS vs. Google's Android).

"It's exciting to reflect on 10 years ago launching the first Galaxy S smartphone," said Drew Blackard, head of product management for Samsung Electronics America. "Over the past decade, we've introduced a number of industry-leading innovations that have given our consumers a better mobile experience and changed the way we think about smartphones."

From fart apps to limitless videos

The explosion of smartphone demand wasn't driven just by increasingly advanced, and bigger, hardware. The handset's Swiss Army knife utility came from the sheer number of programs available to us. It took Apple's App Store and the Google Play Store about eight years each to surpass 2 million apps, from standbys such as Instagram and Angry Birds to obscure apps for bird watching.

It's easy to forget that the early experimental days included fart apps that raked in $10,000 a day or useless virtual lighter apps. At that point Android, which initially didn't have the same oversight that Apple gave iOS, was a real Wild Wild West, with tons of junk apps.

You'd never be able to watch all that's available on video streaming sites, even if you stared at your phone all day. 

Sean Hollister/CNET

That's a far cry from the utility of apps today. You pretty much can't get lost, thanks to Google Maps. Protestors use secure messaging platforms like Signal and WhatsApp to coordinate demonstrations. Uber and Lyft mean you're never stuck without a ride -- even a helicopter ride. Apps like Life360 or Disaster Alert can literally save your life.

Entertainment buffs, meanwhile, would need several lifetimes to watch the countless hours of programming found on apps from Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and HBO Go, among others -- with new options such as Apple TV Plus and Disney Plus emerging all the time.

Societal changes

When Samsung unveiled the original Galaxy Note in 2011, the then-gargantuan 5.3-inch display provided rich fodder for endless mockery. Remember, the first iPhone had a 3.5-inch display.

Today, the original Note seems quaint in its diminutive stature. Samsung's latest, the Galaxy Note 10, rocks a 6.8-inch display, while the iPhone 11 Pro Max features a 6.5-inch display.

Nowadays, smartphones are almost too large to hold in one hand. 

Juan Garzon/CNET

"The desire for more screen in your hand has exceeded the grasp of your hand," Greengart said.

When the world was transitioning to all-touchscreen phones, there was a constant debate about whether people could let go of buttons. Back in 2009, handset makers were still experimenting with different ways to cram QWERTY keyboards onto handsets, said Gartner analyst Tuong Nguyen. The G1, for instance, had a slide-out physical keyboard. 

Many of us can now blind touch-type on a display by memory.

The desire for more screen in your hand has exceeded the grasp of your hand.

Avi Greengart, an analyst at Techsponential

Smartphones are also notable for what they've destroyed as much as what they've enabled. Those little supercomputers have left a wake of failed businesses over the years.

When was the last time you saw a point-and-shoot digital camera? Google Maps rendered GPS navigation systems irrelevant, and when I want to feel really old, I tell younger reporters about a time when I used physical (paper) Thomas Guide maps to get from one assignment to another. Apple's iPod and other MP3 players, Cisco's Flip video cameras and even voice recorders have virtually disappeared.

Outside of luxury fashion statements, wristwatches became a novelty until companies like Apple brought back the trend by offering smartwatches. They work by connecting to -- what else? -- your smartphone.

Rise of China

The smartphone revolution was radical enough that it destroyed an older generation of handset stalwarts. Nokia and BlackBerry were the kings of the mobile device -- and now neither of those companies makes phones, having licensed out their names to upstarts eager to make the most of once viable brands. US phone pioneer Motorola is owned by Chinese consumer electronics giant Lenovo. 

Microsoft, which dominates PCs with its Windows software, couldn't make Windows Phone work. HTC, the maker of the G1, has virtually disappeared from the scene. 

Some of the most interesting phones are coming out of Chinese companies -- like Huawei, with its foldable Mate X. 

Juan Garzon / CNET

While Samsung remains the king of the hill for smartphones and Apple remains the most profitable player, much of the action in the smartphone world is now coming out of China. Huawei, embroiled in controversial claims by the US that it's a security risk, is the world's second-largest smartphone maker, and that's without selling any phones in America. TCL, a Chinese company best known for budget televisions, has the rights to make phones using the BlackBerry brand. 

Many features, like the addition of multiple cameras, a pop-up camera or the use of slimmer bezels, emerged from companies like Huawei or smaller Chinese players such as Xiaomi, Oppo or OnePlus.

The inevitable backlash

The days when we'd get giddy over each new Android or iPhone release are gone. And though innovation is still on the horizon with the rise of 5G and foldable phones like the Galaxy Fold, enthusiasm has given way to a more critical look at how these tiny slabs of metal and glass have really affected our lives. 

That little buzz or chime creates an almost Pavlovian need to check your phone, a phenomenon dubbed FOMO, or fear of missing out. It has critics worried that the generation raised on smartphones will be too glued to their screens to operate in the real world. After all, older generations are already hooked on their phones. 

"We all seem more preoccupied with what comes out of those little screens than what is going on around us," said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies.

The very companies that serve up these time-sucking gadgets are working on apps and tweaks to their operating systems to minimize the amount of time you need to spend on the devices. Through its Screen Time feature, Apple's iOS 13 lets you control access to apps, and allows parents to manage their kids' activities better too.

In November, Google launched a Digital Wellbeing tool to offer many of the same kinds of controls. Part of Google's presentation at its I/O developer conference in May was focused on being smarter and quicker about addressing your needs.

"Looking ahead, we see another big wave of innovation to make them even more helpful," Cuthbertson said.

We've come a long way from simply making phone calls, playing music and browsing the internet.

Originally published Oct. 21, 5 a.m. PT.
Update, 3 p.m. PT: Adds background.

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Pixel 6 Pro Review: Google's Flagship Is Still a Top iPhone Rival in 2022

Pixel 6 Pro Review: Google's Flagship Is Still a Top iPhone Rival in 2022

Editors' note: The Google Pixel 6 Pro's solid all-round performance and excellent camera make it a superb high-end Android phone that's well worth your money, which is why we've given it a CNET Editors' Choice award. The original review follows. 

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When it launched late in 2021, I said the Pixel 6 Pro isn't just the best phone Google has ever made, it's also one of the best phones you can buy. Half a year later, I stand by those words and strongly recommend you consider this phone if you're looking for a great all-round experience at a more reasonable price. Its strong performance, great software additions, unique design and excellent camera system make it the biggest rival to Apple's iPhone 13 Pro and Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Sure, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a few more bells and whistles. The S Pen stylus, for example, not to mention that incredible 10x optical zoom that blows both the Pixel 6 Pro's 4x zoom and the iPhone 13 Pro's 3.5x zoom out the water. The S22 Ultra is faster on benchmark tests, too. But at $1,200 it also costs a lot more than the Pixel, meaning you've really got to be dedicated to having only the most cutting-edge tech in your pocket to want to splash that extra cash.

The Pixel 6 Pro manages to offer its winning combo of specs and design at a price that undercuts its main rivals. The 6.7-inch base 128GB model costs $899 (£849, AU$1,299), a sizable chunk less than the 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro's $999 price and even more off the $1,099 Apple wants for the larger 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max. Sure, $899 might not be "cheap" but it represents good value when compared against the prices of other flagship phones.

Google's earlier Pixel 5 was best seen as a midrange phone with some higher-end touches, while the Pixel 6 Pro is premium all the way. From its glass and metal design to its high-resolution display and its superb triple camera, there's a lot to like here. Then there's the Tensor processor, a chip custom-made by Google for the phone, which provides ample power for all of your daily needs, better security features, 5G connectivity and a slick Android 12 interface. Battery life is good -- certainly above average -- but not great, with the iPhone 13 Pro putting in a stronger performance.

Its biggest Android rival right now is the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, which does have some neat camera additions (that 10x zoom, for one thing), but it costs more and the Pixel 6 Pro offers a more user-friendly experience. The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max offer superb all-round use, but come at a higher price and if you're already entrenched in the Android ecosystem, it's likely not worth switching and buying all those apps again. 

Those looking for the best all-round Android experience should absolutely look toward the Pixel 6 Pro. 

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Pixel 6 Pro or Pixel 6?

The stepdown $599 (£599, AU$999) Pixel 6 packs the same Tensor processor and lovely Android 12 software for $300 less than the Pro, but there are a few compromises it makes in order to come to that cheaper price.

It has a smaller and lower resolution 6.4-inch display that lacks the curving finesse of the Pro. Its battery is smaller, it has 8GB rather than 12GB of RAM and it lacks the 4x telephoto zoom lens found on the Pro. 

The Pixel 6 Pro has a 6.7-inch display while the Pixel 6's measures 6.4 inches.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

But it's still a great phone that's well worth considering. It provides many of the same perks of the Pixel 6 Pro at a much lower price, especially if you don't care about the top-end performance offered by the flagship. As my colleague Patrick Holland put it in his review of the phone, "For the price, I can't think of a better phone to recommend right now."

A fresh design that stands out 

I didn't love the look of last year's Pixel 5. The matte, rubberized back gave the phone a more budget feel than its $699 price tag suggested. The Pixel 6 Pro is worlds apart. The rear is all glass -- toughened Gorilla Glass Victus, in fact -- that curves at the edges to meet the 100% recycled aluminum frame. 

The glass curves at the edges on the front, too, as does the display beneath it, making it not only look more premium, but feel like a truly flagship device when you hold it in your hand. It's big though, packing in a 6.7-inch display, which will make it more cumbersome for some than the 6-inch Pixel 5 or 6.4-inch Pixel 6. That glass makes it slippery, too, so consider one of Google's protective cases if you're nervous about dropping it. 

The Pixel 6 Pro, flanked by the iPhone 13 Pro (left) and Pixel 5.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

It is IP68-rated for water resistance, meaning it can withstand being in 1 meter (about 3 feet) of water for up to 30 minutes. No, that doesn't mean you can take it swimming, but it does mean it should be able to shake off having the odd beer spilled over it by your clumsy mates. 

An interesting design choice is the large camera bar that stretches across the back. It protrudes from the phone by about 3mm, so it doesn't lie totally flat when you put it on a table, but nor does it rock from corner to corner like phones with camera bumps just on one side. I like the look of the phone and it certainly stands out. One tip though: Get the Sorta Sunny orangey-peachy color, if you can find it in stock. The black-and-gray option, Stormy Black, looks rather dull by comparison. 

The camera strip protrudes from the phone by about 3mm. As a result, it won't lie flat on a table.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The rear-mounted fingerprint scanner seen on the Pixel 5 has been removed, replaced instead with an in-screen scanner, which I found worked accurately and quickly most of the time, although Patrick found the Pixel 6's scanner to be much more hit and miss in his review. There's no face unlock ability, which is a bit of a shame.

Three excellent cameras

That big bar on the back hides three cameras: a 12-megapixel ultrawide; a 48-megapixel telephoto that offers 4x optical zoom; and a main camera that uses a larger 1/1.3-inch sensor, which Google says captures 2.5x more light than the Pixel 5. The cameras on the Pixel phones have always been excellent, and this new generation is no different. 

Images from the main camera lens are stunning. They're vibrant, they're packed with detail and there's an amazing balance of exposure, with bright skies kept under control and shadowy areas being easily visible. 

Pixel 6 Pro, main camera.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The golden colors of the leaves have been captured beautifully here, with a rich blue sky visible behind. 

iPhone 13 Pro, main camera.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

And here's the same image taken on the iPhone 13 Pro. There's little to choose between them, but if I was being hypercritical, I'd say that the white balance on the Pixel 6 Pro has resulted in a warmer, more orange tone on the tree trunk, which I think looks better. You can see how the Pixel 6 Pro's camera really stacks up against the iPhone 13 Pro's in my photography shootout.

Pixel 6 Pro, main camera.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

This scene looking towards the beautiful Edinburgh castle is a challenging shot, with dark shadows and an extremely bright sky beyond the trees. The Pixel 6 Pro has handled it well though, maintaining a lovely exposure overall.

Pixel 6 Pro, main camera.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

And it's much the same here, with vivid blue skies, superb exposure and plenty of detail. 

Pixel 6 Pro, ultrawide camera.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Switching to the ultrawide lens, the scene maintains the rich colors and exposure. Zoom closer in and it's clear it has less overall detail, but it's still a lovely shot. 

Pixel 6 Pro, ultrawide camera.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Another from the Pixel 6 Pro's ultrawide lens. But check out the iPhone 13 Pro's:

iPhone 13 Pro, ultrawide lens.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The iPhone's offers a much wider view that lets you capture more in the scene. They're both excellent wide lenses and both do a great job in packing in those beautiful colors, but I'd like to have seen the Pixel offering a slightly wider scene.

The 4x zoom lens is amazing too, providing tons of detail thanks to its high resolution sensor. I think 4x is a great zoom level for a phone as well; it allows you to find compositions that would be beyond the reach of lesser zoom levels, but it's not quite as restrictive as the 10x zoom you'll find on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. It's a zoom level I feel I'd use a lot on my travels and have already taken a few 4x shots with the phone that I'm really pleased with as artistic images.

Pixel 6 Pro, 4x zoom.

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This zoomed-in image is so pin-sharp I can actually read the headline on the newspaper. It's a really impressive lens that doesn't force you to make any kind of compromise on quality in order to achieve those zoom levels. By comparison, the iPhone 13 Pro's optical zoom maxes out at 3x, so the Pixel 6 Pro is able to achieve a closer-up image. Which, frankly, I'd take any day over a wider-angle view.

Pixel 6 Pro, 4x zoom.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

It's handy as well for focusing your view on a smaller scene like this, capturing intimate little still-life scenes, rather than grand, sweeping vistas. The fine textures on the leaves here are extremely sharp. 

Google has thrown some extra features in too, including a tool that automatically removes people from the background in an image, which sometimes works well, and sometimes leaves a big splotch where a person once stood. Then there's the long exposure mode, which allows you to create ethereal blurred waterscapes and the Nightscape mode, which does an excellent job of taking shots in the dark. 

Pixel 6 pro, Nightscape photo.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

I'm seriously impressed with the photography abilities of the Pixel 6 Pro and there's no question that it's among the best cameras you can get on a phone right now. Video quality is excellent as well, with superb dynamic range, excellent image stabilization and plenty of detail thanks to the 4K resolution. 

Does Google's Tensor processor make a difference?

At the heart of the phone is Google's first home-baked processor, named Tensor. It's a significant move for Google to produce its own silicon and it shows a strong commitment to remain in the hardware game -- after all, you don't go to the effort of developing your own processors as a one-off experiment.  

But it's essentially irrelevant once you get the Pixel in your hand, as it functions just like any other phone. It's nippy to navigate around the Android 12 interface, games like Asphalt 9: Legends and Call of Duty play perfectly, while photo editing and video streaming are handled exactly as well as you'd get from any other top-end phone right now. 

Pixel 6 Pro benchmark tests

Google Pixel 6 Pro

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Legend:

Geekbench 5 (single core)

Geekbench 5 (multi core)

3DMark Wild Life Extreme

Note:

Longer bars equal better performance

On benchmark tests like the Geekbench 5 processor test and 3DMark's Wild Life Extreme graphics test, the Pixel 6 Pro doesn't score quite as highly as the iPhone 13 Pro, but it's up there with the Galaxy S21 Ultra (and it edged out the powerful OnePlus 9 Pro on the graphics test too). Benchmarks are by no means a direct indicator of real-life performance, but it's good to at least see that Google's new silicon is operating in the same ballpark as its rivals. 

No, the Tensor chip is not setting a new standard for lightning-fast performance. But it doesn't need to; today's phones already pack way more power than any of us are likely to need on a daily basis. Google's push into chip production goes beyond simply creating a "benchmark beater" and a lot of the real benefits will come over time as the company develops more ways to take advantage of its own hardware.

The Tensor processor is particularly designed with machine learning, AI and speech-recognition applications in mind. There are already speech-recognition functions built into the keyboard (for dictating messages or emails) as well as real-time translation tools and improved visual language translations when using Google Lens via the camera. 

Both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro run the latest Android 12 software.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Android 12 is lovely to use

The Android 12 interface is extremely neat and easy to use. It's my favorite version of Android so far, offering an uncomplicated experience that even Android novices won't take long to get to grips with. One of the bigger features that's (for now) exclusive to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro is the ability to create custom themes for the phone based on whatever image you have as your background. 

When you choose a new wallpaper (either one of the many built-in ones, or any of your own images saved to your phone), the phone will automatically pick out the dominant color and will use that, and its complementary colors, to change the look of parts of the interface, including some of the default Google app icons on the home screen, such as the Play Store, Gmail and Photos. It's a nice idea, although it probably shouldn't be the main reason you decide to part with your cash.

Security has been given a particular push both on the software and hardware side. The Tensor processor has a dedicated Titan coprocessor that apparently allows for much better on-device security, while Android 12 offers more granular control of your security and privacy settings. That includes a dashboard that shows what apps have used what information recently and handy buttons in the pull-down notification tray that turn off system-wide access to your camera and microphone. 

Those quick-access privacy buttons might come in handy.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Google has also promised that the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will receive security updates for five years, which will mean these phones will be safer to use for longer. Many older phones are still perfectly usable from a hardware standpoint, but if they don't have the latest security patches on board then they're susceptible to all kinds of hacking nastiness. From both a cost and environmental perspective, being able to use our phones safely for longer is only a good thing.

Vibrant display, solid battery life and fast charging

The Pixel 6 Pro's 6.7-inch display is pin-sharp thanks to its 3,120x1,440-pixel resolution. It's bright, too, with vibrant colors that do justice to colorful games like Candy Crush Soda Saga or video like Netflix's world-dominating show Squid Game. It has an adaptive refresh rate that can go up to 120Hz when you're playing fast-paced games, but also slows down to only 10Hz when the phone is basically sitting idle. Performance when you need it; power-saving when you don't. 

The Pixel 6 Pro and perhaps its biggest rival, the iPhone 13 Pro.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The phone runs on a 5,003-mAh battery, which should be good for a full day of mixed use. After one hour of streaming a YouTube video at max brightness it had dropped from full to 98%. By contrast, the OnePlus 9 Pro had dropped to 90%, while the iPhone 13 Pro dropped to only 99%. After a further hour the 6 Pro had dropped to 89%, while the iPhone 13 Pro was at 93%. You certainly shouldn't struggle to get through the day with it, but as with all phones, you can help it by keeping screen brightness down, avoiding demanding tasks like gaming or video streaming until you're near a plug, and turning off GPS. 

It has Qi wireless charging and it supports fast charging with a 30-watt charger (not supplied), which will take the phone to 50% full in 30 minutes. That's decent, but not really a match for OnePlus's 65-watt fast charging, which will fully charge the device in the same time. Still, it's fast enough to be able to give your phone a quick boost before you head out and about, and the Extreme Battery Saver mode pauses all but your essential apps to preserve the remaining juice.

Google Pixel 6 specs vs. Google Pixel 6 Pro, Google Pixel 5, Apple iPhone 13

	Google Pixel 6	Google Pixel 6 Pro	Google Pixel 5	Apple iPhone 13
Display size, resolution	6.4-inch OLED; 2,400x1,080 pixels; 60Hz or 90Hz	6.7-inch LTPO OLED; 3,120x1,440 pixels; 10-120Hz	6-inch FHD+ OLED; 2,340x1,080 pixels	6.1-inch OLED; 2,532x1,170 pixels
Pixel density	411 ppi	512 ppi	432 ppi	460 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	6.2x2.9x0.4 in	6.5x3.0x0.4 in	5.7x2.8x0.3 in	5.78x2.82x0.3 in
Dimensions (millimeters)	158.6x74.8x8.9mm	163.9x75.9x8.9mm	144.7x70.4x8mm	147x72x7.65mm
Weight (ounces, grams)	7.3 oz; 207g	7.41 oz; 210g	5.33 oz; 151g	6.14 oz; 174g
Mobile software	Android 12	Android 12	Android 11	iOS 15
Camera	50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel ultrawide	50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 48-megapixel (telephoto)	12.2-megapixel (standard), 16-megapixel (ultrawide)	12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)
Front-facing camera	8-megapixel	11-megapixel	8-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	4K 30, 60fps (rear), 1,080p 30fps (front)	4K 30, 60fps (rear), 4K 30fps (front)	4K	HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60fps
Processor	Google Tensor	Google Tensor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G	Apple A15 Bionic
Storage	128GB, 256GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB
RAM	8GB	12GB	8GB	Undisclosed
Expandable storage	No	No	No	No
Battery	4,614 mAh	5,003 mAh	4,000 mAh	Undisclosed; Apple lists 19 hours of video playback
Fingerprint sensor	Under display	Under display	Rear	No (Face ID)
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	Lightning
Headphone jack	No	No	No	No
Special features	5G sub 6 (some carrier models also have 5G mmWave) support, Wi-Fi 6E, 30W fast-charging, wireless charging, Magic Eraser, Motion mode, Real Tone, Face Unblur, Cinematic Pan, 5 years OS security updates, IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, Gorilla Glass Victus (front), Gorilla Glass 6 (back), dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)	5G sub 6 and mmWave support, Wi-Fi 6E, ultra-wideband, 30W fast-charging, wireless charging, Magic Eraser, Motion mode, Real Tone, Face Unblur, Cinematic Pan, 5 years OS security updates, IP68 rating for dust- and water-resistance, Gorilla Glass Victus (front and back), dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)	5G enabled; water-resistant (IP68); 90Hz-refresh-rate display; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); reverse wireless charging; fast charging	5G enabled; MagSafe; water-resistant (IP68); wireless charging; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)
Price off-contract (USD)	$599 (128GB)	$899 (128GB)	$699	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)
Price (GBP)	£599 (128GB)	£849 (128GB)	£599	£779 (128GB), £879 (256GB), £1,079 (512GB)
Price (AUD)	AU$999 (128GB)	AU$1,299 (128GB)	AU$999	AU$1,349 (128GB), AU$1,519 (256GB), AU$1,869 (512GB)

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