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MagyarGoogle Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro ready to fire on all cylinders as January OTA update brings dozens of vital fixes
Google has revealed that the January software update for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro is now available as factory images and full OTA images via the Google Play services website (12.0.0 (SQ1D.220105.007), Jan 2022 - specific device/images links can be found in "sources" below). Those who prefer to wait for the OTA package to arrive with a “check for update” notification may start receiving the update from Monday January 17 onwards according to a report from 9to5Google. The list of fixes for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro in the December and January patches is extensive and an installation should help relieve some of the serious teething issues users have experienced.
We recently reported about the Google flagship smartphones being criticized for their bugs, which included a damning comment from tech blogger Marques Brownlee, who claimed he was going back to his Galaxy S21 Ultra for now. However, it seems he is willing to give the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro another chance as he has been busy downloading the software update (215 MB of fixes in this particular case, presumably coming from November). Google received a lot of flak when the December update apparently left many Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones with critical issues, such as signal reception problems. Additionally, many users have complained about the mobile network standby battery draining issue and the slow fingerprint sensor.
Browsing through the list of fixes (see drop-down element "changelog" below for full list) one can find several for battery and charging and for network and telephony. One of these is “general improvements for network connection stability and performance”, which will hopefully alleviate two of the more serious issues mentioned above. There are fixes for biometrics too, with a “general improvements” update coming for the fingerprint sensor. While it’s unlikely every single problem with the Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro can be fixed with this December/January OTA package, it does seem that Google is at least paying attention to the growing din of complaints about the new Pixel phones and doing something proactive about the situation.
Changelog
Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro
January patch
Framework
Fix for issue causing screen to unlock after missed call when no screen lock is set.
Network & Telephony
General fixes & improvements for network
Fix for issue preventing emergency calls in certain conditions while some third-party apps are installed.
Power
Fix for issue preventing Pixel Stand setup to start after updating apps in certain conditions.
System
Fix for issue causing incorrect data usage accounting in Network menu on some networks.
User Interface
Fix for issue causing a black frame to appear when dismissing the Assistant overlay on the lock screen
Fix for issue causing memory leak in system UI under certain conditions.
Fix for issue causing navigation bar to be hidden when switching device orientation in certain conditions.
Fix for issue causing PIP window to render incorrectly for certain apps.
Wi-Fi
Fix for issue causing Wi-Fi network to drop connection in certain conditions.
December patch
Apps
Fix for issue causing Assistant to unintentionally start a phone call in certain conditions *[1].
Fix for stuck or frozen app UI in certain conditions *[7].
Audio
General fixes & improvements for audio playback issues in certain apps *[1].
Fix for issue causing audio noise in videos captured while using certain phone cases *[1].
Fix for issue causing microphone to cut out during calls in certain conditions *[1].
Fix for issue causing occasional audio glitch when adjusting volume levels *[1].
Fix for issue occasionally preventing audio playback from speaker in certain conditions *[1].
Fix for issue preventing Now Playing to search for unrecognized music *[1].
Battery & Power
Additional improvements for battery charging information shown in notification shade *[4].
General improvements for battery & thermal performance in certain conditions *[7].
General improvements for wireless charging in certain conditions *[5].
Improvements for alignment detection on Pixel Stand in certain conditions *[5].
Fix for issues occasionally causing incorrect Battery usage accounting to display in Settings *[7].
Biometrics
General improvements for fingerprint sensor stability & performance *[1].
Additional fixes for issues preventing enrollment of new fingerprints in certain conditions *[1].
General improvements for face unlock stability & performance *[6].
Bluetooth
General Bluetooth stability improvements for certain conditions *[3].
Fix for distorted audio over Bluetooth in certain scenarios *[1].
Fix for issue causing Bluetooth to turn on after disabling in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for volume adjustment issues with certain Bluetooth audio devices *[7].
Camera
General image quality improvements in camera preview/capture *[1].
General improvements for camera stability & performance *[1].
General improvements for auto-focus response in certain capture modes *[1].
General improvements for color consistency in viewfinder preview *[1].
Fix for issue causing blank viewfinder preview in certain conditions *[1].
Display & Graphics
Enable ANGLE graphics support library for certain apps and games *[1].
Add additional example images for display color options in Settings *[7].
General improvements to keep the screen on after multiple manual wakes *[7].
General improvements for Adaptive brightness response in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for occasional screen flicker during brightness adjustment *[1].
Fix for issue preventing Smooth Display to switch display refresh rate in certain conditions *[1].
Fix for issue causing screen flicker after locking or unlocking device in certain conditions *[1].
Fix for occasional white screen flash after display goes to sleep *[7].
Framework
Fix for issue causing app icons to display as pending downloads after installation completes *[7].
Fix for issue causing Play store app installation to pause indefinitely in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for issue occasionally preventing Work Profile setup to complete in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for issue preventing all settings or apps to be restored from backup during setup in certain conditions *[7].
Media
Fix for issue causing system crash during media playback in certain conditions *[7].
Network & Telephony
General improvements for network connection stability & performance *[7].
Fix for crash in Settings when toggling Airplane mode on certain network configurations *[7].
Fix for issue that disabled call features on certain devices or networks in certain conditions *[1].
Sensors
General improvements for sensor stability & response in certain conditions *[2].
General improvements for Quick Tap response & performance *[2].
General improvements for Auto-rotate response in certain device orientations *[4].
General improvements for Adaptive brightness response in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for issue preventing lift to wake and double tap to wake in certain conditions *[1].
Fix for issue preventing Always-on-display from turning on in certain conditions *[1].
Fix for issue causing unexpected haptics or vibration in certain conditions *[1].
System
Kernel update to 4.9.279 for Pixel 3a & Pixel 3a XL.
Kernel update to 4.14.243 for Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL & Pixel 4a.
Kernel update to 4.19.202 for Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5 & Pixel 5a (5G).
General improvements for system stability & performance *[7]
Fix for issue causing device to freeze after sleeping while charging in certain conditions *[1].
Fix for issue occasionally preventing OTA updates to install *[7].
User Interface
Add Material You dynamic theming support for the device boot animation *[7].
Improvements for Internet tile in Quick Settings *[7].
Improvements for Quick Settings layout in certain device orientations *[7].
Fix for issue causing display to stay on during wireless charging *[5].
Fix for issue causing Game Dashboard icon to display over lock screen *[7].
Fix for issue causing incorrect colors or theme to display in Quick Settings in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for issue causing lock screen icons to display in notification shade in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for issue causing notification History & Clear all buttons to occasionally display incorrectly *[7].
Fix for issue causing persistent app media controls in notification shade in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for issue causing persistent call notification in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for issue causing persistent Turn off work apps button in app drawer *[7].
Fix for issue causing screen flicker after locking or unlocking device in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for issue causing Settings to crash in Conversations menu in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for issue causing undismissable Game Dashboard button during gameplay in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for issue causing app drawer to scroll to the top after clearing search query *[7].
Fix for issue causing certain home screen icons to appear misaligned in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for issue enabling Quick Settings toggles to be tapped from home screen in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for issue hiding date or time in Quick Settings in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for issue occasionally causing blank background on home screen after setting wallpaper *[7].
Fix for issue occasionally causing Quick Settings to pull down after unlocking device *[7].
Fix for issue occasionally causing UI elements to display with transparent backgrounds *[7].
Fix for issue occasionally displaying Work Profile badge icon on personal apps or contacts *[7].
Fix for issue preventing conversation bubble to be dismissed in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for issue preventing search results to display in Settings in certain conditions *[7].
Fix for occasional screen flicker in notification shade when dragging from top of screen *[7].
Fix for occasional flickering when quickly switching between apps in certain conditions *[7].
Wi-Fi
General improvements for Wi-Fi stability & performance *[7].
Fix for issue that would occasionally disconnect device from Wi-Fi in certain conditions *[1].
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*Updates for Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have been delayed until January 2022. Please refer to this post for information on the January 2022 software update.
Device Applicability
*[1] Included on Pixel 6 & Pixel 6 Pro
*[2] Included on Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5, Pixel 5a (5G), Pixel 6 & Pixel 6 Pro
*[3] Included on Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5, Pixel 5a (5G)
*[4] Included on Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5, Pixel 5a (5G), Pixel 6 & Pixel 6 Pro
*[5] Included on Pixel 4 / XL, Pixel 5, Pixel 6 & Pixel 6 Pro
*[6] Included on Pixel 4 & Pixel 4 XL
*[7] Included on Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5, Pixel 5a (5G), Pixel 6 & Pixel 6 Pro
Critical Pixel update incoming, finally. Let's see how it goes. https://t.co/QLSTSLiVag pic.twitter.com/w89AcH953k
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) January 14, 2022
Source(s)
