In a move to improve user experience, Google has recently released its first update for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro in 2024. This update, delayed by two days due to the New Year’s holiday, is centered around resolving issues related to the camera and user interface (UI), marking a significant step in refining Google’s flagship devices.
The update encompasses various devices, with the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 8 taking the lead, followed by the Pixel Fold and other supported devices. The fixes are categorized for different devices to ensure users can easily interpret the changelog:
- Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8
- Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8, Pixel Fold
- Pixel 5, Pixel 5a (5G), Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Fold, Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro
- Pixel Tablet
Specifically addressing camera-related concerns, the update resolves issues that led to camera crashes under certain conditions, excluding the Pixel Tablet. On the UI front, Google tackles a flashing black screen problem during video playback under specific conditions. The update also addresses challenges users faced while trying to exit the Setup Wizard and problems with the home screen wallpaper displaying as black in certain conditions.
Known for consistent updates and feature drops, the Pixel 8 series continues to prioritize user experience with this release. While the current fixes primarily target camera and UI issues, users can anticipate further updates as Google remains committed to refining and optimizing its flagship devices.
In a parallel development, Google has unveiled its latest language model, Gemini, surpassing OpenAI’s GPT-4 and human experts in massive multitask language understanding tasks. Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced Gemini 1.0, a multimodal model optimized in three sizes – Ultra, Pro, and Nano.
The company disclosed that the more efficient Nano version of the Gemini model will power on-device tasks on the Pixel 8 Pro, introducing features such as providing summaries of recorded conversations and AI-powered replies to conversations.
