I worked at Android. What I was told is that until a few years ago the Pixel team only had a half dozen QA people for the final full-product QA process. When I was there a year ago I heard it was...
Exemplary
I worked at Android. What I was told is that until a few years ago the Pixel team only had a half dozen QA people for the final full-product QA process. When I was there a year ago I heard it was up to 10-20. Pixel mostly exists as an insurance policy for Google. If the partner ecosystem collapses they want to have a 1st party fallback. At that point they’d invest more seriously in the product lineup.
Interesting perspective from the inside. From the outside, the pixel line doesn't feel like an just an insurance policy. To me, it feels like it gets tons of love. It's by far Google's longest...
Pixel mostly exists as an insurance policy for Google.
Interesting perspective from the inside. From the outside, the pixel line doesn't feel like an just an insurance policy. To me, it feels like it gets tons of love. It's by far Google's longest standing and most successful hardware product, right? They promote/market it a lot too. idk.
Well it's a big company. I don't think the people working on it are half-assing it. But Google loses money on Pixel. A $100,000,000 project for Google is viewed the same as a $10,000 purchase...
Well it's a big company. I don't think the people working on it are half-assing it. But Google loses money on Pixel. A $100,000,000 project for Google is viewed the same as a $10,000 purchase would be for a moderately wealthy household. So even what appears outwardly to be a fairly serious entry into a market could be a small toy to Sundar.
The "January 2024 Google Play system update" isn't the usual OTA system update but is a Project Mainline or APEX module. These take core system components and wrap them up into easily distributable packaging where they can be delivered via the Play Store, much like an app, but with way more permissions (only Google can make Play system updates). Google posts release notes for Play system updates, and there's nothing in the January 2024 update that jumps out as the potential cause of a storage access problem. You can check your current version on a Pixel phone by going to Settings, Security & Privacy, then "System & updates." At the bottom, you'll see a month and year for your "Google Play system update" level. DO NOT tap on this section because that will bring up the update screen.
Google's "we're looking into it" statement doesn't give users much guidance on how they should deal with this in the meantime. A good first step, at any time, is to ensure you have backups of all your important phone data. Obviously, avoiding the January 2024 Google Play system update is recommended for now, but I don't think there's a way for users to do that. Google Play system updates don't offer users any controls, so you're mostly hoping an automatic update doesn't brick your phone. The good news is that the Google Play system often fails to check for updates. They get installed on reboot, so try not to power cycle your phone. Disabling a work profile and any other multi-user features sounds like a good idea if you can manage that. There are instructions here.
Likewise on the 4a; Google dropped support for both phones before Android 14. I was a bit salty about losing security updates, but it turns out the most dangerous source of phone-breaking issues...
Likewise on the 4a; Google dropped support for both phones before Android 14. I was a bit salty about losing security updates, but it turns out the most dangerous source of phone-breaking issues is Google itself.
Another concerning issue not long after https://tildes.net/~tech/1bnk/pixel_6_owners_who_use_multiple_profiles_run_into_problems_with_android_14.
Google Pixel smartphone owners report problems after installing the January 2024 Google Play system update, being unable to access their devices internal storage, open the camera, take screenshots, or even open apps.
The issue is being reported by owners of numerous Pixel models, including the Google Pixel 5, 6, 6a, 7, 7a, 8, and 8 Pro, suggesting that it isn't confined to a particular hardware architecture.
The root cause is unknown but is likely a software issue with the January 2024 Play system update that Google hasn't pinpointed or fixed yet.
Although Google hasn't shared any details regarding the root cause of the issue, it stated it's more prevalent on Pixel devices with multiple user accounts.
The company says they are working on fixing the root cause of the system update issue and will provide further updates when they learn more.
While Google is working on a fix that will be pushed out to all Pixel phones via an update, it has released a fairly complicated temporary solution that requires installation of the Android Platform Tools developer toolkit.
Looks like it: https://www.androidpolice.com/google-pixel-january-2024-play-system-update-paused/ Edit: I also checked on my Pixel 6a and I have the September 2023 Google Play system update and it...
Looks like it:
First things first, Google has seemingly stopped the rollout of the January 2024 Play System Update as it tries to ascertain the cause, according to an unnamed source quoted by Android expert and AP contributor Mishaal Rahman.
I had a pixel 6 at launch and was one of the lucky ones that didn't have problems. Though as time and updates went on, it would have random issues like high battery drain until the next update or...
I had a pixel 6 at launch and was one of the lucky ones that didn't have problems. Though as time and updates went on, it would have random issues like high battery drain until the next update or running slow for a month here and there. The battery started to swell at the end of last year, so I switched to a galaxy phone and I'm so glad I dropped the pixel. This is just another long line of issues those phones seem to have because Google doesn't seem to check their updates enough and just shove them out the door haphazardly.
I worked at Android. What I was told is that until a few years ago the Pixel team only had a half dozen QA people for the final full-product QA process. When I was there a year ago I heard it was up to 10-20. Pixel mostly exists as an insurance policy for Google. If the partner ecosystem collapses they want to have a 1st party fallback. At that point they’d invest more seriously in the product lineup.
Interesting perspective from the inside. From the outside, the pixel line doesn't feel like an just an insurance policy. To me, it feels like it gets tons of love. It's by far Google's longest standing and most successful hardware product, right? They promote/market it a lot too. idk.
Well it's a big company. I don't think the people working on it are half-assing it. But Google loses money on Pixel. A $100,000,000 project for Google is viewed the same as a $10,000 purchase would be for a moderately wealthy household. So even what appears outwardly to be a fairly serious entry into a market could be a small toy to Sundar.
More information from https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/01/pixel-storage-bugs-are-back-with-users-unable-to-use-their-devices/
Interesting. My last update was in October, I wonder if I'm not getting them anymore on my 4.
Likewise on the 4a; Google dropped support for both phones before Android 14. I was a bit salty about losing security updates, but it turns out the most dangerous source of phone-breaking issues is Google itself.
Another concerning issue not long after https://tildes.net/~tech/1bnk/pixel_6_owners_who_use_multiple_profiles_run_into_problems_with_android_14.
There's a somewhat complicated manual fix available:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/mobile/google-shares-fix-for-pixel-phones-hit-by-bad-system-update/
Thanks for the update.
At this point they've stopped the rollout of the botched patch though right?
Looks like it:
https://www.androidpolice.com/google-pixel-january-2024-play-system-update-paused/
Edit:
I also checked on my Pixel 6a and I have the September 2023 Google Play system update and it says I'm on the latest version.
Thanks for taking the time to look it up. Much appreciated.
I had a pixel 6 at launch and was one of the lucky ones that didn't have problems. Though as time and updates went on, it would have random issues like high battery drain until the next update or running slow for a month here and there. The battery started to swell at the end of last year, so I switched to a galaxy phone and I'm so glad I dropped the pixel. This is just another long line of issues those phones seem to have because Google doesn't seem to check their updates enough and just shove them out the door haphazardly.