The Pixel 6 was a necessary disaster.

From the ambitious shift to custom Tensor silicon and a bold new design language to the frustrating software bugs and connectivity issues that plagued early adopters, we explore how this device served as a necessary, albeit painful, learning experience. Join us as we analyze the camera performance, the impact of the Tensor chip, and the long-term legacy of the Pixel 6 as the foundation for Google's modern smartphone ecosystem. 📹🔔 Subscribe: https://bit.ly/9to5G 📰 Read the full article: https://9to5google.com/2026/10/29/pixel-6-postmortem/ 🎧 Pixelated, a 9to5Google podcast: https://pca.st/nj4u 🛒 Mentioned in this video 🛒 📹Video sources used in this upload:📹 Made by Google – Pixel 6: Rave reviews from #TeamPixel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOrGx6LK9Lo (0:22) Made by Google – Google Pixel 6 Review by Mark Linsangan – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaG9_AEhKos (1:12) Team VRY – Google Fabric Case for the Pixel 4a 5G! – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxGT4pyAdgw (1:53) Made by Google – Google Pixel 6 Pro Review by Facundo Holzmeister – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAdix0lomA4 (3:12) Made by Google – Google Pixel 6 Review by Shannon Morse – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcTJEqXDEco (4:49) Made by Google – Pixel 6 vs Pixel 5a with 5G, see how the new Pixel phone compares – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o73AwOXZVnw (12:16) Made by Google – Pixel 6 versus Pixel 6 Pro: Which Phone is Right for You? – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bn0AMVD3s0 (12:22) FOLLOW 9TO5GOOGLE 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/9to5google/ 𝕏 X: https://x.com/9to5Google 👍 Facebook: https://facebook.com/9to5Google/ FOLLOW THE TEAM 🧵 Damien on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@damienwildeyt 𝕏 Jordan on X: https://x.com/JordanInTheKnow MORE FROM OUR NETWORK ▶️ 9to5Mac: https://youtube.com/9to5Mac/ ▶️ Electrek: https://youtube.com/electrekco/ ▶️ 9to5Toys: https://youtube.com/9to5Toys/ ▶️ DroneDJ: https://youtube.com/dronedj/ 🤝 Sponsor a 9to5Google video: partnerships@9to5g.com FTC: We use income-earning auto-affiliate links. https://9to5mac.com/about/#affiliate ⏱️ Chapters ⏱️ 00:00 The Pixel 6 Legacy 00:47 A Bold New Design Language 01:43 Hardware Design and Ergonomics 04:06 The Tensor Silicon Gamble 05:09 Software Experience and Stability 05:55 The Fingerprint and Modem Struggles 08:22 Camera Performance and Hardware 09:30 The Telephoto Zoom Capability 10:50 Retrospective and Lessons Learned #Pixel6 #GooglePixel #TechReview