Pixel 7 owners will be disappointed to find that their phone lacks the latest 5G standard, but luckily, Google may be able to fix this issue with the Android 14 update.
3GPP is responsible for creating the latest mobile broadband standards, with a primary focus on 5G . These regulations are distributed in “versions,” and the Pixel 7 follows version 15 — an outdated version compared to today’s available phones.
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While the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro both feature 5G, that doesn't necessarily mean they're compatible with the latest releases of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project. 3GPP is a consortium of organizations that collaborate to develop mobile standards — version 15 was first released in 2018, followed by version 16 two years later, with version 17 due in 2022 and 18 expected in 2024.
Qualcomm 's version 16 is said to bring a "plenty of improvements" to 5G , in terms of coverage, capacity, latency, and more. But what really sets this second-generation standard apart are its power-saving features — specifically designed with efficiency in mind.
In response to a query filed on the Android 13 QPR issue tracker , Google released a statement on Thursday announcing that the recently released Pixel 7 device – equipped with an Exynos 5300 modem – is currently compatible with version 15. Samsung ’s website also confirms this claim: citing December 2022, they stated that the Exynos 5300 is fully compatible with 3GPP version 16 .
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The source of the information confirms that the Android U version will include 3GPP Release 16 , possibly hinting at the Pixel 7 launching with the same update in the fall. It is strongly speculated that both the Pixel 8 and the 5300 modem , as well as the Tensor G3 , could be compatible with this, but there is a distinct possibility that only one model will offer such support.
Source: 9to5google.com
