As a Google Pixel user, Apple's iOS 27 update makes me incredibly jealous

I’m not an Apple guy, but there are some Apple products I use. I love my M5 MacBook Air, and I loved using my 2020 iPad Pro until I got a Galaxy Tab S10 Plus. Even so, I don’t rave about Apple as others do, and there are plenty of things about the company I don’t like at all.

Even so, I have to commend Apple for what it is doing with iOS 27. This update isn’t solely focused on adding new features. In addition to the shiny new things, Apple has made performance and bug fixes a priority, and I wish Google would do the same with Android, especially on Pixel phones.

iOS 27 does have new features compared to iOS 26, especially in the Apple Intelligence department. However, Apple wasn’t kidding when it said that this year’s software updates are focused on stability, bug fixes, and performance improvements. I know it’s been less than a day, but my 2020 iPad Pro, which felt awful and sluggish even on iPadOS 26.5, feels brand new on the new iPadOS 27 beta. As a Pixel owner, that’s something I’m envious of.

While I love my Pixel, it isn’t a perfect experience. More than any Samsung I own, my Pixel 10 Pro will regularly reboot itself in the middle of a task, at least once every few days, even after a reset and regardless of whether it’s on a beta build or not. That’s on top of other issues like the awful battery drain bug that’s been plaguing my Pixel 10 Pro for over a month now. Then there are the almost constant Android Auto disconnections since January, and frustrating volume “safety” features that make my driving more dangerous. Sometimes the lock screen becomes glitchy, and it takes 15+ seconds to wake up from the always-on display.

Some of these problems, like random reboots and lock screen glitches, have been with Pixels for years. But for whatever reason, Google seems to be unwilling or unable to do anything about it. Android, and Pixels in particular, need an update cycle focused on stability.

I don’t want to give Apple too much credit here. The main reason iOS 27 had to focus so heavily on optimization and performance is that iOS 26 was a disaster. As I said earlier, my 2020 iPad Pro did not fare well with iPadOS 26. It would crash and slow down almost constantly. I was about ready to give up on it, but already the latest beta has solved my qualms

In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need updates like this because all software updates would be released working and stable. Alas, that’s not the real world. iOS 26 — and most of Apple’s software updates from last year — needed significant work to reach a usable state. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a time when Android was in such a bad situation.

Regardless, an update cycle that prioritizes optimization and bug fixes would be wonderful, especially on Pixels. It wouldn’t need to be a whole Android version, either. A QPR update or even a Pixel Drop focused on optimization would suffice.

I know that some of you reading this haven’t encountered any of these bugs on your Pixel, but that doesn’t mean I and others aren’t experiencing them. I want Google to deliver a perfect Pixel experience, and who wouldn’t like their phone to feel faster, smoother, and more stable?