Tag: Google

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October 2022 patch is now hitting Pixel phones

Pixel users rejoice, it’s patch day. If you own a Pixel 4 or later, the October patch is on its way to your phone.

Below are all of the updates:

Audio

  • Fix for issue occasionally causing audible humming or noise artifacts during calls while using wired headsets
  • Fix for issue preventing device volume controls in media player notification to work under certain conditions

Connectivity

  • Fix for issue causing launcher crash when connecting to VPN in certain conditions

User Interface

  • Fix for issue causing compatibility issues with certain app widgets in Android 13
  • Fix for issue causing media player to display default icon for certain media apps
  • Fix for issue occasionally causing device crash when playing audio from local storage
  • Fix for issue occasionally causing empty Quick Settings tiles to display in notification shade
  • Fix for issue occasionally causing Work Profile toggle button to appear truncated in app drawer

Wi-Fi

  • Fix for issue occasionally preventing available Wi-Fi networks from displaying in network selection menu in certain apps

Fix for issue occasionally causing audible humming or noise artifacts during calls while using wired headsets for the Pixel 4, Pixel 5a.
Fix for issue preventing device volume controls in media player notification to work under certain conditions
Connectivity

  • Fix for issue causing launcher crash when connecting to VPN in certain conditions
    User Interface
  • Fix for issue causing compatibility issues with certain app widgets in Android 13
    Fix for issue causing media player to display default icon for certain media apps
    Fix for issue occasionally causing device crash when playing audio from local storage
    Fix for issue occasionally causing empty Quick Settings tiles to display in notification shade
    Fix for issue occasionally causing Work Profile toggle button to appear truncated in app drawer
    Wi-Fi
  • Fix for issue occasionally preventing available Wi-Fi networks from displaying in network selection menu in certain apps

Your device has to be running Android 13 to get the update. The rollout, like always, will take a few weeks before hitting everyone.

The patch also comes with security fixes fixing issues marked moderate to critical in severity.

This might be the last update for the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, as October marks three years since the phone’s initial release. Google could opt to extend the lifespan of the phone, but it hasn’t done so in the past, so we’re not expecting anything different this time around.

The Pixel 4 and 4 XL will likely receive one final patch, but its timing is unclear. It probably won’t arrive for the next couple of months.

This patch is likely already included in the upcoming Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. Google will announce its 2022 flagships and more at its upcoming Made by Google event on October 6th.

Source: Google Support, Android

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Mobile Syrup

Google connected home products on sale until Oct. 5

Google has an assortment of connected home products on sale until October 5th.

These connected home devices include the Nest Cam, Nest Wifi and Nest Doorbell.

With a Made by Google event around the corner, it’s possible that Google will put some more devices on sale by the end of the week. Google’s Pixel 6, 6 Pro and 6a are also on sale on Amazon.

Source: Google Store

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Mobile Syrup

Leaked Pixel 7 series spec alludes to Google’s own ‘Cinematic Mode’

The ‘Made by Google’ Pixel event is just a few days away, and new leaks about the Pixel 7 line are giving us a better idea of what to expect from the keynote.

This leak comes in the form of a spec sheet, which was first uploaded on an unnamed Taiwanese carrier’s website (now taken down) through the Google News Telegram channel, as first spotted by 9to5Google.

The spec sheet offers a comparison between the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, backing up several previously leaked specs, including display sizes, camera specs, internals and more.

Starting with the Pixel 7, the leaked spec sheet suggests that the device will sport a 6.3-inch Full HD 90Hz display with 8GB of RAM and 128/256GB storage options. The double-camera system on the Pixel 7 includes a 50-megapixel wide-angle lens, and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens with a 10.8-megapixel front camera.

The device will be equipped with Google’s Tensor G2 chipset with a Titan M2 security chip and support for wired and wireless charging.

Similarly, the Pixel 7 Pro is reported to sport a 6.7-inch QHD+ 120Hz display with 12GB of RAM and 128/256GB storage options. The triple camera system on the Pixel 7 Pro includes a 48-megapixel telephoto lens, a 50-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens and a 10.8-megapixel front camera.

The Pixel 7 Pro also runs on Google’s new Tensor G2 chipset and features a Titan M2 security chip, alongside support for wired and wireless charging.

Both devices are IP68 dust and water-resistant and feature both Face and Fingerprint unlock sensors, which is an upgrade from the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro’s sole fingerprint sensor.

The Pixel 7 Pro also offers a few exclusive upgrades, including moving from a 4x optical zoom on the Pixel 6 Pro’s telephoto lens to 5x optical zoom on the Pixel 7 Pro, while the “high resolution” digital + optical has been bumped from 20x on the Pixel 6 Pro to 30x on the Pixel 7 Pro.

Other notable additions include a “Movie Motion Blur” feature, which is reported to function similar to Apple’s Cinematic mode, and will be available on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, whereas a new “Macro Focus” feature is exclusive to the Pixel 7 Pro.

While these leaks sound awfully accurate and similar to rumours we’ve heard in the recent few weeks, considering that they came from an unnamed foreign source, we recommend that you take them with a grain of salt. Regardless, the ‘Made by Google’ Pixel event is just a few days away, and we’ll know the exact specs and features the new devices offer soon.

You can keep an eye on the MobileSyrup home page, Twitter and/or Facebook for all the latest news from the event.

Image credit: Google News Telegram channel, Made By Google

Source: Google News Telegram channel Via: 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Google’s wired Nest Doorbell appears on store shelves ahead of Oct 6 event

We’re currently just days away from Google’s Pixel 7 event, but that hasn’t stopped the never-ending stream of leaks from continuing to flow.

On October 6th, Google will host its fall hardware keynote to showcase upcoming products like the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel Watch, and likely updates to Google’s Nest lineup of devices.

One product we’re expected to see is a new wired Nest Doorbell. A customer at Best Buy in the U.S. stumbled across the product and reached out to 9to5Google with images of the still unannounced doorbell.

The tipster found the new Nest Doorbell on the Best Buy store’s shelves. However, when the customer attempted to purchase the smart home device, they were told they couldn’t and that it isn’t available to purchase until October 4th.

Image credit: 9to5Google

This could point to a potential announcement from Google prior to its October 6th event. Alternatively, Best Buy’s database might now have been up to date with Google’s release plan.

Based on the images, the wired Nest Doorbell features packaging identical to its wireless, battery-powered counterpart. The significant difference is that there’s a ‘Wired’ identifier at the bottom of the box with a checkmark next to it. The doorbell costs $180 USD (roughly $245 CAD). Further, the wired device is also available in white and dark grey. These colour options match the current Nest Doorbell.

With this new wired option, Google is adding an updated smart doorbell alternative for those that don’t want to deal with charging the device. It’s unclear if the tech giant also plans to update its battery-powered Nest doorbell that experiences issues holding a charge in the cold, making it near useless in Canada.

Source: 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Pixel 6, 6a, 6 Pro on sale at Amazon again

Google’s Pixel 7 event is just around the corner, but if you don’t care for the Pixel 7 series based on what we know so far, you might want to take advantage of discounts on the Pixel 6a, 6, and 6 Pro.

Amazon Canada currently has all three phones on sale. Granted, none of the discounts are crazy, but given how expensive smartphones are these days, any discount is welcome.

Check out the prices below:

  • Pixel 6a – $539.99 (regular $599)
  • Pixel 6 – $769.99 (regular $799)
  • Pixel 6 Pro – $970.59 (regular $1,179)

However, there are a few caveats to consider here. First, only some of the phone colours are available at a reduced price, while others are actually more expensive (for example, the ‘Sorta Seafoam’ Pixel 6 is listed for almost $935).

Moreover, all the phones are listed as sold by another company, not Google. It may be worth looking into the third-party retailers to see if they’re trustworthy before making a purchase.

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though MobileSyrup may earn a commission on purchases made via these links.

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Hideo Kojima reportedly pitched a Stadia-exclusive follow-up to Death Stranding

Prior to Google pulling the plug on its poorly supported cloud gaming service, developer Hideo Kojima was working on a potential Stadia-exclusive game.

The dust has just begun to settle, following Google’s abrupt announcement regarding Stadia being nixed. Now, news of an ill-fated partnership with famed Japanese developer Hideo Kojima has surfaced.

According to reports, Kojima was at one point working on a Stadia-exclusive title for Google. The timeframe of this deal appears to have been around mid-2020. Kojima’s Stadia title would have been a follow-up to Death Stranding.

Death Stranding first launched on PlayStation 4 in 2019. At the time, the game was exclusive to the console. The game is heavily narrative-based but is deeply woven with asynchronous multiplayer and community aspects. The game features a diverse cast including Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, Margaret Qualley, Troy Baker, Tommie Earl Jenkins, and Lindsay Wagner. As Sam Porter Bridges (played by Reedus) players traversed the post-apocalyptic United States. Along the way, players establish networks, roads, and deliver supplies.

Details on this supposed follow-up are scarce at the moment. However, it’s believed that Kojima positioned the game as a single-player-only experience. In fact, this basis is believed to be the reason Google cancelled the project. Google is reported to have believed that the market for single-player exclusives wasn’t viable.

At the time, Kojima’s proposal had only been given initial approval by Google. The developer and studio Kojima Productions then began the early stages of development. Once early mockups were shown, Google pulled the plug.

It wasn’t long after that the card began to fall for Stadia. In 2021, Google shut down the internal Stadia development house. Stadia Games and Entertainment vice president Jade Raymond also left the company at this time. Stadia GM and vice president Phil Harrison then began to pivot to focus on third-party game support. This ultimately led to Harrison breaking the news that Google is shutting down it Stadia services on January 18th, 2023.

As for Death Stranding and Kojima, the game has gone on to be ported to PC and is now also available via Microsoft’s PC Game Pass. Kojima is now working alongside Microsoft on “ a video game for Xbox like no one has ever experienced or seen before.” It’s said the game will utilize the power of the cloud. It seems that Kojima’s sullied partnership with Google did not avert the creator from working with cloud-based tech.

Image credit: Kojima Productions

Source: 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Pixel 7, Pixel Watch and Google hardware event rumour round-up [SyrupCast 266]

On this week’s SyrupCast, Patrick O’Rourke, Brad Bennett and Jon Lamont outline all of the rumours surrounding Google’s upcoming hardware event, including the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel Watch and the mysterious tablet the tech giant teased at I/O a few months ago.

As always, you can listen to the podcast below or find your favourite streaming platform.

Subscribe on Spotify

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Direct download link

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Mobile Syrup

Apple sparks confusion with iOS 16 message replies change

A confusingly-worded section of Apple’s iOS 16 feature list sparked claims that the company took credit for a feature Google added to its Messages app earlier this year. However, it seems Apple isn’t taking credit — it just added a similar capability to iOS 16.

David Imel, a writer and researcher for MKBHD, spotted Apple’s new claim on the iOS 16 feature page and shared the find on Twitter. Under the ‘Messages’ section is the heading “SMS Tapbacks on Android,” which says:

“React to SMS messages with a Tapback, and a corresponding emoji reaction will appear on recipients’ Android devices.”

Tapback is the name Apple gave to iMessage reactions — those tiny emojis that you can add to messages you receive. Apple added these to its Messages app years ago, but while they were fun for iMessage (blue bubble) users, they were a little odd with the old SMS and MSS (green bubbles) standards. Replying to SMS messages with a Tapback would send an SMS text to the other person in the conversation with something like “Loved ‘Text’” or “Laughed at ‘Text.’”

At least, that’s how it was until January 2022. Google added a feature to its Messages app for Android that transforms incoming Tapbacks into emoji reactions. In other words, instead of “Loved ‘Text,’” users would just see a 😍 emoji appear on the message bubble with ‘Text.’

It’s that feature addition that Apple appears to reference on the iOS 16 feature page. And while the language is definitely confusing, Droid-Life pointed out that Apple is talking about a different feature entirely. Apparently, iOS 16 changed the Tapback function to send an emoji instead of text (i.e. instead of “Loved ‘Text,’” you’d get “😍 to ‘Text’”). The publication also shared an image illustrating the difference between Apple’s improved Tapback feature in iOS 16 and Google’s Messages feature:

iOS 16 Tapback change | Credit: Droid-Life

The whole thing is undeniably confusing, arguably because both Apple and Google keep implementing weird changes in a patchwork attempt to make messaging between iPhone and Android suck less. Something that could be resolved if Apple just adopted RCS. But, Apple has blatantly refused to do so, and here we are.

Apple still refuses to adopt RCS

As a quick refresher on the situation, RCS is a new messaging standard created by Google (and carriers, although Google seems to have largely left carriers behind to make RCS globally available). RCS replaces the older SMS and MMS standards, enabling a modern messaging experience with higher res photo and video sharing, better group chat support, and more.

Meanwhile, Apple “solved” the SMS and MMS problem by creating iMessage, its own modern messaging platform that only works between Apple devices. iMessages appear in blue bubbles and have a ton of extra features, like Tapbacks, better image and video sharing, group chats, and more. However, when an iPhone user messages someone without an iPhone, it falls back to SMS/MMS (shown with green bubbles) and all those extra features people have come to love vanish. The difference is so drastic that it’s started causing social issues — for example, kids exclude people who don’t have iPhones from groups just because of the green bubble.

Now, it’s worth noting that this problem is significantly worse in North America, where iPhone adoption is generally higher. In many other regions, most people rely on third-party messaging services like WhatsApp, regardless of which smartphone brand they use.

Still, people have called for Apple to add support for RCS, which would significantly improve the default iPhone-to-Android messaging experience. Google has also embarked on a campaign to shame Apple into supporting RCS. Apple wouldn’t even need to scrap iMessage to do it — RCS could still be part of the green bubbles. But, Apple has made it clear it has no plans to make this happen, to the point that CEO Tim Cook publicly told someone to buy an iPhone to resolve green bubble messaging issues.

And the reason Apple is so keen to keep the subpar SMS experience around is that iMessage is an effective tool to keep people using iPhones. That thought process was revealed during the Epic Games trial when emails from Apple execs were published detailing how Apple relies on iMessage to lock customers into the platform.

Source: Apple Via: @DurvidImel, 9to5Google, Droid-Life

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Mobile Syrup

Google will shut down Stadia, refund all purchases

Google published a blog post on September 29th announcing it will shut down its Stadia game streaming platform and refund all purchases in January 2023:

“We will be refunding all Stadia hardware purchases made through the Google Store, and all game and add-on content purchases made through the Stadia store. Players will continue to have access to their games library and play through January 18, 2023 so they can complete final play sessions. We expect to have the majority of refunds completed by mid-January, 2023.”

The company directs players to its Help Center for more information on the refund process.

In the blog post, the company notes that the service “hasn’t gained the traction with users that we expected.” However, Google also notes that it sees opportunities to apply Stadia tech elsewhere, including on YouTube, Google Play, and augmented reality (AR) efforts. Google also plans to keep the tech available for industry partners.

The news comes amid continued cancellations of Google projects. The company recently shuttered its Pixelbook division and reduced funding for its experimental software division, Area 120. Employees on the Stadia team will be distributed to other parts of the company.

Source: Google

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Mobile Syrup

Pixel 7 Pro design highlighted in new Google teaser video

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5ggy3BcZwk

Google followed up last week’s Pixel Watch teaser with a new Pixel 7 Pro teaser video. Posted to the ‘Made by Google’ YouTube account, the 43-second clip shows off the Pixel 7 Pro from various angles.

Given how many details Google has already shared publicly about the upcoming smartphone, there aren’t any surprises in the video. Instead, it highlights the phone’s design, with extra attention paid to the ‘Haze’ colour, new camera bar, and more.

The video kicks off with a close-up on the ‘Obsidian’ Pixel 7 Pro’s camera bar, followed by a zoomed-out look at the back of the phone. It then transitions to a close-up of the gold-colour camera bar on the ‘Hazel’ Pixel 7 Pro. In this shot, you can also see the power button, which appears to be a matte shade instead of a shiny gold colour like the phone’s metal edge.

The video jumps back to the ‘Obsidian’ colour camera bar again, then cycles through a few different angles of the camera bar across both the ‘Obsidia’ and ‘Snow’ colours. There’s also a brief look at the back of the phone in full.

Wrapping things up are a view of the ‘Hazel’ and ‘Snow’ phones, seemingly floating in the air, then a view of all three colours together.

Again, none of this reveals anything new about the phone, but it’s nice to get a good look at the Pixel 7 Pro. The design looks good, like a more polished, refined version of the Pixel 6 Pro. It’s still clear that the phone has a glossy back panel, however — that’s a real bummer, in my opinion. One of the best parts of past Pixel phones was the matte glass textures, which gave the phones a unique feel.

You can check out the full video here. Google is set to unveil the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro officially, and likely the Pixel Watch, at its October 6th event — check out what to expect here.