If you’re in the market for a new smartphone, you could be eyeing the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL ... it), you can definitely save some money by going with the Pixel 9 Pro instead of the XL version, as it only starts at $999 instead of $1,099.

Despite taking pride in its software-first approach to products, Google has sometimes taken less care in its efforts with display hardware over the past couple of years. For readers who’ve stuck around with Pixels since its early days,

Google is updating the Android Linux kernel to 6.1.99 for all Tensor-powered Pixel devices, including the Pixel 6 series. Linux 6.1 was spotted as part of the Android 15 QPR 15 Beta 1 release, and will release with the stable March Pixel Feature Drop. Kernel updates are essential for device security and compatibility with future Android releases.

Google is preparing to upgrade the kernel version of all Tensor-powered Pixels to Linux 6.1 in Android 15 QPR2.

Google highlighted the start of Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1 to Pixel testers on Reddit. The update contains the November security patch and a list of known issues users may encounter. The QPR2 update is expected to arrive as the March 2025 feature drop while we brace for a much earlier Android 16 launch.