The Google Pixel 6 Pro offers a lot for just $899. In addition to a great camera system that now captures more light, you also get a telephoto lens with 4x optical zoom. And thanks to the new Magic Eraser feature and Action Mode, you can do all sorts of cool things with your photos.

We were also blown away by the performance of the Tensor chip, based on benchmarks of the Pixel 6. And the chip helps save time with the AI power of the new Google Assistant, including live translation of sign language, smarter voice texting, and even putting you on hold while on a call with customer service, no wonder the Pixel 6 Pro is already sold out, A guide to where to buy to get your hands on a Google Pixel 6 is also available.

However, the Pixel 6 Pro is certainly not perfect, and if you're looking to get this phone over, say, the iPhone 13 Pro Max or Galaxy S21 Ultra, you'll need to make some trade-offs. Here are five reasons why you should buy the Pixel 6 Pro and three reasons why you should skip it.

Stellar Camera

The Pixel 6 Pro features three cameras, including a new 50MP main wide sensor that captures up to 150% more light than the Pixel 5. 12MP ultrawide camera, a 4x optical zoom and 20x SuperRes (digital ) zoom combined with a 48MP telephoto lens. The new camera system has been improved to capture darker skin tones more accurately, and there are new Motion modes for action panning and long exposures.

In our tests, the Pixel 6 Pro more than held its own against the iPhone 13 Pro Max. In fact, the Pixel 6 Pro had better results when shooting portraits (better facial detail) and using night mode (brighter images). The zoom is not as powerful as the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but at 20x, the Pixel 6 Pro's results were better. Aggressive Price

At $899, the Google PIxel 6 Pro is $200 less than the iPhone 13 Pro Max and $300 less than the Galaxy S21 Ultra. This is money that could be put toward accessories such as cases, chargers, and apps. The biggest problem is finding the Pixel 6 Pro in stock right now. If you want to save even more, visit our Google PIxel 6 Deals page.

Tensor chip is better than you think

The Pixel 6 Pro ditched Qualcomm's Snapdragon chip in favor of Google's own silicon, called Tensor, and the result is the Google Pixel 6's various benchmarks better than expected; the Pixel 6 Pro outperformed Samsung in the 3DMark Wild Life graphics benchmark, although it trailed the Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 13 Pro Max in Geekbench.

Even better, in a video encoding test using the Adobe Premiere Rush app, the Pixel 6 Pro finished 20 seconds faster than the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The Google phone finished in 48 seconds compared to Samsung's 1:03.

Magic Eraser mode and other AI power

The Tensor chip built into the Google PIxel 6 Pro is all kinds of clever. First, it can erase photobombers and other unwanted objects from your photos. Just select what you want to erase and Pixel 6 Pro will do the rest.

I also really like the call answering feature of Google Assistant. For example, when you call an 800 number, the Pixel 6 Pro will show you in real time how long the wait time will be based on historical averages. Once the call starts, Google Assistant will transcribe the call and present you with options to choose from.

Standout Design

The Google Pixel 6 Pro is different from previous Pixel phones, and that's almost a good thing. I like the way the camera rubber extends across the phone, which is a more streamlined look than the unsightly patches on the back of the latest iPhone and Galaxy phones. And unlike the regular Google PIxel 6, the Pixel 6 Pro's 6.7-inch display is gently curved, so it won't be accidentally touched. Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back make for a sturdy and sleek flagship model.

The Google Pixel 6 Pro's display is darker than the competition

The Google Pixel 6 has a responsive Quad HD OLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. This is a high-quality panel, but it is simply not as bright as competing flagships.

Using the light meter, the Pixel 6 Pro has an average brightness of 495 nits and with adaptive brightness enabled, the peak brightness goes up to 842 nits. iPhone 13 Pro Max starts at 837 nits and goes up to 1,038 nits.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra's screen is dimmer (average 821 nits/peak 1,500 nits), but still brighter than the Pixel 6's screen.

Slow fingerprint sensor

Google ditched the rear fingerprint reader in favor of a sensor embedded in the display. The bad news is that the fingerprint sensor is slow and inconsistent at reading fingerprints.

I found that on both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, I had to hold my finger down longer than on the Galaxy S21 series to unlock the device. And sometimes a false negative is displayed. Hopefully this will be improved in a future update.

Relatively short battery life

This is a weakness that I don't think will be easily fixed: despite its 5,000mAh battery, the Pixel 6 Pro lasted only 7 hours 53 minutes in Tom's Guide battery tests. This was with continuous web surfing at a screen brightness of 150 nits. For more information, see the Pixel 6 battery life comparison.

By comparison, the iPhone 13 Pro Max (12:16) and Galaxy S21 Ultra (11:25) lasted over 4 and 3 hours longer, respectively, on a charge. Note that these results were obtained at 5G. For longer durability, we recommend switching the Pixel 6 from 5G to 4G.

The Pixel 6 Pro definitely cuts a few corners against the iPhone 13 Pro Max and Galaxy S21 Ultra, but it is still one of the best phones this year for the price. We recommend the Pixel 6 Pro to anyone who likes Android and is looking for a big screen experience without a big premium.