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Pixel 6 and 6 Pro update arrives with slew of enhancements

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A week later than expected, Google has started rolling out its monthly software update for Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro handsets.

The update includes a ton of fixes and enhancements for Google’s latest smartphone, which launched in October.

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Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro owners will be particularly pleased that Google has finally shown some love to the phones’ fingerprint sensor, which seemed to be woefully unreliable, leaving many people with no choice but to tap in their PIN when unlocking the device. In its release notes, Google says it’s made “general improvements for fingerprint sensor stability and performance,” which hopefully puts the frustrating issue to bed.

The update also deals with the occasional screen flicker that occurred during brightness adjustments and after locking or unlocking the phone in certain conditions.

Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro owners will also be delighted to learn that Google has added several camera enhancements, with general image quality improvements in camera preview/capture also part of this month’s software update.

General improvements to camera stability and performance have been added, too, while enhancements to autofocus response in certain capture modes are also included.

Staying with the camera, you’ll also find improvements for color consistency in the viewfinder preview, as well as a fix for an issue causing a blank viewfinder preview in certain conditions.

Google’s release notes list a bunch of improvements for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro’s audio functionality, too, including fixes for an issue causing the microphone to cut out during calls in certain conditions and one causing an occasional audio glitch when adjusting volume levels.

For those not in the know, this latest update is necessary to access the maximum 23W wireless charging speeds offered by the recently released Pixel Stand 2 charger.

The update is rolling out now for Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro owners. Google says users will receive a notification once it becomes available. Alternatively, to find out if it’s already ready for download, hit Settings on your device, then System, and System Update.

It was a week ago when Google started rolling out the December Android 12 update for its handsets, going as far back as the two-year-old Pixel 3a. But Google evidently needed more time to get it ready for its latest Pixel phones, with the release finally heading toward the handsets on Monday.

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Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
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