New updates now available for download on Pixel phones

Nov 7, 2022 19:36 GMT  ·  By

Google has released the November 2022 updates, and these include both a new Pixel update and the typical Android 13 security patches.

First and foremost, the new security patches resolve several critical vulnerabilities in the operating system, with Google itself explaining that one of these bugs affects the Framework component in the OS.

As a result, attackers might be able to reach escalation of privilege, Google says.

“The most severe of these issues is a high security vulnerability in the Framework component that could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. The severity assessment is based on the effect that exploiting the vulnerability would possibly have on an affected device, assuming the platform and service mitigations are turned off for development purposes or if successfully bypassed,” Google says.

When it comes to the Pixel update, Google says the supported Pixel phones are getting battery and charging, display and graphics, and system improvements (according to the list below). Worth knowing, however, is that only the Pixel 4a and newer are getting the new improvements, as the Pixel 4 is no longer supported.

Here are the changes that are part of the November 2022 update for the Pixel:  

  • Battery & Charging - Fix for issue causing increased power consumption while certain apps installed
  • Display & Graphics - Fix for issue occasionally causing green display flicker in certain conditions; Optimizations for display power consumption to improve thermal performance in certain conditions
  • System - Fix for issue occasionally causing Photos app to crash when using certain editing features

The update is aimed at devices running Android 13, with the rollout starting this week but also continuing in phases in the coming days. As usual, an OTA notification will be shown on your smartphone when the update is ready to be installed on the device.