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Source: Ara Wagoner / Android Central

Google announced the double whammy of the Pixel update on Monday, and its December Pixel Drop and security patch will end in 2021. The new Pixel update will be launched next week and will add everything from digital car key support to Google’s new shortcuts, assistants and cameras, and some trendy new wallpapers.

Nothing here is more important than last month’s fingerprint scanner fix, but these are all nice features that Google has been advertising for Android 12 for months. And the security update will kill some dangerous vulnerabilities in the bud.

According to the latest Android security bulletin, the security patch on December 1 found 3 serious threats, 11 high threats, and 2 medium threats to the system or memory, some of which may occur locally, "without privileges or user interaction."

The second patch on December 5 found 25 issues related to Qualcomm components, 2 related to MediaTek components, and so on.

These security patches will be released next week, but if you want to be one step ahead, you can use the now available Pixel factory image or Pixel OTA.

Among the many Pixel fixes that appeared in the December monthly update, the first was a fix to the phantom call problem, which caused the assistant to "unintentionally make a call in some cases." The other is "General Improvements in Fingerprint Sensor Stability and Performance", which we previously saw in the mid-November update.

You can also find a long list of other updates for general improvements in audio, “battery and thermal performance”, camera “image quality improvements”, “network connection stability and performance”, which are expected to improve the slow 5G performance of Pixel, and data Ten UI fixes.

For now, you can configure the settings to press and hold the power button to call the Google Assistant. Now, Pixel 3 phones and later versions will have the option to change the "press and hold duration" in the settings from short to long, with nine different options. Short allows you to access Assistant faster, and Long prevents any confusion.

Pixels will also launch a new shortcut called Quick Tap to Snap, which allows you to double-click the Pixel to take a Snapchat photo. Unfortunately, for older Pixel phone users, only Pixel 4a 5G or newer models can get this feature.

In view of the alleged Pixel-Snapchat partnership to promote sales of Pixel 6, many users will find this shortcut very convenient. Of course, suppose they didn't use cases that prevented the shortcuts from working.

Google also plans to bring a "new Pixel exclusive lens-Pixel Face" to your Snaps. We don't know what effect "Pixel Face" will have on our faces, but it is expected to be launched this month, so we will know soon.

Google announced last week that the digital BMW car key will appear on Pixel and Galaxy S21 phones this month. Now, we know that this feature will appear on Pixel 6 next week.

Your Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro will unlock the 2020 or 2022 BMW car by tapping your phone on the door handle. The Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip of the Pro model can also automatically unlock your car when you approach.

Pixel 6 Pro will also improve Nearby Share, using UWB to quickly share content with other UWB phones or devices nearby. Its usefulness will depend on how many friends or family members you have with a flagship phone equipped with the appropriate technology, but over time, it can be used with more phones.

Source: Daniel Bader / Android Central

If you have Pixel Buds A series and any Pixel phones from 3 onwards, you can now choose to change the bass level of music from -1 to +4 in the Pixel Buds app.

Until then, you can use Bass Boost to add more charm to your music. But this gives you "twice the previous bass range", which can be quieter if you wish.

To celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Google will provide fascinating new wallpapers by artist Dana Kearley on Pixels 3 and higher. Starting next week, you will find them in styles and wallpapers.

Google has expanded its car accident detection tools to more countries. It will come to France, Italy and Taiwan; it is already available in Australia, Ireland, Japan, Spain, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States

In addition, the Voice Recorder app has added three new transcription languages: Japanese, French, and German.

Finally, the "Now Playing" tool for automatically identifying nearby music has been usefully adjusted. On Pixel 4 or later, you can now manually trigger a search for nearby songs and then bookmark it.

If you don’t know which of these new features can run on your Pixel, Google will provide a chart showing which phones support which new tools. Only Pixel 6 Pro supports all of these.

The Pixel Drop function is usually limited to the latest Pixel generation. If you want the best software experience provided by Google, Pixel 6 Pro is your best choice. With 12GB of RAM, 6.7-inch 1440p LTPO OLED display, excellent cameras and stable battery life, this is an excellent phone.

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Google released its annual search for 2021, showing the most popular searches of the year, from Squid Game to Pokémon Unite.

Amazon announced the launch of new features for its Fire TV devices, including a new smart home dashboard and quick and easy controls.

Google has updated the Pixel Buds A series with new audio features, connection improvements, and manual updates.

If you can’t wait to experience the new Google Pixel 6, don’t forget to consider buying a screen protector for it. We have collected some of the best choices!

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