Google went all out with the Fall launch event that marked the arrival of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, the latest Google smartphones designed to take on the best from the likes of Apple and Samsung. While Google’s claims of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro having the “best camera” yet seen on a smartphone and the inclusion of a slew of AI-driven functions may have excited many, there’s some disappointing news for potential buyers in India – the Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will not be launched here any time soon.
The Pixel 6 is available in two screen sizes – 6.4-inch on the standard model and 6.7-inch on the Pro version. Image: Google
At launch, the tech giant revealed the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will be sold in just eight regions – US, Australia, Japan, Canada, France, United Kingdom, Germany and Taiwan. India was conspicuous by its absence on the list, and it has now been confirmed that the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will not be making it to our shores in the foreseeable future, with Google attributing the absence of its flagship from the Indian market to a “variety of factors” including global supply chain issues, understood to be mainly related to the semiconductor shortage affecting several industries.
“Due to a variety of factors including global demand supply issues, we are not able to make our products available in all markets. We remain committed to our current Pixel phones and look forward to bringing future Pixel devices to more countries in the future”, said a Google spokesperson about the Pixel 6’s unavailability in India.
The Pixel 6 is the third Pixel smartphone to not be offered in India, as the Pixel 4 and Pixel 5 that came before it were also never available in the Indian market. However, the lower-spec Pixel ‘a’ series smartphones have been launched in our market regularly. While there is no confirmation at this point, Google may yet choose to introduce the Pixel 6 in India at a later date, as it is reportedly procuring higher quantities of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro from its suppliers.
The Pixel 6 has a 6.4-inch FHD+ display with 1080p resolution and 90 Hz refresh rate, while the larger Pixel 6 Pro has a 6.7-inch QHD+ display with a resolution of 1440p and a 120 Hz refresh rate. Displays of both phones sport Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection, with it extending to the back of the Pixel 6 Pro, and both phones are IP68-rated dust- and water-resistant. Android 12 OS comes standard on both devices, as does an in-display fingerprint sensor.
At the heart of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro is the custom-built ‘Tensor’ chip, which comprises two high-power application cores, two midrange cores, four low-power cores, a dedicated coprocessor for security, a private compute core, and an image processing core. You can read more about the Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro right here.