Pilgrim So, I've been wondering…if MTE support doesn't make it into the QPR2 update, is it possible it could still arrive in a later update? I realize that nobody but Google knows for certain, but it's not like this is a one-time opportunity, is it?
Many things are possible! The problem is that so far Google isn't saying anything about why the events so far have happened. They haven't said why the Pixel 11 shipped without MTE; they haven't said how they think MTE firmware is working in the beta-test program; they haven't said anything. The more time that goes by without them shipping MTE for real, the more plausible it is that there is some actual big problem (which they might never say anything about). So, while it is certainly possible that whatever is going on might be fixable next summer, or in the summer of 2028, etc., it's not immediately obvious what sort of scenario like that would be plausible.
Pilgrim I've also been wondering about why they shipped without MTE support in the first place. I know I've seen performance concerns mentioned. Could it also be one of those deadline-driven "ship it and fix it later" deals that happens so much these days?
Sure! I believe that scenario has been raised earlier in this thread. It could be that! It also could be something else!
Since Google can ship firmware to Pixels whenever they want, for sure monthly, if the situation were "can't ship it on time because we need an extra 30 days", well, it's been 60 days so far. If it doesn't ship in December, then whatever it was won't have been the kind of thing that needed an extra 30 days after the ship deadline, or an extra 60 days, or an extra 90 days...
As I indicated earlier, I do think it's more likely than not that they will ship MTE firmware for real in December. But if they don't, then honestly my hunch would flip to it never happening. It's hard for me to imagine an MTE implementation issue that could take more than six months to work, and then work well.
But the only party who knows what's going on, and what's likely, isn't saying anything. So anything else is speculative.