The Pixel 6 series is your favourite Pixel, surpassing the Pixel 2, Pixel 4 and Pixel 5 series

The Pixel 6 series brought us the Tensor chip, the rear camera bar, and a wave of AI features.

Last month we listed the Pixel phones that will be receiving Android 17 this summer. As we’ve said, this year will be the last time all Tensor-powered Pixels get the new Android update. Google will stop supporting the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro this October. (Pixel 6a’s last update will come in July 2027.) Got us thinking, what is your favourite generation of Pixels? So we ran a poll for the best Pixel phone to see.

The candidates

We asked you to choose a favourite from the following:

Pixel 2 / 2 XL (2017)

Pixel 4/4 XL (2018)

Pixel 5 (Year 2020)

Pixel 6 series (2021)

Meet the contestants

Pixel 2/2 XL The follow-up to the original Pixel. Google added water resistance (IP67), front-firing stereo speakers and Active Edge (squeeze the sides to launch Google Assistant or dismiss alarms) The fingerprint sensor (on the back) was fast and accurate. Pixel 2 XL is one of my all time favourite pixels and my first pixel phone.

Pixel 4/4 XL: These introduced us to Face Unlock and Motion Sense thanks to the Soli radar chip. You reach for your phone and Face Unlock is already ready – smooth until the security bug hit. It would unlock the phone with your eyes shut. (Apple required open eyes.) Finally, Google added a switch. Motion Sense allowed you to wave your hand over the screen to dismiss alarms, reject calls or skip tracks

Pixel 5 Google surprised everyone by making this a mid-range phone with a Snapdragon 765G. After the Pixel 4 flopped, Google pulled back, ditching Motion Sense and Face Unlock, and secretly built the Tensor chip.

Pixel 6 series: This was Google’s real attempt to take on Apple and Samsung. It gave us the Tensor chip, the now-iconic rear camera bar, and AI-powered features like Magic Eraser and Hold for Me. But it had its issues. A horrible Exynos modem that dropped calls, and a slow cheap optical fingerprint sensor. But that was the start of the Tensor era.

Poll results:

So who won the series? Our best Pixel phone poll results are in and the Pixel 6 series took the win with 28.19% of the votes. That’s a clear win. “Another model” (unlisted) was second at 26.19%. Then the Pixel 2/2 XL at 18.81 percent, the Pixel 4/4 XL at 15.43 percent and the Pixel 5 at 11.37 percent. Still in touch with fans, rough edges and all, this best Pixel phone poll shows the Pixel 6 line.

What does this signify? Google has gone to war with Apple and Samsung with the Pixel 6 series, and it’s done the right thing. The execution was a bit rough around the edges, but it paved the way for everything to come. That’s what this best Pixel phone poll is telling us. (And if you missed it, we also have a best Pixel phone poll for older generations – stay tuned.) Our best Pixel phone poll results are in, and it seems like Tensor and that camera bar won people over.