Out with the old, in with the new, right? That’s what Google thinks. Its new flagship Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro Android smartphones just launched today, and that means it’s time to slash prices on last year’s Pixel 6 series. The Pixel 6 has dropped to $399 ($200 off)—the lowest price we’ve ever seen—and the Pixel 6 Pro is just $640 ($260 off). But that’s not all! The Pixel 6A, Google’s midrange smartphone, is also on sale for just $349.
The phones are out of stock on Google’s own storefront, and stock is dwindling at retailers like Amazon and Target, so if you want to snag a relatively new Pixel at a very low price, now’s a smart time. These Pixels will get two more years of Android OS updates and four more years of security updates, so they’re well-supported. However, if you do want the latest and greatest Pixel 7, Amazon is offering a free $100 gift card when you buy the new Pixel 7 at its $599 MSRP.
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Why We Like the Google Pixel 6 Series
The Pixel 6 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) isn’t just a pretty-looking phone. It offers up great performance with Google’s very-first custom Tensor chip. This processor is plenty powerful to run most smartphone tasks—even gaming—but it’s especially efficient at running certain smart features Google pioneered. That includes Magic Eraser, which lets you erase any unwanted objects in your photos with the tap of a finger, as well as Now Playing, which will tell you what song is playing on the lock screen before you ever have to ask. (We’ve rounded up more of these features here.)
There’s wireless charging, daylong battery life, a 6.4-inch OLED 90-Hz display, 5G, and IP68 water resistance. But it’s the cameras that Pixels are known for, and you get a fantastic dual-camera system here (a primary and an ultrawide). It can capture great photos in low light with Google’s Night Sight mode, and even the stars if you point it at the sky and leave it on a tripod. But it does have a few quirks. The fingerprint sensor is finicky, and the screen could stand to be brighter outdoors.
The Pixel 6 Pro has a few small upgrades over its smaller sibling. Namely, it has a 6.7-inch 120-Hz OLED screen, and the bigger real estate means more room for a larger battery—it can comfortably last until the morning of a second day on a single charge. The screen curves into the edges, which I don’t like much, but it gives off a futuristic feel. The only other major difference is a 4X optical zoom telephoto camera for a triple-camera system. It’s awesome if you love shooting photos of objects far away.
Google’s Pixel 6A (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has only hit the market for a few months and this price makes it a steal. It carries the Pixel 6’s design language, and maintains the same great Tensor processor, offering some of the best performance you’ll find on an Android phone for the money. There’s no wireless charging and the screen refreshes at 60 Hz, but if that doesn’t matter to you, then you’ll be happy with the IP67 water resistance, bright AMOLED screen, and more reliable fingerprint sensor.
It still has an excellent camera system, but Google relies on older camera hardware that is starting to show its age. Still, for the price, you’ll find no better. It will get three years of OS updates and five years of security updates.
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