Details have emerged about Google’s October update for Pixel smartphones, courtesy of a network operator.
Google’s October Pixel device update is upon us, and US network operator Verizon has offered us an insight into what’s been added.
In short: not a lot. System Update 26, as Verizon refers to the new Pixel firmware (BP3A.251005.004.B1 officially), incorporates the September 2025 security patch.
It also fixes a UI issue that “caused a semi-transparent background to appear after the camera was launched”, as well as a system crash “when starting or stopping casting with the Media Output Switcher.”
That’s your lot, and it’s to be expected. While there have been plenty of exceptions over the past year or two, Google generally supplies major new features on a quarterly basis. The months in between contain straightforward security updates.
Indeed, as pointed out over on the Google Pixel Reddit page, we’re unlikely to get any new features on our Pixel phones – a proper Pixel Drop, in other words – until the December update.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Brace for (Genshin) Impact
We’re fine with Google simply fixing bugs, as long as it is indeed keeping on top of the pertinent issues.
One issue to have recently emerged (via Android Authority) is that one of the most popular mobile games of recent years isn’t running properly on certain Pixel 10 phones.
Videos have emerged of Genshin Impact glitching out on a Google Pixel 10 Pro XL. Texture, control, and screen tearing issues appear to be plaguing these affected handsets.
The finger is being pointed at the Pixel 10’s use of PowerVR GPUs, which it switched to from the Pixel 9’s more widely used ARM Mali GPU. Genshin Impact dropped support for PowerVR GPUs last year.
This isn’t to say that you can’t play Genshin Impact on Pixel 10 devices of course. We’ve played the game on several Pixel 10 phones, and it runs just fine. Indeed, Google itself has issued a statement claiming that “Genshin Impact has not removed Pixel 10 GPU support. We partnered closely with miHoYo over the past year for Pixel 10.”
It seems more likely that the issue relates to more localised issues, which suggests this isn’t a widespread problem that requires a major fix. We’ll be keeping an eye on this one, however.
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