Why Google’s quick fix of Pixel 6 ghost calling is extremely encouraging

In case you haven’t heard about it already, there are a few bugs and issues with Google’s new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones. There’s nothing earth-shattering or deal-breaking, but bugs like this can put a bit of a damper on the overall user experience. Sure, we expect this sort of thing right out of the gate, but generally speaking, Google hasn’t always been the quickest at acknowledging and/or fixing these sorts of issues.

To be fair, most big tech companies are this way. They won’t be quick to just admit that there is a widespread problem and once they finally admit to it, we don’t tend to see a fix in short order unless it’s a massive issue. To Google’s credit, they have done a bit of a 180, here, both quickly admitting the problem existed quite quickly and then patching the issue within a week’s time.

Google Pixel 6 Ghost Calls

So, what is the issue? Ghost calling. Both models of the new Pixel 6 have been randomly dialing people from the contact list without warning and at all sorts of random times. The culprit? It turns out the issue emanated from the Google app and from the Google Assistant if we’re being more specific. Users seeing the issue on Reddit found these odd phone calls originating in their Google Assistant activity and, as you can guess, this isn’t how you want your virtual assistant handling anything regarding your phone or your contacts.

While this bug wasn’t good in any way, shape or form, Google’s response to it was. Again, companies this size don’t like admitting issues publicly and when they do, the fix isn’t always made clear. For Google to admit the issue, point at the Assistant as the problem, and then issue a fix within a week is a great sign that they are keenly aware that they need to squash bugs with these new phones quickly and precisely.

A new focus on Pixel

All of this comes on the heels of Google putting together pre-release hype, great marketing, great pricing, and a great launch event for the phones they truly consider the first ‘real’ Google phones. It’s easy to hype up and advertise something that is coming soon. You can throw money at slick ads, well-produced launch videos and thoughtful storefront layouts. But at the end of the day, once that product is out in the market and real people start using it, there will be issues that need to be addressed and all that slick marketing doesn’t account for anything if the broad base of users are constantly at odds with the company that made the device.

Google seems adamant that their approach with these new Pixel phones is different, and with all they’ve already put into the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, I’m beginning to believe them. This feels like a pair of phones that are considered, well-made, and right at the center of Google’s radar. Again, pre-release hype and marketing is par for the course. The real work comes down to supporting a device through the ups and downs of user ownership, and it looks like Google is already off to a great start, there.

The best news is the hardware doesn’t seem to be the problem this time around with Pixel, and that means Google can simply keep making these phones better and better over time. And that’s what consumers want: a reliable phone that does what needs doing and gets out of the way the rest of the time. We don’t want to be bothered by constant bugs brought on by finicky new features every month. If Google continues addressing issues that arise with Pixel 6 the way they have with this one, I’m really hopeful that the ownership of this phone will be a better experience than perhaps any other Android phone I’ve owned prior.