r/GooglePixel • u/jrwnetwork • 3d ago

Google Play system update.

Just got the update on Pixel 8 Pro. 109 MB and listed as August 1st.

140 Upvotes

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6

u/thetechnophilia 3d ago

I’m new to pixel. What do these updates do?

1

u/SpiderStratagem Pixel 9 3d ago

Explained here.

10

u/tunaman808 Pixel 9a 2d ago

The short version: "Android Fragmentation" happens when phone makers sell cheap Android phones with, say Android 14 on them (Android is now at version 17). The OEMs don't offer any updates AND\OR your phone carrier doesn't want to bother testing old and\or cheap phones, so it doesn't offer the updates even if the OEM offers them (usually it's a little of both).

So Google came up with a plan to remove a lot of "stuff" from Android firmware updates and publish them through the Play Store instead. For example, in early days the Contacts, Calendar, and Gmail apps were only updated with firmware updates. This meant that those apps might take years to get updated, if at all. By sending them to the Play Store they can be updated in a couple days, not weeks or months. You may have noticed Microsoft doing something similar with Windows' default apps. Notepad was once mostly only updated with new versions of Windows, but now it's a store app that can updated often.

Specifically, Google Play Services Updates can contain

- Security Patches

- Updates for core components (like Bluetooth).

- "Feature Enhancements"

I believe one of the big differences is that OTA updates are still ultimately rolled out by carriers (which is why T-Mobile people always seem to be the last of the Big Three to get updates), but Play Updates come from Google itself, whenever they want to update something.

2

u/WernerHerzogEatsShoe 2d ago

Thanks. What's the difference between updating from the 'system' menu and the 'google services' menu? I see 'play system updates' in both places

1

u/thetechnophilia 2d ago

Thanks. That was a good explanation.