Believe it or not, it’s been four months since Android 13 dropped in our laps, bringing increased stability and tons of improvements to phones everywhere. If you’ve been keeping a close eye on that calendar, though, you know Pixel owners are also due a fresh Feature Drop, the first since the arrival of the Pixel 7 series. If you happened to pick up one of Google’s latest smartphones on sale during Black Friday, you’re in luck — you’re about to get a slate of new features to try out.
Nothing in today’s announcement is brand-new, but Pixel fans should be excited that some long-awaited options are finally available. Let’s start with what’s coming to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, as the bulk of these changes is for those phones. Clear Calling is finally coming, just three months after we caught our first glimpse of it. It’s designed to act like the noise reduction on Pixel Buds Pro, limiting background sounds like wind and traffic while you’re on a call. During its October event, Google promised it would arrive in a Feature Drop sometime in 2022, and here we are.
It’s not the only Pixel 7-focused tool coming with today’s update, though. As we saw last week, VPN by Google One is now active at no additional cost for anyone rocking one of the company’s newest smartphones, and today, that plan is official. When active, Google’s VPN should help keep your browsing habits more secure, even when connected to Wi-Fi at your local coffee shop. Obviously, anyone looking to bypass streaming geo-restrictions may want to rely on a third-party app, but for basic security, this should get the job done.
Recorder is also getting speaker labels for when multiple voices are detected, something I couldn’t be more excited about. I’ve come to rely on Recorder more than ever when conducting on-site hands-ons or interviews — its live transcriptions are essential — and now, it’s even smarter than before.
All of that is limited to Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro users, at least for right now. Clear Calling is planned to arrive on other Tensor-powered smartphones, though it’s unclear when exactly that’ll happen.
Those older Pixels aren’t left out of the fun, though. Google is finally delivering on that combined Security and Privacy hub we saw way back in the earliest days of Android 13 betas, making it easier to find and view essential information on a single page. Cough and Snore detection and Live Chat Translate are now available in new regions with additional language support, just as Pixel continues to build out its international brand.
And timed perfectly for December, new wallpapers for International Day of People with Disabilities are here in the Curated Culture section. Google has done an excellent job in routinely dropping new backgrounds, and this month is no exception.
Of course, today’s Feature Drop also ropes in the Pixel Watch, marking the first time a wearable has been included in Google’s quarterly updates. All that, plus the December security patch — and a little tease of what’s to come next.
Although it wasn’t ready for today’s release, spatial audio support is coming to Pixel in January. Google seems to be tying its fresh approach to surround sound to the Pixel Buds Pro, so we’ll have to wait and see if an official launch brings it to more than just a single pair of earbuds. In the meantime, the December Feature Drop is rolling out today, so grab a supported phone — that’s Pixel 4a or later — and start hammering that update button.
