Google, with its regular security updates for November, has also offered bug fixes and new features for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL handset. With the latest patch, Google has tried to address some of the major issues that caught the attention of users shortly after the release of the devices in mid-October.
What does Google’s November security update fix?
The November software update brings more color modes and burn-in protection. The update also fixes the soft clicking noise heard in some of the Pixel 2 smartphones.
Both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL have a single toggle under the display settings as of now. The toggle button is dedicated to the vivid colors feature. However, after the update, the Pixel phones are expected to have a new set of three different options on both models which are: boosted, saturated and natural. As to the saturated mode, Google described that it puts the display into an unmanaged configuration, similar to how the Pixel 1 operates. The colors would be more saturated and vibrant, according to The Verge.
At the same time, Android Central states that the saturated setting will not transform colors on the Pixel 2 XL handset into anything extraordinary, as Google aims to keep it accurate instead of overly “eye-pleasing and unnatural.”
“Since all OLED displays experience some degree of decay over time, we’ll continue to make enhancements which maximize the life of your Pixel screen,” a Google Community Manager wrote in a blog post.
In the new update, Google has promised that more apps, such as Settings, would adopt the light navigation bar. The max brightness level for the Pixel 2 XL handset would be reduced by 50 nits to address the burn-in issues reported by some customers, notes 9to5Google.
The burn-in issue is not the problem of Google alone as just a few days ago Apple also acknowledged that its iPhone X screens might suffer from burn-in problems. Both companies came quite close to offering the magical experience of OLED screens to users, but it appears neither could offer a perfect OLED experience.
In addition, one of the most critical issues that Google said it fixed with the recent update was in the Media framework. The vulnerability required immediate attention since it could have enabled a remote attacker to launch code with a specially crafted file. The update also addresses the KRACK WPA2 Wi-Fi issues that have been disturbing many mobile device customers.
Making the assistant smarter
Besides releasing the update, Google is also making its assistant smarter. The company recently launched the “What song is this” feature on the new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones. With the new feature, the assistant can recognize the songs without deploying third-party apps like Shazam and SoundHound.
For the feature to work automatically, users will have to enable voice as a preferred input method. Presently, the feature is available on select Pixel devices, and will soon be available to all users. For a comparison, song identification has already been available to Apple users since iOS 8. Apple’s Siri identifies the songs with help from Shazam.
