Android 14 could fix the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 overheating issues
Users seem happy
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If yourGoogle Pixel 6orGoogle Pixel 7is getting rather warm at times, help may be at hand: users are reporting that these overheating problems are getting fixed with the rollout of the newAndroid 14software update.
As perthreadsonReddit(viaAndroid Police),Google’s most recent phones before the Pixel 8 are apparently running much cooler, overall, and seeing extended battery life as well – presumably because the processor isn’t being worked as hard.
Reports of toasty temperatures on the Pixel phones from 2021 and 2022 havebeen pretty widespread, and it’s common knowledge that the Tensor G1 and Tensor G2 chipsets inside these handsets tend topush thermal capacities to the limit.
We’ve written ourselvesabout how excess heat has somewhat spoiled the experience of using the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 7 – but it would appear thatAndroid 14has applied the necessary tweaks and optimizations to keep everything a bit more chilled out.
Like a new phone
Google hasn’t specifically mentioned an overheating fix for older phones in Android 14, so we’re left to speculate about what has happened here. As Android Police notes, it’s possible that the software is stopping the CPUs from running quite as fast.
While that would have an impact on performance, it may be too small to notice in most scenarios – with the upside being less heat given off. As for the latest handsets, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro run the Tensor G3 chip, and we didn’t notice any issues with overheating in ourPixel 8 first looksor ourPixel 8 Pro hands-on(granted, we didn’t have much time with either phone).
“I’m amazed by how much cooler my phone is"wroteone Redditor with a Pixel 7, while aGoogle Pixel 6aownersaidthat it’s like having “a new phone” since the software update. In the comments underneath, some users say they’ve had similar experiences, but it doesn’t seem to have worked for everyone across the board.
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If you’re running a Pixel phone launched in the last couple of years, it’s certainly worth updating to Android 14. Google isn’t the only manufacturer with overheating issues of course – it’s somethingApple is grappling with too.
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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
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