On January 3, 2023, Google released its most recent security update for Pixel devices. Ten days later, T-Mobile Pixel 7 and 6 series users are reporting that the over-the-air update (OTA) has not yet been delivered to their phones. Many Pixel phone customers are rightfully furious because timely security updates are one of their primary selling points.

XDA discovered that numerous Reddit user reports indicate that T-Mobile has delayed or completely halted the January update’s rollout. Regardless of whether the phone was purchased unlocked or directly from the carrier, it appears that the issue is affecting the majority of Pixel models that are still supported by Google. Users of the Pixel 6 and 7 series have reported remaining on December’s security patch, and individuals using older Pixel devices appear to have skipped the two most recent updates.

Based on a Reddit post from a user claiming to work for T-Mobile, which has since been removed, an earlier report from Droid Life stated that the carrier delayed the January update due to a Bluetooth issue on Pixel 6 and 7 models. Users of older Pixel models on the T-Mobile network are stuck with the November 5, 2022 security patch, despite the fact that this is clearly unverified.

T-Mobile’s three-channel aggregation (3CA) network enhancements will be supported in the January 2023 update for Pixel 7 and 7 Pro customers. T-Mobile is promoting 3Gbps speeds in early tests using this technology to make use of the mid-band 5G spectrum it has been deploying recently. However, only the Galaxy S22 officially supports this feature at this time. This could explain why the latest Pixel models get updates later, but it wouldn’t explain why the Pixel 6 and older models don’t get updates on time.

User reports indicate that Google’s attempts to fix the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro’s connectivity issues via software updates have not resolved the issue, which is known to be caused by a patchy radio chip. However, T-Mobile’s update delays for both models are unrelated to the Pixel 7 series’ highly regarded radio. Maybe there are various issues keeping down every Pixel model’s update from getting T-Portable’s endorsement.