Nothing about the 5G Pixel 6 Pro fingerprint scanner and battery should keep you from buying one

After finally getting my hands on the Google Pixel 6 Pro that yours truly ordered, this writer would like to give you some impressions of the device. First, this is not the first Pixel I've owned. I had the Pixel 2 XL which was my daily driver from August 2018 to February 2020 when I switched to the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

As soon as Google introduced the Pixel 6 line, I wanted to switch. There isn't anything wrong with the iPhone and the build quality is the best in the business. But when it comes to software, Apple and Google do not see eye-to-eye. Apple wants to limit the things that you can do on the iPhone to make sure that everything works as it should.

Google's approach to stock Android on the Pixel is to come up with software that solves pain points both major and minor. Hate waiting on hold when you call a company? "Hold for Me" assigns that task to Google Assistant and it will alert you when the representative is ready to talk to you (unfortunately this feature is currently "on hiatus" until an update fixes an issue).

And every three months, the Pixel Feature Drop adds new capabilities. It's like getting a bonus and sometimes the new features are very, very good. And if you are used to previous Pixel models, the Pixel 6 line is like no other.

The build quality is nearly up to iPhone standards. And all of that hand wringing over the in-display fingerprint scanner is a bunch of hooey. Sure, the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S21 Ultra is faster, but there is no reason why anyone cannot get by with the optical fingerprint scanner on the Pixel 6 Pro.

Google Pixel 6

The Pixel 6 is also available at BestBuy with our without carrier plan activation. All storage and color versions are in stock.

$599

Expired

Google Pixel 6 Pro

Same BestBuy conditions apply to the Pixel 6 Pro too. You can get an unlocked version or a version with a carrier plan.

$899 ⁹⁹

Buy at BestBuy

Some have complained about the battery life on the device while others have praised it. So far, I'm happy with the 5003mAh capacity battery that powers the phone and it should easily carry you through the day. And that takes us to the one major bug that we've experienced and that is the connectivity issue. Two or three times the phone was unable to find my mobile network, and while this is concerning of course, for the vast majority of the day, we had no problem making a call.

Even though there is a Google Assistant app on iOS, Assistant on the Pixel is faster since it is now on-device. Google Assistant is superior by far than Siri with fewer answers asking you to find the answer on the internet. So here's the deal. If you've been holding back on buying the Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro because of all of the issues you've been reading about, don't let it stop you from buying either model. Eventually, you can expect Google to send out a software update to fix every problem.

That's what happened with the Pixel 2 XL. There were plenty of problems such as tinny sound, overheating, clicking sounds coming from the speakers, and burn-in on the display (which was not a problem that could be repaired by an update). By the time I bought the Pixel 2 XL, it worked perfectly with no issues at all. And we are coming close to that same scenario with the new Pixels.

If you don't buy either model because you're worried about the fingerprint scanner being a fraction of a second too slow, or because you might not get as good a battery life as you would have with the iPhone 13 Pro Max, you'll be missing out on buying a great phone that might do the things that you want from your handset instead of having to deal with a boring operating system.

And that's not to say that the iPhone 13 Pro Max doesn't have a lot going for it. There are features such as Macro Mode that allow you to take extreme close-ups using the ultra-wide camera, Cinematic Mode which can quickly change the focus between two subjects while recording video, the huge battery life, and more. But the Pixel 6 line includes Magic Eraser to rid your photos of unwanted people and things, and Motion Mode adds movement to a photo by blurring the background.

You might need to decide for yourself whether to go with the iPhone 13 Pro Max or a Pixel 6 Pro as both are great handsets. If you want a serious device that gets the job done, go with the former. If you want a phone that's fun, go with the Pixel.

And if it is the latter you select, go ahead and place your order. Google has been taking care of the bugs and will continue to do so until they are all gone.