Google is rolling out Android's April security update for Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL soon and with it, comes a host of fixes and improvements.
April Security Update Has 56 Changes
Google has now released the full list of security patches relating to bugs and vulnerabilities, but the April update also has a total of 56 performance improvements.
"These updates are included for affected Pixel devices to address functionality issues not related to the security of Pixel devices," the bulletin reads.
For starters, the April security update brings support for Assisted Dialing, enabled IMS911 on particular networks, updated certification, and adjusted APN settings and updating behavior. It also improves app startup time, disk stats logging, lock screen performance, magnetic sensor performance, and multi-calling performance over Wi-Fi.
It also includes some updates for carrier networks such as an updated Verizon Service APK, improved MMS, and improved performance and connectivity. A handful of the listed changes is also specific to certain regions and certain carriers.
There are also improvements that apply only to the first Pixel devices, i.e. improvement in decoding certain video streams, while others apply only to Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Examples of the latter are improved fingerprint and keyboard latency and reduced battery drain after modem issues.
The April OTA security update should arrive soon to Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, along with their previous iterations, and a couple of Nexus devices.
Pixel 2 And Pixel 2 XL Preferred Care Extended By 6 Months
In other recent news, Google has increased the Preferred Care terms to 30 months instead of 24 months. This move was in response to the extension of the warranty to two years, which rendered the program mostly unneeded.
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL were riddled with performance issues when they were launched in October 2017, which prompted Google to extend the warranty on both devices. However, it conflicted with the Preferred Care program that lasted for 24 months, which would have covered the phone for a whole year after the original warranty expires.
While a two-year warranty is a good news for all Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL owners, it is not exactly fair to those who bought the program. For a costly $129, the program then only offered accidental coverage on top of the warranty.
Now, Google extends the program by six months. While it's not a full year that some may have hoped, it still gives users a bit of security when the two-year warranty runs out.
