Lastly, Google Pixel telephones set up system updates a lot sooner

Google launched seamless updates with the debut of the primary Pixel smartphone in 2016. This function permits Pixel telephones to put in updates whereas they’re operating, guaranteeing no extended downtime, which is in any other case related to putting in a software program replace. On paper, this sounds helpful, however there is a large drawback with seamless updates: they take a very long time to put in within the background. So, although there is no such thing as a prolonged downtime because of the brief reboot length, the precise replace set up takes a very long time. It seems to be like Google has lastly solved this difficulty in Android 14.

There are a number of experiences from Pixel house owners on r/Android_beta concerning the Android 14 QPR2 beta putting in noticeably sooner on their telephones, with some stating that the optimization course of solely took a couple of minutes. A lot of our guides additionally verify the sooner set up pace. Manuel Funau, Google’s senior editor at Android Police, was in a position to replace the Pixel 7 to Android 14 QPR beta 1 from the previous Android 14 construct in lower than 20 minutes. Many Pixel 6 customers have additionally reported seeing an identical improve in replace set up pace, suggesting that the enhancements aren’t simply restricted to a selected cellphone.

Again in December 2022, Android professional Mishaal Rahman discovered proof that Google was engaged on making over-the-air replace set up sooner. The corporate has supplied patches to AOSP for writing COW operations in bulk in a batch and utilizing two threads to compress the snapshot. Mixed, these patches diminished the set up time of a full 2.2GB OTA file on the Pixel 6 Professional by 10 minutes.

Tipster Moshe additionally claims that Pixels makes use of extra highly effective midrange cores to hurry up the optimization course of. If true, this might result in a rise in battery utilization, though most customers are unlikely to thoughts that trade-off.

Since putting in a easy safety patch on a Pixel cellphone takes about half-hour to an hour, pace enhancements had been a lot wanted for seamless updates.

Seamless updates use two digital system partitions, permitting Pixels to put in an replace for the inactive partition when it activates. This set up occurs within the background and when the cellphone is idle. This half takes a very long time, generally over an hour or so. After that, a reboot is required, throughout which the Pixel switches to the up to date system partition.

The lengthy set up time with seamless updates possible explains why not one of the different Android telephones have applied this function although it has been round for over 7 years. Google was rumored to be making seamless updates obligatory with Android 13, however the Galaxy S23 and all different flagship telephones launching this 12 months miss out on this function.

Maybe with Google making the pace enhancements wanted for seamless updates in Android 14, different Android producers can lastly undertake the function on their 2024 flagship telephones.

Thanks: Moshe, Armando and Anthony!