The March 2023 security patch is now rolling out to Google’s Pixel 6 series of phones, including the Pixel 6, 6 Pro and 6a.
The update was initially delayed, with other Pixel phones getting it on March 13th — a week later than usual. However, the Pixel 6 devices were mysteriously absent from the 13th release.
There’s some speculation that the delay was related to the first-gen Tensor chip since it’s a common element across all three Pixel 6 devices. Plus, there’s the recent revelation that exploits in Samsung-made modems could allow malicious actors to access things like phone calls or text messages using just your phone number.
A patch for the exploits rolled out in the March security update for Pixels, but since it was delayed for the Pixel 6 series, some have wondered if there was an issue related to fixing those flaws on phones with the first-gen Tensor chip.
Of course, we don’t know for sure if that’s the case, though it seems possible. Regardless, the update is rolling out now. You can get it by heading into Settings > System > System update.
Aside from security fixes, the March patch includes some changes to the appearance of Quick Settings and minor tweaks to the Pixel Launcher. There are also tons of other bugfixes for the Pixel 6 series, including extra tuning for haptics, a fix for a bug that stopped the bootloader from unlocking in certain conditions, and a fix for a problem that stopped the devices from booting to Android.
Upon the reveal of Google’s Pixel 7 series, the company announced a handful of new software features. At the time, it was assumed they would be exclusive to the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. However, Google recently confirmed several Pixel 7 software features will come to the Pixel 6 series in the future.
Alongside the Pixel 7, Google revealed its ‘Clear Calling’ feature. This feature enables users to make phone calls with improved quality. The goal of Clear Calling is to clean up the audio and remove as much background noise as possible. The feature also supports the ability to say “Silence” to stop incoming calls.
Clear Calling will arrive via a future ‘Feature Drop.’ However, Google recently confirmed that this feature is arriving on all Tensor-powered Pixel phones. This means that Google’s bringing Clear Calling to Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and Pixel 6a. However, it’s still unclear when the feature will arrive on older Pixel devices.
Additionally, Google’s ‘Guided Frame’ feature is also coming to all Tensor-powered Pixel devices. This feature utilizes Google’s AI to assist those that are blind and visually impaired. As an active accessibility option, Guided Frame helps to snap a selfie by using a voice-over assistant. This voice helps the users position their phones in real-time. The feature suggests alterations to the positioning and conducts a countdown to prepare the shot.
Improved ‘Real Tone’ is also coming to the Pixel 6 series, and last up is ‘Spatial Audio’ via the Pixel Buds Pro. For the uninitiated, Spatial Audio creates 3D sound and enables the user to get a heightened sense of audio directions and origins. This is built to create immersive listening experiences.
Unfortunately, one Pixel 7 feature that doesn’t appear to be making its way to the Pixel 6 is ‘Face Unlock.’ At this current time, Google states it has nothing to share regarding its migration to older devices.
After several months of teasers and brief sneak peeks, Google finally unveiled its flagship Pixel 7 lineup at its ‘Made by Google’ event earlier today.
The higher-end Pixel 7 Pro starts at $1,179 for the 128GB model and goes up to $1,439 for the 512GB storage variant. The device is available to pre-order today, Thursday, October 6th, and will release next week on Thursday, October 13th.
Before you decide to shell out $1,000+ for the new device, you might want to see how it squares up against the 2021-released Pixel 6 Pro, and if your needs warrant the absolute latest Pixel.
Fingerprint (in-display), Face Unlock, accelerometor, gyro, proximity, compass
SIM Type
Pixel 6 Pro
Nano SIM, eSIM
Pixel 7 Pro
Nano SIM
Launch Date
Pixel 6 Pro
October 28, 2021
Pixel 7 Pro
October 13, 2022
Misc
Pixel 6 Pro
Colours: Cloudy White, Sorta Sunny, Stormy Black | IP68 water and dust resistance
Pixel 7 Pro
Colours: Obsidian, Snow, Hazel
Display and design
The Pixel 6 Pro was Google’s first smartphone to feature a large 6.7-inch QHD+ display with a 512 ppi pixel density and a 120Hz refresh rate. The new Pixel 7 Pro offers a display setup identical to its predecessor, with a 6.7-inch display QHD+ screen with a 512ppi pixel density and the same adaptive 10-120Hz refresh rate.
Both devices have an always-on display and HDR support, alongside Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back and identical bezels
In terms of weight, the new Pixel 7 Pro is roughly 2g heavier than its predecessor, while maintaining roughly the same 163.9 x 75.8 x 8.9mm dimensions. The aluminum in both the Pixel 7 Pro’s phone enclosure, and the Pixel 6 Pro’s body is made of 100 percent recycled content. In the Pixel 6 Pro, however, recycled aluminum made up approximately 14 percent of the product based on weight, whereas with the Pixel 7 Pro, Google says, “recycled materials are approximately 19 percent of phone based on weight.”
One of the major design changes is visible on the rear of the Pixel 7 Pro. Although the new flagship retains the Pixel 6 Pro’s rear camera bar, it comes in a new metallic finish, instead of a glass finish, which offers the rear a dual-tone look, and makes the cameras prominently stand out.
Internals
The Pixel 6 series marked the beginning of Google’s experiment with its custom-made Tensor chips, and it’s safe to say the bet paid off. With the new Pixel 7 Pro, Google has updated the Tensor chip to a new Tensor G2, which according to Google, will “bring even more helpful, personalized features to photos, videos, security, and speech recognition.” Additionally, on paper, the updated chip should bring better battery efficiency to the device, alongside improved speech recognition.
Both devices feature the Titan M2 security chip, alongside consistent 12GB of RAM. On the storage side of things, the Pixel 7 Pro and the Pixel 6 Pro are both available in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options.
Both devices feature identical-sized 5,000mAh batteries, which Google claims can last upwards of 24 hours, with the Pixel 7 Pro getting a maximum of 72 hours of uptime with ‘Extreme Battery Saver’ enabled, while the Pixel 6 Pro can last for a maximum of 48 hours with the same mode enabled.
Both devices feature fast charging, fast wireless charging, battery share capabilities and are IP68 dust and water-resistant.
The Pixel 6 Pro and the Pixel 7 Pro both feature an in-display fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, gyro, proximity sensors, and compass, though the latter also has support for Face Unlock, a feature a lot of Pixel 6 users have missed.
Camera
The Pixel 6 Pro and the new Pixel 7 Pro both feature an almost identical triple rear camera setup with a 50-megapixel ƒ/1.85 (primary) + 48-megapixel ƒ/3.5 (telephoto) + 12-megapixel ƒ/2.2 (ultrawide) sensor. The difference, however, is in the 48-megapixel telephoto camera’s zoom capabilities.
On the Pixel 6 Pro, the telephoto lens featured a 4x optical zoom, and a 20x ‘Super Res Zoom’, both of which have been upgraded to 5x optical zoom and 30x ‘Super Res Zoom,’ respectively, on the Pixel 7 Pro.
Another non-revolutionary change includes the ultra-wide camera’s field-of-view being increased to 125.8° on the Pixel 7 Pro from 114° on the Pixel 6 Pro. Other new camera features included with the Pixel 7 Pro include ‘Photo Unblur’ and ‘Macro Focus’ modes.
Below is a list of all the camera features that the two devices have in common:
Night Sight
Top Shot
Portrait Mode
Super Res Zoom
Motion autofocus
Live HDR+ Frequent Faces
Dual exposure controls
Cinematic Pan
Ultrawide lens
Portrait Light
Magic Eraser
Motion Mode
Real Tone
Face Unblur
Panorama
Manual white balancing
Locked Folder
The front camera seems to have been downgraded, going from 11.1-megapixel f/2.2 on the Pixel 6 Pro to a 10.8-megapixel ƒ/2.2 camera on the Pixel 7 Pro. Both selfie cameras offer 1.22 μm pixel width, and the slight decrease in the Pixel 7 Pro’s pixel count should be offset by the Tensor G2’s advanced image processors and Google’s computational photography to improve the overall photo quality.
When released back in 2021, the Pixel 6 Pro started at $1,179 and was available in ‘Stormy Black,’ ‘Cloudy White,’ and ‘Sorta Sunny’ colourways. The smartphone will likely receive a press drop soon and this story will be updated.
The Pixel 7 Pro is starting at the same price as the Pixel 6 Pro did: $1,179. The 256GB storage model starts at $1,309, whereas the 512GB model is available to pre-order for $1,439. Colour options include ‘Hazel,’ ‘Snow’ and ‘Obsidian.’
Is the new flagship for you?
The Pixel 7 Pro feels like an improved version of the Pixel 6 Pro, though it doesn’t feel like an entirely new-gen device. It features an almost identical display, with the same battery size, and the same RAM configuration.
Improvements on the camera side aren’t revolutionary, though we’ll have to get our hands on the device to see how much of a difference the Tensor G2 makes when it comes to photography, and overall device performance.
Elsewhere, the rear camera setup bar does look way cleaner and more premium than it did on the Pixel 6 Pro, and we’d imagine the metallic finish on the 7 Pro would also be more durable than the glass finish on the 6 Pro.
The menial upgrades definitely don’t warrant an upgrade if you’re already using a Pixel 6 Pro. If you’re using an older device and looking to upgrade, the decision falls entirely on your budget and requirements.
For more on the Pixel 7 Pro, check out our hands-on with the smartphone. For everything from Google’s Pixel event, follow this link.
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.
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.
Ahead of the release of Google’s Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, rumours swirled that the devices would support face unlock. However, the phones arrived without the ability to unlock with your face and ever since, publications have obsessively followed the software development of a face unlock feature now expected to arrive with the Pixel 7 series later this year.
The latest details come from 9to5Google, which dug into the Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1 software to examine new code related to face unlock. QPR1 is expected to hit stable in December, but the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will arrive in October. Also, as with any software investigation like this, it’s important to keep in mind that pre-release and in-development features are subject to change. In other words, what 9to5 learned might not be an accurate reflection of the final product.
Anyway, let’s dig into what they found. First, 9to5 says it spotted several strings — snippets of code including text that will be shown on-screen for users — that describe certain aspects of face unlock. One string says that “Face Unlock works best when there’s enough light and you’re not wearing a mask or dark glasses.”
The bright light requirement effectively confirms that the face unlock feature will use the front-facing camera and not special hardware, like the Pixel 4 or Apple’s Face ID-capable iPhones. An important note here is that the Pixel 6 Pro selfie camera supports dual-pixel autofocus (DPAF), which can be used to develop depth maps of users’ faces. The Pixel 6 selfie camera is different, and likely won’t support face unlock based on DPAF, but the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are expected to use the same selfie camera hardware with DPAF support.
9to5 also found details about how users interact with face unlock. According to details from the code, users will need to hold their phone at eye level to start the scanning process, and face unlock will only support one face.
Plus, 9to5 extracted a new animation for face unlock:
Wrapping things up, 9to5 found details about the accuracy of face unlock, with a warning that face unlock is “less secure than a strong pattern, PIN, or password.” Other warnings include that looking at the phone may cause it to unlock when you don’t intend to, the phone can be unlocked if someone holds it up to your face, even if your eyes are closed, and the phone can be unlocked by someone else who looks a lot like you. Face unlock will require users to pick up their phone or tap the screen, indicating that scanning starts at that point.
Interestingly, code related to face unlock is referred to as ‘Traffic Light’ and was found on the Pixel 6 Pro running QPR1 Beta 1. 9to5 says it didn’t find similar references on the Pixel 6 or 6a.
A few days ago, Google put its Pixel 6 and 6 Pro flagships on sale. If that still wasn’t enough to get you to buy, now the Pixel 6a is on sale at Amazon Canada.
Unfortunately, it looks like only the ‘Charcoal’ variant is available at the discounted $549.99 price (the 6a regularly goes for $599). ‘Charcoal’ is only the second worst colour option, and for $50 off, I’d happily take ‘Charcoal’ over the much nicer ‘Sage.’
Finally, if you’re looking to nap a Pixel 6 or 6 Pro at a cheaper price, Amazon also has the phones on sale to match (or even beat) Google’s deal. The Google Store has the Pixel 6 for $699, and so does Amazon. Meanwhile, the Pixel 6 Pro is available at Amazon for $949, cheaper than the $979 price for the 6 Pro at Google.
MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though MobileSyrup may earn a commission on purchases made via these links.
The Google Canada store is currently offering the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro for $100 and $200 off, respectively, as shared by RedFlagDeals.
Regularly available for $799 for the 128GB model and $929 for the 256GB model, the Pixel 6 is currently listed for $699 and $829 for the two variants, respectively.
The Pixel 6 is available in ‘Stormy Black,’ ‘Kinda Coral,’ and ‘Sorta Seafoam’ colourways. Learn more about the device via the link below:
The Pixel 6 Pro, on the other hand, is regularly available for $1,179 for the 128GB model and $1,309 for the 256GB model. Currently, the 128GB model is listed for $979, while the 256GB model, which is out of stock, is listed for $1,109, marking a $200 discount.
The Pixel 6 Pro is available in ‘Stormy Black,’ ‘Cloudy White,’ and ‘Sorta Sunny’ colourways. Learn more about the device via the link below:
Google recently released a small patch for the Pixel 6, the Pixel 6 Pro and the Pixel 6a that addresses a GPS location issue.
Announced on Google’s Pixel support thread, the update is described as a “Fix for GPS location failure under certain conditions.”
Google says the rollout for the update started August 4th, and will continue over next week, depending on carrier networks. Additionally, “Users will receive a notification once the OTA becomes available for their device,” reads the support thread. The GPS issue likely does not affect older Pixel devices, and hence, those devices were left out of the update.
Further, Google took the opportunity to address the delayed August security patch, stating that it will “begin rollout in the coming weeks.” The patch, whenever it releases, will address 40 security issues ranging from moderate to high severity across the kernel, modem, and camera.
The Pixel 6 is available for $600 and the Pixel 6 Pro for $840, which comes to $200 and $340 off, respectively.
The Pixel 6 Pro features a 6.71-inch 1440 x 3120-pixel resolution display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Additionally, the flagship smartphone offers Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 processor, 12GB of RAM and a triple camera setup featuring a 50-megapixel primary shooter, 48-megapixel telephoto with 4x zoom and a 12-megapixel ultrawide angle camera.
The Pixel 6, on the other hand, features a 6.4-inch 1080 x 2400-pixel resolution display, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888, 8GB of RAM and a dual-camera setup featuring a 50-megapixel primary shooter and a 12-megapixel ultrawide angle camera.
Check out Fizz’s site for more details on the offer.
Google is blaming smart speaker maker Sonos for an issue preventing new Pixel smartphones from being set up.
“Unfortunately, because of an interruption caused by Sonos, a small number of you using Pixel phones in the U.S. and Canada may be unable to set up devices at this time. We are hopeful that this is a temporary decision that only impacts a small number of you,” reads Google’s Nest Blog.
If you’re trying to set up a Pixel device that hasn’t been connected to Wi-Fi for some time (or ever), you may receive a message that reads, “device needs to be activated before setup” through the Google Home app. If you receive that message, Google has listed some steps to solve the problem.
If your device has Google TV or Android TV, use the setup flow on your TV to activate your device.
If you live outside of the US or Canada, follow these steps to activate your device using the Device Utility app.
If you live in the US or Canada, please give us a call or chat
Android Central says that it spoke to Sonos regarding the situation and received the following statement:
“Google’s Pixel disruption is the direct result of its decision to infringe Sonos’ patents rather than license them, as the International Trade Commission ruled. It is entirely Google’s decision to inflict further harm to its customers rather than behave responsibly, and it’s the height of arrogance to try to blame the company whose innovations it’s misappropriating.”
Google and Sonos have been feuding for several years regarding patent infringements and licenses, and it seems like the Mountain View, California-based is finally doing something about it.
Here’s what Google said in a statement 9to5Google:
“This decision temporarily impacts a small number of Pixel users who set up a speaker or display for the first time with the Device Utility App. We will work with them to minimize disruption. Our support teams are on hand to fix any issues they have, and if needed, we will send replacement devices or offer a Google store credit. Over the years, we have worked hard to make sure that our shared customers would have a positive experience and are disappointed that Sonos continues to use the legal system in a way that deliberately creates issues for these users.”
Unfortunately, it looks like this problem will persist for Pixel users for at least the foreseeable future.
