January Feature Drop is just app updates, regular February Pixel OTA to follow

Google confirmed today that the January Pixel Feature Drop just consists of app updates from the Play Store. Meanwhile, the Google Store has emailed the 20% off discount codes for the Mint Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.

Compared to past Pixel Feature Drops, there is no accompanying Android system update this January. Instead, “updates will be available in-app only through Google Play Store.” The Pixel Thermometer app is seeing a new version to add body temperature measurements, while the Fitbit app has already been updated with logging support. 

There will be a special “cts” version — e.g., 15.3.34.29.cts.arm64 — of the Google app for Circle to Search. You can get that release in Google app beta channel today, but another server-side component is required ahead of the January 31 rollout.

Magic Compose (on-device Gemini Nano is limited to Pixel 8 Pro) and Photomoji are server-side updates to Google Messages, while Quick Share and Seamless Audio Switching are powered by Google Play services. 

Meanwhile, Google says the “regular February software update will begin rolling out to Pixel users in early February.” It remains to be seen whether this is Android 14 QPR2, which just got a 3.1 patch update yesterday. The preview program for QPR2 started a month early, thus leading to speculation that it would be ready before March, which is when the first Feature Drop of the year usually hits. Meanwhile, it’s not clear whether Google will be releasing a March Feature Drop.

On another note, the US Google Store has started emailing 20% off coupon codes that you enter at checkout for the Mint Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. Mint is available in the following countries:

• Pixel 8 Availability: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India (via Flipkart), Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the United States.
• Pixel 8 Pro Availability: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the United States