With regard to the Pixel 6 vs 6 Pro, apparently the key differentiator was never intended to be size but feature set (as it affects relative affordability). They wanted a “Pro” model they could throw everything at and damn the costs. And the 6 was a model they could economize on a bit for more budget conscious consumers who still want to get close to the core of the flagship experience.
When looked at that way, I think they decked out the Pixel 6 quite brilliantly. By all accounts I’ve heard so far, it’s wowing a lot of people and, by and large, enough people walk away feeling satisfied they’re not missing out dramatically in their choice, especially if their budget requires some care or they really intensely loathe curved displays.
The people who might experience a bit of buyers remorse would be the ones who can fit the Pro into their budget but were on the fence for various reasons.
Back when I started getting interested in the Pixels I was definitely a vocal fence sitter. I was still planning to trade my extra 12 mini for a 13 mini and keep that running until I felt foldable phones were sturdy enough to survive my pocket lint!
So I was more interested in playing it cautiously and economizing if I decided to get a new Pixel, because I had no phone I wanted to trade for it and because I had the 13 mini purchase planned later.
Then the pwm bomb incited by my 13 Pro was a “lemons into lemonade” situation that put the Pixel Pro neatly in reach. It didn’t hurt that Google priced these phones just right in the flagship battles! I could even put the 512 GB model into my cart without breaking a sweat. So the 256 GB model I did end up with is definitely in the budget sweet spot.
