If there's one thing the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro might be remembered for, it's the ongoing issues with the phones many users have been experiencing, which have ensured the phones are constantly the center of attention and the butt of jokes. These issues are starting to get ironed out, though.
Google's latest big step towards fixing its devices is here, as the January Pixel update roll-out is imminent, and is set to eradicate more bugs than a pest control specialist. It's currently available to side-load yourself, but we'd recommend just waiting for it to be available straight on your mobile, which shouldn't take long.
In fact, according to 9to5Google, the update could start rolling out from January 17 - that's today, if you're reading this on the day this story was published.
Pixel users have been waiting a while for the latest mobile update, as the December version was actually pulled at the last minute because it introduced a severe call-connection bug. The January update is so meaty because it includes all of December's changes as well as newer ones (and a fix to the call problem, hopefully!).
Some of the new Google Pixel 6 fixes are pretty critical: the update fixes an issue in which emergency calls wouldn't work if certain third-party apps were installed, and another in which your phone would unlock if you missed a call and hadn't got a screen lock set up.
Those are just the tip of the iceberg though, with countless fixes to audio playback, Bluetooth connectivity, camera stability, user interface, Wi-Fi connection, display problems and more. Strangely, the only site we've found with a full update changelog is Notebookcheck - we presume Google isn't listing it until the update is official.
Analysis: this isn't the end
The latest Google Pixel 6 update hasn't made the phone 'good' - not least because that would imply the phone was 'bad' before, and it wasn't, just messy.
While Google clearly focused on the new hardware and features for its 2021 generation of phones, making them a big step up from the Pixel 5, the continued story of problems with the devices shows that Google should have spent more time on the software.
Just because loads of problems have been solved, doesn't mean that there aren't still loads out there. In addition, previous updates have actually introduced issues, and there's no reason to think that we've seen the end of that.
So while the Pixel 6 is still messy, it's now 'a little messy' instead of 'really messy' like before.
