Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro owners claim cell signal issues are worse with December update

All smart, but no ‘phone’

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are two of the best Android smartphones released this year, marking a return to form for Google after a few years of releasing largely uninspired, mid-range devices. However, neither of the Pixel phones is perfect. They've been plagued with plenty of issues, including offering below-average mobile network connectivity and 5G speeds. The December security patch delivers fixes for several high-profile bugs, but it seems to have made the mobile network connectivity problems worse.

After installing the December security patch, reports from Pixel 6 and 6 Pro owners are flooding the internet complaining of poor or no mobile network reception in areas where they were previously getting a full signal. As a result, the battery drains faster than usual, an unintended side-effect as the phone searches for reception. Some users are also reporting slower mobile data speeds. The problem primarily seems to affect Pixel 6 and 6 Pro owners in Europe, though there are sporadic reports from US owners as well. There's already a thread about this on the Google Issue Tracker filled with comments from frustrated Pixel 6 owners who have been struggling to make calls post-update.

Google's December security update for its latest Pixels includes new modem firmware, intended to fix the random signal loss that some users were facing. However, with the number of reports we've seen online over the past couple of days, it seems to have done the exact opposite. Some users claim turning off 5G improved things to a certain extent, though your mileage may vary. For now, the only other option is to make sure that your phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network at all times.

The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro feature a Samsung Exynos 5123b modem, which tests have revealed is not up to par with the Qualcomm modems found in almost every other smartphone sold in the US. This time around, though, it looks like the new firmware is to blame for the network connectivity woes rather than the modem itself. If you have not yet installed the December update on your Pixel, you might want to wait it out until Google acknowledges the issue and resolves it.

Thanks: Thomas Vranken, Rickard Hökros, Moshe, and Bruce Andrews

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