The December security patch for the Pixel 6 and 6 began rolling out this week. Shortly after, users flocked to Reddit to voice their displeasure about the new update. As Android Police notes, a bulk of the complaints seem to be emanating from European users of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. However, there are a handful of customers from the U.S. who are facing cell signal-related issues as well. Notably, Google has bundled new modem firmware for the new Pixels in the December security update. Users note that the Pixel 6 is offering poor reception in regions where there were no issues previously. Moreover, as the device constantly searches for better reception, the battery tends to drain pretty quickly.
Some users claim that disabling 5G can resolve the issue temporarily
A few customers are also having trouble getting decent mobile data speeds. The Google Issue Tracker has a live thread with several Pixel 6 users claiming they’re unable to make calls after the recent patch. Some users found that turning off 5G from the settings resolves the problem to a degree, but it may not work for everyone. Regardless, news of the update exacerbating the problems will likely cause a lot of frustration for the users. Keeping this in mind, it’s probably safer to hold off on the update until Google has additional information to share. If you’ve already installed the update and aren’t facing signal-related issues, well, you’re probably the lucky ones. The Pixel 6 lineup also faced trouble with intermittent screen flickering, while some users have complained about slow fingerprint recognition. The latter is understandable given that this is Google’s first smartphone to feature an in-display fingerprint sensor. The Pixel 5 and older models used a rear-mounted sensor instead. Going by the number of issues faced by the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, it’s safe to say that the launch has been far from perfect for Google. Hopefully, the company can turn the page on this chapter of the Pixel 6 heading into 2022.
