If you’re rocking a Pixel 6, 6 Pro, or 6a, you’re probably sick of mashing that “Check for updates” button after Google twice delayed the release of the March Pixel Feature Drop for its late 2021 and mid 2022 phones. The big quarterly releases usually start rolling out on the first Monday of March, June, September, and December, but this one seems to have been a bit of a bugaboo for Google.
Instead of making its debut March 6 according to schedule, Android 13 QPR2 didn’t start hitting phones until March 13 — but even then, the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and Pixel 6a were conspicuously absent in Google’s initial forum post about the update. That has finally changed today, with all three devices getting OTAs and factory images.
This is a particularly fun release for the Pixel 6 series, as several features that were previously exclusive to the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are being made available to older phones. Improved algorithms that have made Night Sight much faster are now available on the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, and other features like Magic Eraser and a better Direct My Call function that lists menu options before they’re spoken are now available for all Pixel devices.
Source: Google
A faster Night Sight shooting mode is one of many features finally coming to the Pixel 6 series today.
The new version sports a build number of TQ2A.230305.008. It brings Android’s security patch level up to March 5, 2023, and of course it has all the new goodies from the latest Pixel Feature Drop. You probably don’t need this guidance after the last two weeks, but in case it helps someone out there, you can check for updates by heading to Settings -> System -> System updates.
Google has been silent about the reasoning for this delayed release, but it hasn’t stopped the company from pushing forward with its update schedule. Android 14 just got a second developer preview build this month, and work has already started on the June Pixel Feature Drop with a beta release of Android 13 QPR3 — let’s just hope it makes its way to the Pixel 6 a little faster.
Source: Google
Google Pixel 6
The Pixel 6 marked a shift in Google’s design philosophy for its flagship phones, sporting a unique look that is expected to be continued through at least the 2023 Pixel 8 series. It also marked the first time Google used an in-house designed processor in its phones, though the Tensor G1 has had some growing pains and may have necessitated a delayed software update in March 2023. Despite a few hiccups, it’s still a great phone, even in 2023.
