Latest news with #PixelOwners
Android Authority
7 days ago
- Android Authority
Survey suggests Google should shut up and take your money for Pixel 10
The Google Pixel 10 series launch is just a week away, but there's been no shortage of rumors and leaks. All four phones could benefit from a landmark Tensor G5 chip and integrated magnets for Qi 2 wireless charging. However, it sounds like the base Pixel and Pixel 10 Pro Fold in particular could also bring some interesting features. The looming launch got us wondering how many readers are actually planning to upgrade to the Pixel 10 phones. We posted a poll to find out, and the results are in! This was a popular poll, with over 7,600 votes tallied as of writing. And it turns out almost half of all respondents (~47%) are current Pixel owners who plan to upgrade to the Pixel 10 range. Several current Pixel owners expressed their interest in the comments. In fact, user @emailshane says they're upgrading from the Pixel 9 series: Upgrading from Pixel 9 Pro XL. Reasons: Google store trade in value, additional year of Gemini, existing store credit, additional store credit for Google one subscription, rolling trade in value for next year. Incremental cost for annual upgrade is more or less mitigated by perks of keeping up with latest releases. Some readers, like @Will, have older Pixel phones and plan to upgrade: Upgrading from my Pixel 6 Pro. Replaced the battery a while ago but it's been overheating more than usual lately Reader @redlow also plans to upgrade their older Pixel phone: Was going to upgrade from the Pixel 8 Pro with the hope that I will encounter less overheating issues with the new chip set. These comments suggest that a lot is riding on the Tensor G5 chip. This is the first TSMC-made Tensor chip after years of Google using Samsung Foundry. Chips produced by TSMC have traditionally been cooler and/or more efficient than Samsung-made silicon. So there's a decent chance that the Pixel 10 range could be cooler than its predecessors. But we'll just have to wait and see.
Forbes
17-06-2025
- Forbes
Android 16 Update Causing Big Problems For Pixel Owners
Google Pixel owners are struggling to wake their phones Google's Android 16 update is causing serious issues for some owners of Google Pixel phones, with people struggling to wake their handsets. The new operating system was released last week, with Google's own Pixel handsets the first to receive the update. But it seems some Pixel owners have become the canary in the coal mine, with many reporting problems with the update. 'Twice yesterday and already one time today when I go [to] wake up my phone the screen takes more than 5 seconds to turn on,' writes one Pixel 9 Pro XL owner on Reddit. 'Once I unlock the phone it seems to behave normally. If I press the power button to turn off the screen and try to turn it back on I get the same behavior.' Many others are reporting the same or similar problems with waking the phone on the Reddit thread. 'The phone doesn't seem to wake when I put my thumb on the fingerprint scanner,' wrote another Pixel owner. 'Have to press the power button to wake the phone then it'll scan my thumb. Very annoying!' On my own Pixel 8a I've noticed similar problems since installing the Android 16 update. Sometimes pressing a finger on the fingerprint scanner doesn't wake the phone, at other times the phone does unlock but the screen brightness is turned right down, making it very difficult to see what's on screen. This has made it impossible to answer a ringing phone on more than one occasion. The only way to solve the problems with Android 16 on Pixel phones is to restart the device. This seems to temporarily solve the issues with unlocking the handset, although in my experience it's likely to reoccur a few hours later and isn't a permanent solution. Teething problems aren't uncommon with new operating system releases, so it's likely Google will address the issue in a forthcoming update to Android 16. In the meantime, all owners can do is restart their devices when it occurs. If you've not already updated your Pixel phone to Android 16 it might be worth waiting until Google issues a patch. The problems with Android 16 compound what was already a thoroughly underwhelming update from Google. Many users are struggling to even notice the difference between Android 16 and its predecessor, with users opening threads on the Pixel Phone support forum questioning why they're seeing no changes. That's probably because Google has postponed the implementation of two of Android 16's biggest features. The visual refresh, dubbed Material 3, isn't now due to arrive until the fall. A new live notifications feature that alerts you how long it will be until, say, a food delivery or an Uber driver arrives is also yet to be implemented. Most of the new features that did arrive last week are subtle, such as improvements in support for people using hearing devices and a new advanced protection mode that guards against online threats. Google has been approached for comment on the problems with Android 16.
Phone Arena
12-06-2025
- Phone Arena
It only took Google three years to add this basic feature to Pixel phones
How the new feature works Android 16 Receive the latest Google news By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy Coming soon to a Pixel near you Pixel 6 Android 16 Google may finally be catching up with a surprisingly basic feature that Pixel owners have been requesting for years: the ability to adjust the flashlight's brightness. Found in the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta, the update suggests Google is adding a native brightness slider to the flashlight tile in Quick Pixel phones only offer a simple on/off toggle for the flashlight, despite the hardware supporting variable intensity since at least the Pixel 6 . While other Android skins like Samsung's One UI, Xiaomi's HyperOS, and OnePlus's OxygenOS have supported flashlight brightness controls for years, Pixel users have had to rely on third-party apps like FlashDim—or Google's own Magnifier app—as clunky that appears to be changing. Strings found inQPR1 reference a 'Flashlight Strength' dialog, and developer Nail Sadykov has already managed to activate the feature. Once live, tapping the flashlight tile in Quick Settings will toggle it on or off, while tapping the label below the icon will open a brightness slider. A long-press may be required if the tile is dialog is functional, but still lacks the polish seen in Apple's implementation. That could change before its final surprising it has taken Google this long to implement a native version of something most Android users have enjoyed for years. After all, stock Android only gained support for flashlight brightness control at the API level back in Android 13 . That means the groundwork has been there for nearly two years, but Google simply hadn't bothered to implement it in its own Pixel Pixel users, this isn't just about convenience, it's about parity. Small usability touches like brightness sliders make a difference in real-world use, especially in dark environments or when trying not to disturb others. And you shouldn't have to rely on an app to have this feature will likely debut in a future Pixel Feature Drop and may arrive officially later this year on supported devices like theand newer. Combined with otherimprovements, it's one more reason Pixel users can look forward to the next update.
The Verge
21-05-2025
- The Verge
Google is shrinking Pixel phones' At a Glance widget
Google's new Material 3 Expressive design language includes a welcome surprise for Pixel owners: the mandatory At a Glance home screen widget has shrunk, leaving space for an extra row of apps. The new look is included in the latest version of the Android 16 beta. Upon installation, Pixel owners are greeted with a pop-up message on the home screen: The new design both shrinks the At a Glance widget and removes some of the dead space between the other rows, compressing the entire screen. It leaves room for a full extra row of apps below the redesigned widget. The bad news is that Google still won't let you turn off the widget, which is a mandatory part of the Pixel home screen, just like the Google search bar at the bottom. Making it smaller will at least go some way to appeasing Pixel owners who've long hoped for the same home screen flexibility as other Android phones. Material 3 Expressive is a colorful, bouncy new aesthetic for Android that Google unveiled last week. It was made available in the new Android 16 beta yesterday, and should roll out widely when the OS update launches in full next month.
