Google Pixel

Google kicked off its new “Feature Drops” for the Pixel series just yesterday, and included in that first batch is a new way to combat spam calls. Apparently, that won’t remain Pixel 4-exclusive for long, as Google plans to add Automatic Call screen to all Pixels in the not-too-distant future.

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One of the biggest perks of owning a Google Pixel smartphone of any generation is how quickly it gets updates. Today, Google is introducing a new monthly “Feature Drop” for Pixel smartphones and in its first release, automatic Call Screen, better memory management, Portrait Blur, and more are on the table.

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This week we said goodbye to Google’s original Pixel in a postmortem, and it got us thinking about what’s coming next. After a tweet from Google sparked a discussion in our Slack channel about colors for Google’s Pixel phones, we’re wondering what color you want the next Pixel to add to the collection.

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It’s only been three years since Google decided to go on its own and start building its own flagship Android smartphones. In that three years, we’ve gotten a handful of Pixel phones all with their own strengths and weaknesses, but now that the original Google Pixel (2016) is being laid to rest, we thought it’s about time to look back at the phone that started it all and see how things have progressed.

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Google’s software on Pixels usually feels very polished, but it often has bugs we just can’t explain. Now, a strange bug seems to be showing up on a few more Pixels running Android 10 which leaves random letters or words floating on the screen.

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The original Pixel was not supposed to receive Android 10, with Google originally only guaranteeing two years of major software updates and three years of patches. While the former got extended, the latter did not, and the 2016 flagship today did not receive the November security patch.

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The cameras on Google’s Pixel phones are great mainly thanks to their software and now, thanks to some developers, a new mode is available. With a Google Camera mod, all Pixel phones are getting a “Light Painting” mode.

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Launched in 2015, Google today is expanding its Android Security Rewards Program with a new Pixel Titan M prize, and detailing highlights from the past year.

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For previous generation Pixel phones, the last major Camera update was in August and saw Night Sight elevated to the main interface. Google Camera 7.2 — which first rolled out on the Pixel 4 — is now coming to older Pixel devices via the Play Store.

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Google’s Pixel smartphones are good, but one of their biggest issues is usually pricing. For the past couple of years, Google has lowered prices quite significantly on Black Friday, and those discounts seem to be continuing with Pixel 4.

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Google has quietly rolled out a new option for Pixel devices which allows the ringer to vibrate first and then gradually start to ring at your set volume. Now, that feature appears to be widely rolling out to all Pixel devices.

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One of the handiest features of Google Pixel phones is “Now Playing,” its ability to listen to music playing around you and identify songs without you needing to ask first. Now, it looks like Google is working on a way to export your Now Playing history.

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The fantastic Google Recorder app that utilizes AI and language processing is heading to older Pixel phones officially with a “future update.”

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Since the Google Pixel 3, Pixel phones have had their own dedicated Google Sounds app with collections full of ringtones, notification sounds, and alarm tones. Today, Google Sounds version 2.2 is rolling out to all Pixel phones, bringing with it over 100 new sounds, including some fantastic new Halloween, Christmas and other holiday-themed tones.

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While there was a small OTA late last month, the first sizable Android 10 update is rolling out today. The October security patch touts eight “functional patches” for all Pixel phones that range from gesture navigation to the Pixel Stand.

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Attackers are exploiting a zero-day vulnerability that allows them to take full control of the Android phone models identified below, including Pixel and Samsung ones.

Evidence that the vulnerability is actively being exploited was reported by Google’s Project Zero team…

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Since the original Pixel, Google only sold its phones unlocked or through Verizon Wireless. That changed this year with an expansion to T-Mobile, Sprint, and other carriers. However, it seems despite the low-cost Pixel 3a, sales of Google’s smartphones at Verizon make up just 5% of the carrier’s total.

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With the Made by Google event still over two weeks away, the Pixel 4 leak train continues running full steam. The latest likely leak of a Made by Google 2019 announcement comes in the form of the Personal Safety app, which, among other things, claims to detect car crashes on Pixel phones.

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