Ron Amadeo
The beginning of a brand new month means it is time for Google to roll out an Android security patch. November’s patch is extra notable than normal, due to some Pixel 6-specific bugfixes and the cutoff of the three-year-old Pixel 3 {hardware}.
This launch additionally marks the loss of life of the Pixel 3 in Google’s help lineup. The Pixel 3 launched in October 2018 with one of many greatest show notches ever and a critical dearth of RAM, incomes it a lukewarm reception and disappointing sales. Whereas the telephone survived lengthy sufficient to get the large Android 12 update and the October 2021 safety patch, October marked the top of the deliberate three years of updates. Now that the November safety is right here, it isn’t rolling out to the Pixel 3.
The Pixel 3 {hardware} remains to be completely useful, as its Snapdragon 845 and 4GB of RAM are usually not removed from a brand-new $300 phone. Google might deal with its prospects higher and scale back the quantity of e-waste it places into the world by extending its help timelines, however it has been reluctant to try this. Even the brand new Pixel 6, over which Google has end-to-end management, will nonetheless be out of date after three years, although it’ll proceed to get safety updates. We’re solely asking that Google’s $900 flagship match the help window of a $400 price range iPhone.
Whereas the Pixel 3 is dying, the Pixel 6 is simply getting began. Pixel 6 house owners accessed the November patch as a day-one replace, however Google is barely now detailing what’s within the patch. The last-minute fixes embrace modifications to how auto-brightness works in sure lighting circumstances, Wi-Fi connection stability enhancements, and higher Bluetooth audio high quality in “sure situations.” This is not the top of the Pixel 6 fixes, both. Google has already mentioned December’s patch will include a repair for a wierd and inconsequential bug the place customers can induce “transient show artifacts” when the show is turned off. We will not replicate this error ourselves, however apparently, should you press the ability button good—frivolously sufficient to set off the bug however not onerous sufficient to totally flip the show on, you will get the show to flicker. Till the patch rolls out, Google recommends not doing this.
