Stutter problem in Pixel phones fixed by developer; Google was to blame
Pixel phones are known for their smooth operation, but sometimes, they can stutter when you’re moving through apps, which can be frustrating, especially with their high cost. A developer has now pinpointed the cause of this stutter and has let Google know about it.
This isn’t a new issue; it’s been discussed in Google’s official Issue Tracker since April 2024. Despite this, every new Android update for Pixel phones has had this problem, with no fix from Google, which is surprising given their resources.
The developer, Sultan Alsawaf, who makes special software for some Pixel models, has figured out what’s causing the stutter. He says Google’s way of managing how much work the phone can handle at once is flawed. Think of it like a busy road where too many cars are allowed at once, causing traffic jams.
Google used the wrong type of “lock” (btsdev->lock), which doesn’t control the flow well. It lets too many tasks go through at the same time, messing up how the phone calculates the need for processing power, leading to sudden slowdowns.
Alsawaf solved this by using a better “lock” (mutex_lock) that controls how many tasks can go through, preventing the system from getting overwhelmed. This ensures the phone can better guess how much power each task needs, reducing stutters.
He’s shared his solution with Google and has already put it into his special software for the Pixel 8 series. But, using this software can be tricky and risky for those not tech-savvy. Hopefully, Google will soon apply these fixes to all Pixel phones to get rid of the stutter for good.