Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro battery life: Gaming troubles
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The Google Pixel 6 series is getting old now the Pixel 7 family is officially out, but the brand new design, the in-house developed Tensor chip, enhanced cameras, and updated price tag, are all still very tempting. There's one thing in this year’s Google flagship phones, however, that could make all the difference - battery life.
UPDATE: The Pixel 6 series has received the latest Android 13 update, so we've run the battery test once more to see how the new software handles battery life. Check the updated scores below. Meanwhile, we're gearing up for the Pixel 8 series official announcement, so check out everything we know of the upcoming successor, as well.
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Looking at the Browsing test results it's clear to see that Google has done a great job with the Pixel 6 - it manages to go for two and half hours more than its predecessor at 90Hz. The Pixel 6 Pro is lagging behind the Galaxy S21 Ultra but not by much. The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max is still the champion in this category.
The YouTube video streaming test saw the Pixel 6 taking the gold medal by some margin, and the Pixel 6 Pro finishing with bronze, losing only to the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Pretty impressive results - it seems that the new Tensor chips is optimized for streaming video content. The same can't be said about gaming, sadly.
Unfortunately, due to the battery size increase the charging speeds have taken a hit. Both phones take about two hours to fully charge which is not ideal.
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The previous generations of Pixels were heavily criticized for their smallish batteries, and this year it seems that Google has listened to those complaints and cramped some respectable capacities inside the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Let's dive in and find everything about Pixel 6's battery life and battery performance.
As you can see in the table below, there's a hefty upgrade in battery capacity - the Pixel 6 battery size is 4,614 mAh, and this is 13% more than the capacity in last year’s Pixel 5 - 4,080mAh. The Pixel 6 Pro on the other hand comes with a huge 5,003 mAh battery, 23% more than the Pixel 5.
What is the battery capacity of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro?
As you can see in the table below, there's a hefty upgrade in battery capacity - the Pixel 6 battery size is 4,614 mAh, and this is 13% more than the capacity in last year’s Pixel 5 - 4,080mAh. The Pixel 6 Pro on the other hand comes with a huge 5,003 mAh battery, 23% more than the Pixel 5.
Google Pixel 6 battery size compared to other generations:
| Battery size | |
|---|---|
| Pixel | 2770 mAh |
| Pixel 2 | 2700 mAh |
| Pixel 3 | 2915 mAh |
| Pixel 4 | 2800 mAh |
| Pixel 5 | 4080 mAh |
| Pixel 6 | 4,614mAh |
| Pixel 6 Pro | 5,003mAh |
| Pixel 7 | 4,355mAh |
| Pixel 7 Pro | 5,000mAh |
How long does the Pixel 6 battery last?
Frankly, the battery life is quite good on both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro! While both models can't compare with battery life champions such as the Galaxy S21 Ultra, they manage to score decent results in our battery benchmark tests. Especially when compared to the previous Pixel generation. In our browsing test, the vanilla Pixel 6 lasted for over 14 hours, one hour longer than the Pixel 6 Pro and on par with the competition.
Our video streaming test saw the Pixel 6 outperforming other flagships with 11 hours of continuous playback for the vanilla model and just over 9 hours for the Pro. Gaming can be viewed as a weakness, as it puts quite a dent in the Pixel 6's battery life, with 4 and 6 hours respectively for both models. Now that the Pixel 7 series is out, we've added the scores of the successor models to see how they stack up against the Pixel 6.
Pixel 6 and 6 Pro battery test: Web browsing
Looking at the Browsing test results it's clear to see that Google has done a great job with the Pixel 6 - it manages to go for two and half hours more than its predecessor at 90Hz. The Pixel 6 Pro is lagging behind the Galaxy S21 Ultra but not by much. The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max is still the champion in this category.
Pixel 6 and 6 Pro battery test: YouTube video streaming
The YouTube video streaming test saw the Pixel 6 taking the gold medal by some margin, and the Pixel 6 Pro finishing with bronze, losing only to the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Pretty impressive results - it seems that the new Tensor chips is optimized for streaming video content. The same can't be said about gaming, sadly.
Pixel 6 and 6 Pro battery test: 3D Gaming
This is the weak spot. Both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro fail to impress in our gaming test, especially when compared to rival flagships. The phones only managed to score 4 and 6 hours respectively, which is not that good, even when we factor in the difference in display refresh rates.
How fast will the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro charge?
Unfortunately, due to the battery size increase the charging speeds have taken a hit. Both phones take about two hours to fully charge which is not ideal.
Does the Pixel 6 have reverse wireless charging?
Yes, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro can charge other gadgets wirelessly via the Battery Share feature. We still don't know what devices are supported or the charging speeds but it's a nice feature to have.
Does Google pixel 6 have good battery life?
The answer to this question is yes, especially if you compare it to older Pixel phones, and it also holds true in comparison to the newly released Pixel 7 series. But even in a battle with Galaxy and iPhone competitors, the Pixel 6 holds its own in the battery life department. Video streaming is solid with 13-14 hours of continuous playback (on par with the iPhone 13 Pro), and browsing is even more impressive (the vanilla Pixel 6 outperformed the competition mainly due to its efficient chipset and 90Hz screen).
The battery life in gaming scenarios could be viewed as the weak spot for the Pixel 6 series. The new Tensor chipset doesn't like to be poked and put through its paces and energy consumption goes through the roof in such scenarios. If you're not a hardcore gamer, though, the Pixel 6 series will deliver a strong battery life performance, and last a day of heavy usage easily.
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