Pixel 6 Series gets March Feature Drop, bug fixes, and support for Verizon's C-band 5G
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Today is a red-letter day for Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro users. Even more so for Verizon subscribers with a Pixel 6 series handset. That's because Google spokesman Matt Flegal correctly told The Verge that the delayed March Feature Update would start rolling out to the phones later today, which it has.
Besides a number of bug fixes that will rid the handsets of connectivity problems, the update today will add support for Verizon's C-band 5G service. To update your Pixel 6 series device, go to Settings > System > System update.
Verizon flipped the switch turning on its mid-band 5G signals earlier this year but the newest Pixel models were not certified to work on these signals until today. A tweet from Verizon's George Koroneos says, "The wait is over! @Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have officially been certified to work on @Verizon's 5G C-Band network, giving you access to the full power of 5G Ultra Wideband. Phones will be updated via a software update that will begin rolling out later today."
Pixel 6 series users on Verizon will start to see faster 5G download speeds
Thanks to a change made last month by Verizon, the carrier's Ultra Wideband service is no longer limited to the fastest 5G signals that mmWave frequencies can deliver. Now, phones on Verizon's 5G network will show the 5G UW icon in the status bar when they are connected to Verizon's mid-band 5G service. While not as fast as mmWave, C-band signals travel greater distances increasing the odds that you will come across a 5G C-band signal.
Verizon gets Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro users excited about today's update
Verizon's mmWave 5G has peak download speeds in the neighborhood of 1Gbps with an average of 300Mbps. The carrier's C-band 5G signals have an average download speed of 116.29Mbps and peak at 300Mbps.
The Pixel 6 Pro comes with support for both mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G networks on both unlocked and carrier variants. The Pixel 6 does not have support for mmWave 5G on unlocked models, but the bottom line is that all Pixel 6 series phones support C-band 5G.
The long-awaited battery widget for Pixel handsets should be part of today's update
Google released the March Feature Drop on March 7th but delayed the release for the Pixel 6 line reportedly to include the aforementioned bug fixes and to improve the fingerprint sensor and extend battery life on the devices. Other issues such as the one that disconnects cellular and/or Wi-Fi connectivity randomly are expected to be repaired by the update.
Pick up the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro now!
Several Pixel 6 series users who installed the June Feature Drop beta have stated that the beta, which includes the March update, exterminated all of the problems that they were having with their phones. As for the Feature Drop, the eagerly awaited battery widget should arrive along with Night Sight for low-light Snapchat photos, and the ability to use Live Caption to transcribe phone calls in real-time and to type replies that the Assistant will read to the person on the other end of your phone call.
According to Google , "This update fixes critical bugs and improves the performance and stability of your device. Additional charges may apply when updates are downloaded over the cellular network or while roaming." The update weighs in at 490MB.
After rebooting your Pixel 6 series device following the update, this is what you should see on the screen
After you update your Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro, the first time you turn the phone back on you will see a page that says "Your Pixel got more helpful" and mentions three new features:
- Type responses during calls-Make calls when you're unable or prefer not to speak.
- Custom text stickers-Send custom stickers with the text you type in messaging apps.
- Night Sight in Snapchat-Capture great photos & videos even in low light.
Let us know if you feel that the update has fixed any of the issues that have plagued your Pixel 6 series phone by dropping your comments in the box below.
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