The Google Pixel 6 Pro camera set will be out of this world, it seems, if not in pure hardware (there are higher specs elsewhere) then in the arguably way more important calibration and custom image processing departments.
A leaked Pixel 6 Pro camera repair manual, for instance, shows that you won't be able to simply swap the camera kit with the same one produced as a replacement part and expect the same results as from a brand new phone. Here's the telltale Pixel 6 Pro camera repair sign:
If the camera or logic board needs to be replaced, you need to use a "GEO" camera module provided to Authorized Service Providers; this module is different from the production camera module that is paired to the original logic board.
The "GEO" module needs to be "calibrated" to the device's logic board with vendor-exclusive calibration software. As of writing, 2021-10-10, this software hasn't leaked anywhere publicly and it's unclear if the modules are calibrated by the vendor pre-shipping to the ASP or are calibrated by the ASPs themselves during the repair.
Pixel 6 Pro camera repair manual
What all of this means is that the Pixel 6 Pro camera may be individually calibrated in the factory akin to what some manufacturers like OnePlus, Oppo, Apple, or Samsung do with their award-winning per-unit display calibration.
The folks behind the award-winning OnePlus 9 Pro or Oppo Find X3 Pro displays that return nearly perfect color gamut and white balance coverage told us in our Pixelworks interview last year that it takes just a few seconds to individually calibrate a display in the factory and the results are pretty astounding.
Custom Pixel 6 Pro camera and the Right to Repair act
At least for those manufacturers which put the extra money and effort to do it, that is, and Google now seems to be one of them as far as the camera on the Pixel 6 Pro is concerned. It has to as not only does it have proprietary computational photography algorithms but now also a proprietary Tensor chipset and image processor, too.
Just like Apple which also does individual calibration and a camera or display replacement would properly work only in its authorized centers. Otherwise, you risk small inconveniences like Face ID not working if you put a third-party display in an independent repair shop, for instance.
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Something in that vein may be brewing with the Pixel 6 series, but only time will tell if Google will have to address the recent Right to Repair act Federal Trade Commision decision, or would it skate away with the proprietary technology, tools and software argument.
Pixel 6 vs Pixel 6 Pro Tensor processor benchmark score
We already know quite a lot about the Google Pixel 6 Pro specs as well as those of its smaller sibling the Pixel 6, and one of the most interesting leaked details are of Google's homebrew Tensor chipset core counts and clock frequencies - 2x 2.8GHz X1, 2x 2.25GHz A78, and 4x 1.8GHz A55 cores with ARM Mali-G78 GPU.
Granted, we've had Tensor chipset benchmarks leaked before, but the latest Geekbench appearance unearthed by MySmartPrice is of the smaller Pixel 6 sibling, and it pulls off what the Pixel 6 Pro managed almost to the tee.
Moreover, synthetic benchmarks don't tell the whole picture about real-life performance, and, knowing Google's software and hardware optimization prowess, the Pixel 6/Pro performance should be smooth as silk with the Tensor processor.
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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