In summary:
- Tech Advisor reports that Google’s minimal February Pixel update contains only a single security patch, excluding Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series entirely.
- This sparse update suggests Google is shifting older Pixel models to quarterly updates while preparing a substantial March Pixel Drop based on Android 16 QPR3.
- Expected March features include Samsung-like navigation keys, adjustable flashlight controls, new folder animations, and Adaptive Connectivity toggles for automatic network switching.
Google has commenced its February Pixel Update, and it’s so small we can only conclude that the March Pixel Drop is going to be huge.
It seems the February Pixel Update will be rolling out to compatible Pixel smartphones “over the next week in phases, depending on carrier and device”.
However, it’s fair to say that the launch notes for the February Pixel Update do not make for riveting reading. Indeed, they don’t make for much of anything at all.
According to Google, the February update includes a single VPU security patch… and that’s all. There are no new features to speak of.
Indeed, the biggest news is what isn’t here.
No news is good news?
The total absence of new features points to a much meatier update in March. Over the past month or two, beta versions of the Android 16 QPR3 release (which is expected to form the basis of next month’s Pixel Drop) have been adding a number of handy new features.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
As noted by 9to5Google, the latest of these is a new pair of Adaptive Connectivity toggles – one to Auto-switch to mobile network, the other to Optimise network for battery life.
Previous Android 16 QPR3 builds have added things like the ability to adopt a Samsung-like navigation key arrangement, an adjustable flashlight, the ability to remove the At a Glance widget, new folder animations, and more.
Some Pixels miss out
There’s another telling omission with the February Pixel update, with the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 families (Pixel 7a aside) omitted from the list of supported devices.
Droid-Life notes that these two older Pixel phone families have seemingly moved to a quarterly update cycle, rather than the monthly updates of newer phones like the Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 10.
There’s also a chance that Google is merely updating these older phones as and when it becomes necessary, when new security threats emerge.
Author: Jon Mundy, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Jon is a freelance journalist who got his start covering mobile games at the dawn of the App Store. He has since covered everything from smart home tech and laptops to food and culture, but always seems to return to his fascination with smartphones.