When you’ve been maintaining with the newest tech headlines, you then might need heard that Google lately up to date its Pixel software program assist pointers, including two extra years of OS upgrades for older units together with the Pixel 6 collection, Pixel 7 collection, and authentic Pixel Fold fashions. The corporate wasn’t precisely loud about it, however eagle-eyed observers noticed the change in google’s official assist net pages.
READ: Google extends Android updates assist for the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, Pixel Fold
This primarily implies that units just like the Pixel 6 – which initially debuted in 2021 – will nonetheless get common software program and safety patches for the following two years, as a substitute of the unique three-year deadline which restricted software program upgrades to 2024. In a day and age the place loads of smartphone manufacturers nonetheless supply very restricted software program updates ( you, Sony and ASUS), Google including extra years to older units is sort of uncommon.
Actually, Google’s smartphone replace coverage was at all times one of many largest causes to get a Pixel gadget, as which means you received’t be utilizing a tool that’s caught with older software program for various years, along with common characteristic drops that add new performance not obtainable upon launch. With newer telephones just like the Pixel 8 and 9 getting as much as seven years of updates, this promoting level solely acquired stronger.
READ: How Lengthy will your Pixel Telephone Preserve Getting Updates?
This current development of longer Android OS assist has fortunately seen widespread adoption amongst different OEMs – for instance, Samsung guarantees that the Galaxy S24 collection telephones will obtain as much as seven years of software program updates, and that’s not together with rival manufacturers like Apple, which has famously supported its older smartphones with a number of years’ value of OS updates. We’re even seeing different manufacturers begin providing extra common updates for his or her units, along with one-off software program patches for older smartphone fashions.
Going again to Google’s two-year replace extension, that is maybe one of many higher outcomes of the corporate’s resolution to maneuver to utilizing first-party Tensor chips for its smartphones, giving it higher management of software program assist in the long term. When you may say that it’s Samsung who produces the Tensor chips, it’s finally nonetheless Google who is aware of the ins and outs of its SoCs, not like different manufacturers whose software program updates are partly decided by whichever third occasion firm manufactures the chips inside their units.
…one would possibly suppose that finances isn’t actually one thing that ought to maintain again different corporations from doing this type of factor.
Contemplating that Google’s smartphone enterprise isn’t most likely as huge as that of extra mainstream (and globally obtainable manufacturers), one would possibly suppose that finances isn’t actually one thing that ought to maintain again different corporations from doing this type of factor. Take for instance Samsung and Xiaomi – each have vastly improved their software program replace assist for his or her smartphones, and have international attain in the case of product availability.
In idea, it shouldn’t be exhausting for both to increase software program assist for older units, though however, Google solely had so as to add prolonged assist for seven units, given its comparatively small pool of smartphone fashions. By comparability, there’s an unlimited quantity of Samsung and Xiaomi telephones on the market, every with totally different {hardware} configurations throughout totally different regional variants and such. We additionally must issue within the challenge with smartphone chips that we talked about earlier.
Maybe I’m anticipating an excessive amount of. After all until one works at stated corporations, we are able to’t actually ever know if prolonged software program updates are within the playing cards for different Android producers. Hopefully although if this development carries on over within the coming years, it’s a win-win state of affairs for customers, particularly for patrons who aren’t too eager on upgrading their gadget yearly.
