GoKawiilJoe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR A new leak claims Google is preparing to upgrade the Linux kernel on most Tensor-based Pixel phones to version 6.12.
The new kernel could potentially bring real performance and efficiency improvements, thanks in part to Google’s AutoFDO.
Judging by the leak, the Pixel 6 will not receive the update.
It looks like Pixel phones are in for another kernel upgrade. A new leak claims that Google’s getting ready to update the Linux kernel Android is built on for the Pixel 7, 8, 9, and 10 series, and while kernel updates don’t bring new user-facing features, the version Pixel phones are upgrading to could still make for performance improvements.
A post in the Mystic Leaks Telegram channel claims that most Tensor-powered Pixels will soon receive an upgrade to kernel version 6.12, citing an unnamed Google source. Per the leak, the Pixel 6 will not get this update.
Pixel 7, Pixel 8, and Pixel 9 phones are currently on 6.1-android14, while the Pixel 10 series is on 6.6-android15. Once the update lands, Mystic Leaks claims, they should all be on version 6.12-android16.
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
As for what that’ll mean for end users, we can’t exactly say yet. Newer kernels bring under-the-hood performance tweaks and efficiency improvements, but historically, they haven’t come with dramatic real-world gains.
But Google announced earlier this year that it’s been working to implement what it calls Automatic Feedback-Directed Optimization (AutoFDO) in 6.12-android16 and 6.6-android15 kernels. Google says AutoFDO facilitates faster app launches and smoother performance, among other benefits, by optimizing at the kernel level based on real-world execution patterns. If that all holds up in the wild, this particular kernel update could be a pretty meaningful one, at least for Pixel 7, 8, and 9 devices.
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