Boost Your Pixel Performance With Google April Update
If you are the proud owner of a Google Pixel smartphone, you should be getting the brand new April update for your device right now (RQ2A.210405.005). Not only will you benefit from some bug fixes and quality updates, but you’ll also see some pretty good performance gains if you’re using a Pixel 4a (5G) or Pixel 5.
When Android 11 dropped last September, many reviewers found that their new Pixel devices seemed to have lost performance. As HotHardware wrote at the time:
“In the 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme test for the Pixel 4 XL running Android 11, we see a roughly 9 percent performance drop in the overall benchmark (versus Android 10), which is 5 percent and 18 percent, respectively. in the components of graphics and physics. The Pixel 4a is even worse, with its overall rating dropping a whopping 33 percent. Also note the significant drop in Pixel 4 XL Physics performance as well as the drop in Pixel 4a graphics performance. “
Compare this grimness to early benchmarks from the April update, which I believe should be installed as soon as possible if you’re using a vulnerable device. As Andreas Proshofsky of Der Standard writes:
Google’s full list of changes for the April update can be found here and you will find all the security issues it is patching with the update here .
As always, updating the Pixel is an incredibly easy process. Just go to Settings> System> Advanced and click on System Update to get started.
You may have to wait a bit if you are a Verizon subscriber, however, it looks like the Factory and OTA images containing the April update are available for all carriers except Big Red. There is no word on why or how long it will take for the update to appear there, but keep checking your Pixel for a new update. It’s worth it.