Google's December 'feature drop' feels more like a 'feature drip,' patch still missing on many Pixel phones


Google announced the Android December security patch with much fanfare, calling it the first quarterly "Pixel feature drop" that adds new system capabilities and app functions to all Android 10-equipped generations of Pixel phones. However, just like the company had issues with the November patch for the Pixel 4, it looks as though many Google phone owners still haven't received the December system update thus far. Even hitting the "check for update" button doesn't seem to help. This makes the feature drop feel more like a disjointed feature drip, with some parts of it dribbling out faster than others.
Following the release of the Pixel 4, the "check for update" button in the system update section in Settings has become unreliable. In the past, Google promised that hitting that button would always pull the latest software update, regardless of your device's assigned position in the company's notorious staged rollouts, but we've noticed that this feature tends to break every once in a while. That seems to have happened again with this December update, and it looks like that was intentional. After a Twitter user complained to the company, it answered that "updates are released in phases."
Evan Lucken@Luckbuckets
 · 
Come on now @madebygoogle it's basically 3 weeks now and no security update for my Pixel 3xl. I know it's a roll out but what ever happened to the check for updates button actually working?
Made by Google ✔@madebygoogle
We understand your concern, Evan. We've started rolling out December security patch update and your Pixel phone should receive it soon. Updates are released in phases and you'll receive a notification once it comes through. Appreciate your patience.
7:08 PM - Dec 20, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy
See Made by Google's other Tweets
Considering Google advertised the December system patch as part of the Pixel feature drop with a slew of updates for multiple apps, holding off the release for many users is neither a good marketing move nor particularly customer-friendly. Once people read or hear about new capabilities, they expect to receive them instantly, especially when they can tap a button labeled "check for updates." The fact that some of the Pixel feature drop capabilities roll out independently from the December patch only increases the confusion around what a Pixel feature drop even is. It just doesn't make sense to announce a "feature drop" when it turns out to be more of a "feature drip."

We've reached out to Google for comment on the dysfunctional update button and when we can expect a wider December patch rollout. Let's hope the company shines some light into the situation.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Linktree’s free workaround lets you add multiple links to your Instagram bio

Image
Instagram only gives you one opportunity to link to outside resources inside its photo sharing platform. This might not be a problem for a majority of the users, but for those wanting a little more customization and even more options, it leaves much to be desired. Enter  Linktree , a free tool for Instagram designed to improve traffic to your outside link, be it a blog, portfolio, or store. How it works is fairly straightforward. After connecting Linktree to your Instagram profile, you’ll receive a single link to place in your Instagram bio. Once that link in place, you can customize what it’s linked to within your browser, be it a single website, or a collection of sites you’re looking to direct followers to Say you’re a photographer who’s using Instagram as a marketing tool for your wedding photography. Using Linktree, you can direct Instagram followers to your blog, your portfolio site, and even your other social media accounts. Until now, you would’ve been stuck choosing b
Read more

EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT THE PIXEL 4, THE MOST-LEAKED PHONE EVER

Image
Google’s  Pixel 3 might have been the  most-leaked phone in history . Long before its unveiling, we knew practically everything about it from unboxing videos, photo comparisons, even a full review of the device. Surely, for the Pixel 4, Google would clamp down on leaks to leave some surprises for its debut on  October 15th , right? Let’s just say, if that was the plan, it didn’t exactly work out. We’ve now seen the Pixel 4 XL from every angle and in three different colors. At least seven different sources have touched this phone, many of them confirming the same specs. We not only know which cameras it’ll have, but also what they may be capable of, including air gestures (go figure). That doesn’t even count information Google has already shared  on purpose. So if you want to know almost everything about the Pixel 4 nearly a month before it’s announced, buckle up. We’ve sifted through all of the rumors and information we can find to compile everything we know — and everything we
Read more

Stable Android 10 starts hitting the Galaxy Note10 and Note10+ (Update: Canada)

Image
UPDATE  1 : 2019/12/16 4:35AM PST Previous rollouts UPDATE  2 : 2020/01/06 2:15AM PST Canada Two weeks after the  Galaxy S10 line received its stable One UI 2.0 build , it’s time for the Galaxy Note10 and Note10+ to get the latest Android flavor. According to a report by  SamMobile , the two late-2019 Samsung flagships are receiving the Android 10 update in Germany, although the rollout is limited to a small group of beta testers. This stable release follows a  five-round beta testing  that concluded just a couple of days ago. Samsung is rolling out the stable build only to its beta testers in Germany to possibly look out for any major bug. Besides SamMobile, the confirmation also comes from  some Redditors  who got the update in Germany just a few hours back. The same Reddit users also mention that Google Pay remains broken even after installing this final Android 10 firmware, although it wasn’t immediately clear how widespread the issue is. The Android 10-bas
Read more