This month’s Google Pixel Feature Drop is now rolling out, and the company has shared details of what to expect in a blog post. It brings several new features and performance alongside security improvements to Pixel smartphones. Although this update is dropping on the Pixel 7, 7 Pro, 6a, 6, 6 Pro, 5a, 5, and 4a, some of the new features are only available on the latest 7 family members.
The most prominent feature of the December 2022 Feature Drop is Clear Calling. Per the company, this should limit background noise like wind and traffic while you’re on a call for enhanced voice clarity. It uses Google’s Tensor G2 chip, and thus it’s only limited to the Pixel 7 series phones.
The post also highlights the free Google One VPN for the Pixel 7 lineup that started rolling out a few days ago, and now, that plan is official. Once you turn it on, your web browsing activity is more secure, even when connected to a public Wi-Fi network at an airport or a local coffee shop.
Google also made the security and privacy settings option in Android’s menu system simpler by adding a brand-new action card system that alerts you to any urgently needed security fixes. You also get new wallpapers with this update. These wallpapers are to celebrate the International Day of People with Disabilities.
Other feature changes with this update include updates to the Live Translate feature, an improved search experience, Cough and Snore detection, and an upgraded recorder app that can record a conversation while recognizing and naming each speaker and inserting line breaks as speakers change.
Google also confirmed that the spatial audio feature would come with the January Pixel feature drop, adding support for surround sound listening when paired with the Pixel Buds Pro.
