Updated on February 28th with a warning into a new call scam ahead of update.
Google looks set to release the latest Pixel update next month, further widening the gap with Samsung Galaxy phones still awaiting their first Android 15 update. Ironically, the good Pixel news comes at the same time as the bad Samsung news that Android 15 and its One UI 7 wrap are likely delayed even longer than feared.
On the Pixel update front, there is some confusion, as Google initially confirmed a March release for the new scam detection and protection update coming to users’ phones. While the date reference was quickly dropped, there’s no reason to think it won’t be available at some point next month.
This is just the latest example of Pixel being first to new features and functions, which is a pain for other users when it comes to privacy and security. Android 15 has been all about locking down devices to narrow the gap to iPhone. What’s actually happened in practice is that it has created a new Android gap between Pixel and the rest.
This situation seems unviable long-term, when Samsung owners who have spent $1500-plus on a Galaxy S24 wait months to catch Pixel owners who have spent much less. We will all now wait to see if the latest One UI 7 timeline holds and then how Android 16 fares as regards Pixel’s timeline versus the rest.
As for this latest update, as Android Police reports, “Google’s Scam Detection features scan phone calls in real-time to spot signs of fraud, essentially by identifying ‘conversation patterns commonly associated with scams.’ After testing the feature in beta for over three months, it looks like it might be ready for prime time.”
Call scams have been making headlines recently, fueled by the rise in AI threats and urgent but fake banking and technical support calls that push users to install software or transfer money. All of that should be caught by the new on-device call monitoring, as well as Google’s restriction on app sideloads while on calls. As for the wider Android issue, we’re very much in wait and see mode for now.
Examples of just how pervasive these scams calls turn up each week. The latest being a Better Business Bureau warning to watch for “scammers posing as representatives from loan companies claiming you applied for a loan. The reality? They’re just trying to steal your information.”
BBB’s Juliana O’Rork warned that “these callers are very aggressive and they’re essentially stating that you have applied for some type of a loan and they’re calling to verify and get some information. In reality, you did not submit an application. It is not real, and if you give them that personal information, they are going to try to steal your identity or potentially your funds.”
The BBB says it received more than 500 reports of such scams between November and January, and that the campaigns become ever more aggressive as they progress.
This is exactly the type of call we expect Google’s new feature to flag.
