If you’ve been keeping up with our Pixel crux recaps this week, you already know it’s been a wild ride in Google land. On Monday, we covered Pixel Safety, Care Plus, and some juicy Pixel 10a rumors. Then on Tuesday, we unpacked At a Glance updates, scam detection expansions, and Google’s 27th birthday deals.
And guess what? Google just refuses to sit still. The past 24 hours have dumped another pile of Pixel news on our laps. Some good, some weird, and some that’ll make you want to shake Google by the shoulders. Let’s dive in.
Another September OTA for the Pixel 10 series
Google has decided that one September OTA wasn’t enough. The Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro XL are now receiving yet another September 2025 update (build BD3A.250721.001.E1). It’s a tiny ~31 MB download with the classic Google changelog of “fixes critical bugs and improves stability.”
Translation: “We may or may not have broken something on launch day, so here’s a quick patch.”
In fact, Verizon spilled the tea. This update squashes an annoying fuzzy display issue some users were reporting. If you own a Pixel 10, you can go ahead and smash that “Check for update” button; the OTA is already rolling out.
Google thinks you need a $7 rope for your Pixel
Yes, rope. Specifically, a Google Rope Wristlet. The company just dropped a colorful new wrist strap for Pixel devices, priced at $7, available in Purple/Blue, Green/Yellow, and Black/Grey.
It’s cute, practical for the clumsy among us, and attaches to your phone case with a little spring clasp + shim contraption. The only Pixel excluded? The Pixel Fold. Apparently, foldable cases don’t play nice with Google’s rope dreams.
Hot take: it’s kinda funny that Apple just killed off its FineWoven accessories, and meanwhile Google is like, “Here, have a rainbow rope.” For seven bucks, though, this is one of the cheapest things you can buy with a “Made by Google” tag on it.
Pixel 10 GPU drivers stuck in the past
Now for the not-so-fun bit. The Pixel 10’s new Tensor G5 + Imagination GPU combo is… underperforming. Like, really underperforming. Think Pixel 9-levels, or worse. Some Geekbench results even show it pulling a third of the Pixel 9 Pro’s GPU score, and way behind rivals like the Galaxy S25.
The suspected culprit? Outdated GPU drivers. The Pixel 10 shipped with v24.3 drivers, while Imagination had already released v25.1 with Android 16 support back in August. So right now, your brand-new Pixel 10 GPU is basically jogging in flip-flops when it should be sprinting in running shoes.
Google hasn’t commented, but history tells us they’ll probably bundle updated GPU drivers into an upcoming Android beta or December Feature Drop. Until then, your Pixel 10 may lose some gaming duels against budget phones.
Call recording is (maybe) coming to Pixel phones
Remember how Google was the hall monitor of call recording, refusing to let Pixel phones play ball? Well, surprise: support pages have quietly changed, now hinting that Pixel 6 and newer devices may be able to record calls depending on your region.
The rollout seems to have started in India, where at least one Pixel 9a owner spotted the feature in their Phone app. No love for the US yet, and Google isn’t exactly listing which regions are invited to the party. But still, this is a major policy shift.
If you’ve ever been that person holding another phone to record a call (guilty), this is long overdue.
Gboard’s Writing Tools creep onto the Pixel 8 Pro
Finally, a little AI sprinkle for older Pixels. Gboard’s on-device AI Writing Tools (the one that proofreads or rephrases your text in any app) has now popped up on a Pixel 8 Pro running the latest Gboard beta.
Officially, Google’s support page only mentions the Pixel 9 and 10 series (plus a bunch of Snapdragon and Dimensity flagships). But clearly, the Pixel 8 is being quietly tested. If the stable rollout follows, this could make the Pixel 8 feel fresher and maybe buy it a bit more relevance as Google goes full throttle on AI-first marketing.
Wrapping up
So there you have it: a brand-new OTA, a rope accessory nobody asked for, GPU performance stuck in first gear, long-overdue call recording, and Gboard AI sneaking onto older Pixels. Classic Google week, honestly.
Pixel owners: which of these stories hits you hardest? Are you updating, shopping for ropes, or rage-benchmarking your GPU right now?
Hillary Keverenge
2445 Posts
Tech has been my playground for over a decade. While the Android journey began early, it truly took flight with the revolutionary Lollipop update. Since then, it's been a parade of Android devices (with a sprinkle of iOS), culminating in a mostly happy marriage with Google's smart home ecosystem. Expect insightful articles and explorations of the ever-evolving world of Android and Google products coupled with occasional rants on the Nest smart home ecosystem.
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