I just saw the Google Pixel 6 on full display — here’s what it’s like

Google Pixel 6 on display in NYC Google store
(Image credit: Future)

The Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro are coming on October 19, but I just saw both unreleased smartphones on full display ahead of the official launch event.

For the past few weeks leading up to the Google Pixel 6 event, the Google flagship store in New York City has had both versions of its upcoming smartphones in the window. Tom's Guide reported a second-hand account of the company's clever tease in September, but I finally had the chance to visit the phones myself. 

I arrived at the store mostly by accident. As I was walking between meetings, I looked up to my right and there the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were, encased for a passerby like myself to see.

Google Pixel 6 Pro on display NYC

(Image credit: Future)

In the crowded Chelsea neighborhood, folks weren't lining up to marvel at Google's new handsets. It's not like it's the Mona Lisa, but I bet if Apple put out the iPhone 13 before it came out in the Fifth Avenue's glass cube crowds would consistently gather.

Regardless, I appreciated the Pixel 6's unassuming display for the sake of examining and photographing the phones up close. I even captured a TikTok (have you followed Tom's Guide on TikTok yet?) — check it out below.

@tomsguide

How do the upcoming #google phones look? 👀 #pixel #phone #tech #nyc #technology #city #foryou #fyp

♬ levitating x promiscuous DJ Lilli - DJ Lilli

Both upcoming Pixels have a color-block design, complete with a horizontal camera array. Of all the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro colors, the Pixel 6 on display is a salmon pink while the Pixel 6 Pro is a pale yellow with gold accents. I would've like to see the Sorta Sage hue in the regular Pixel 6, since the color is currently on-trend, but I guess I'm lucky to have seen the phones at all.

The phone's rounded edges look particularly attractive on display. It lends a softness to the design that makes the Pixel 6 seem like a pleasure to hold. Of course, the phone experts here at Tom's Guide will need to go hands-on with the new phone to verify or deny.

Similarly, the physical display hides the phone's display, so I can't say how bright or responsive or rich it looked. I have used beta versions of Android 12, so I can imagine what it might look like on the Pixel 6. Still, without seeing the new Google Pixel 6 Tensor chip in action, there's no telling what experience users can expect. 

Sure, it was a pleasant surprise to see the phones ahead of their official launch, but it left me wanting to know the whole picture — not just what I can see behind the glass. 

Luckily it won't be long now until we know everything the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have to offer. The Pixel Fall Launch 2021 event is taking place on October 19 at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. 

Kate Kozuch

Kate Kozuch is the managing editor of social and video at Tom’s Guide. She covers smartwatches, TVs and audio devices, too. Kate appears on Fox News to talk tech trends and runs the Tom's Guide TikTok account, which you should be following. When she’s not filming tech videos, you can find her taking up a new sport, mastering the NYT Crossword or channeling her inner celebrity chef.