Fall's first Pixel update just landed, and it's another end-of-the-road milestone

With October now here, summer is formally in the rear-view mirror, and it won’t be long now before the sweater weather descends. But a new month also means a new opportunity to update our devices, and right on schedule, Google is making good with its latest monthly software update for Pixel phones and tablets.

Today Google shares word of its October Pixel update for eligible hardware. Depending on which models you own, you can anticipate getting your hands on a different build. Pixel 6 and 7-series devices, as well as the first Pixel Fold and the Pixel tablet, will get CP3A.261005.002.A1. The new Pixel 11 series is all getting build CD1A.261005.003. And then everyone else on Pixel 8, 9, and 10 models receives CP3A.261005.005.

Looking through the limited notes Google has provided, we’re learning about three major bugfixes in this release. For Pixel 8 through Pixel 10 models, there’s an audio fix: “Fix for issue occasionally causing audio noise or distortion in ringtone during certain VoIP calls.”

The Pixel 8 through Pixel 11 series correct some unwanted behavior in apps: “Fix for issue causing the virtual keyboard to occasionally not appear when interacting with search input fields.”

And unique to the Pixel 11 family, there’s also a patch for a sensor glitch: “Fix for issue occasionally causing captured photos or recorded videos to save in the incorrect orientation.”

What we don’t see, though, are any changes directly targeting Pixel 6 or Pixel 7 models. Still, you’re better off not skipping a release without a good reason, so go ahead and stay on the lookout for your update notification, all the same. Google says that the rollout will proceed in phases across the week to come, so it still may be a few days before you see anything.

For Pixel 6 (and Pixel 6 Pro) users, this could be their last taste of monthly updates. Google launched the phones on October 19, 2021, and the company later extended their software support to five years. That means that November’s update will arrive after the cutoff — unless Google announces some last-minute change.

While we’re always sad to see the end of an era, maybe it’s high time to think about a new Pixel?