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Google's Pixel 6 Pro feels every bit as premium as it looks

Roll up, roll up. I've got your Pixel 6 Pro shots right here.

Andrew Lanxon
Andrew is CNET's go-to guy for product coverage and lead photographer for Europe. When not testing the latest phones, he can normally be found with his camera in hand, behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food. Sometimes all at once.
Andrew Lanxon
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1 of 26 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

After teasing it back in August, we've finally spent some real time with Google's Pixel 6 Pro Android phone. It's the best phone Google has ever made, packing a superb triple rear-camera setup, a glorious high-resolution 6.7-inch display and Google's own Tensor processor. 

At $899 (£849, converts to about AU$1,570), the Pixel 6 Pro costs a sizable $200 more than the Pixel 5. There's no question that Google is pitching it as a premium phone to be considered alongside the iPhone 13 and Samsung's Galaxy S21.   

Click through to take a closer look at the Pixel 6 Pro.

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2 of 26 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

It has a glass back that is lovely to hold. It definitely has a more premium look and feel than the Pixel 5.   

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The black and gray option doesn't look quite as attractive in my opinion.

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The Pixel 6 Pro will be doing battle with the iPhone 13 Pro -- a phone that offers stellar camera quality and great performance. 

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The Pixel 6 Pro (left) runs the latest Android 12 software while the iPhone (right) runs iOS 15.

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The Pixel 6 Pro (left) with the smaller Pixel 6.

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The Pixel 6 Pro, flanked by the iPhone 13 Pro and Pixel 5.

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The Pixel 6 is a superb phone for its price, but if you're looking for the best all-round Android experience, the 6 Pro is the one to go for. 

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Android 12 has a neat look overall, which should make it easy for even Android newbies.

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That camera strip hides three cameras: a 50-megapixel standard lens, a 12-megapixel wideangle lens and a 48-megapixel telephoto lens that offers 4x optical zoom.

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The iPhone 13 Pro takes superb images that are on par with those of the Pixel 6 Pro. The better option for you comes down to personal preference.

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There's a fingerprint scanner built into the display. No face unlock is offered here.

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The Android 12 settings menu. 

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The Pixel 6 Pro (left) has an 11-megapixel front-facing camera, while the Pixel 6's tops out at 8-megapixels. 

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The camera strip protrudes from the phone, so it won't lie flat on a table.

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16 of 26 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

A fun, new software feature on the Pixels is the ability to have the system colors change depending on the dominant colors in your selected homescreen background. That way, you have a unified color palette across your device.

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17 of 26 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Starting at $899, the Pixel 6 Pro is cheaper than the iPhone 13 Pro ($999).

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Google is smart to try to undercut Apple's phone.

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Google's Tensor processor promises a variety of benefits, including machine learning, speech recognition, AI and better on-device security. 

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The Pixel 6 Pro has one of the best camera setups you can get on a phone today.

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The fingerprint scanner on the Pixel 6 Pro works well.

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Changing the background wallpaper. 

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The privacy dashboard gives a clear view of which apps are using what information. 

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Buttons in the pull-down notification bar let you turn off system-wide access to the camera and microphone.

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Both the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro run the latest Android 12 software.

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The orange Pixel 6 Pro alongside the black and gray Pixel.

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