Pixel October 2025 update, Watch app wider rollout, Samsung imitates Pixel again, and UFS 5.0 arrives for AI

For those who’ve been keeping up with our Pixel chronicles lately, you know Google’s week has been anything but quiet. We’ve seen Pixel 10 Prime Day deals, Samsung fans throwing shade over Routines, Google rolling out fresh AI photo tools (and an Alex Cooper collab to top it off), and then came the Pixel 10 repair part refresh, refurbished Pixel 6 drop, and even a “Needlefish” prototype leak that had fans buzzing.

And just when you thought things might slow down — surprise! The Pixel universe (and a few rivals trying to imitate it) still has plenty to unpack. Here’s your latest Pixel-flavored digest.

Verizon spills the tea on the October 2025 Pixel update

It’s update day… or at least it should be. Verizon has detailed the October 2025 Pixel update, but Google itself is oddly silent.

According to the carrier’s release notes, the Android security patch is still “September 2025” (because, fun fact, there’s no new bulletin this month). That means the OTA is mostly bug fixes, and honestly, some welcome ones.

Here’s the gist:

• Fix for that semi-transparent background after launching the camera.
• Fix for system crashes when starting or stopping casting via the Media Output Switcher.
• Pixel 9 & 10 users get a fix for the missing flashlight status in At a Glance.
• Pixel 7 owners get a screen flicker fix (finally!).

Build numbers roll out as follows:

• Pixel 10 → BD3A.251005.003.W3
• Pixel 7–9 → BP3A.251005.004.B1

No word yet from Google HQ, but if you’ve been plagued by bugs like battery drain, screen freezing, or the odd glass-like ping sound after the September 2025 update, this might be your cue to keep refreshing that update screen.

Pixel Watch app gets a glow-up, just in time for the Pixel Watch 4

Before the Pixel Watch 4 officially hits wrists, Google is quietly polishing its companion app. The Pixel Watch app v4.1.0.810754319, which started rolling out last month, is now widely available on the Play Store (link), bringing a refreshed icon and more M3 expressive design improvements.

It’s mostly a visual refresh, but it sets the stage nicely for what’s next. Think of it as Google setting the table before serving the main course.

Samsung’s next big trick? Borrowing Pixel’s call screening magic

In the ongoing Pixel vs. Galaxy back-and-forth, Samsung’s gearing up for another Pixel-inspired move — automatic call screening.

Coming soon in One UI 8.5, this AI-powered feature will let Galaxy phones automatically answer and transcribe suspicious calls, complete with user-customizable screening levels. Early code hints at multiple protection options, from “screen all unknown numbers” to “only block spam and scam calls.” Sound familiar? Yeah, because Pixel’s been doing this for years.

Still, Samsung might go one better with four screening levels (in Korea at least), giving users finer control than Google’s current “maximum, medium, and basic” setup. Whether that global rollout will materialize remains to be seen, but it’s clear that imitation remains the sincerest form of competition.

UFS 5.0 storage wants to fuel AI, and maybe future Pixels

Meanwhile, in the land of silicon speed, UFS 5.0 has just been announced, promising twice the speed of UFS 4.0 and aiming straight for the AI era. The new storage standard will reach up to 10.8GB/s, a whopping 160% boost over the current UFS 4.0. Why? Because, as JEDEC puts it, “AI demands it.”

Google only just caught up by introducing UFS 4.0 in select Pixel 10 models, while older Pixels (up to the 8 series) were stuck on UFS 3.1. With this new leap, here’s hoping Google won’t wait another three years to adopt the latest tech, especially since AI is kind of its whole thing.