While Android manufacturers are notorious for skimping on promised OS updates, Google has gone in a very different direction by offering longer software support for its Pixel devices than originally promised.
Google had promised 3 years of OS updates and 5 years of security patches with the Pixel 6, Pixel 7 and Pixel Fold. However, the company has now announced that it will provide an additional two years of OS updates for these devices, meaning the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, and Pixel Fold will be eligible for 5 years of OS updates and security patches from the date they are released. for sale.
With the updated software support policy, the Pixel 6 will get updates up to Android 17, while the Pixel 7 and Pixel Fold will get updates up to Android 18, which is expected to arrive sometime in 2027.
However, Google hasn't made a separate announcement for the Pixel tablet, meaning it will continue to follow the three-year OS update policy announced at launch.
List of Pixel devices with additional updates available:
Pixel fold
Pixel 7a
Pixel 7 Pro
Pixel 7
Pixel6a
Pixel 6 Pro
Pixel6
For the uninitiated, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 series come with seven years of promised OS updates and security patches, and the upcoming Pixel 9a is expected to get the same software support.
Google has also confirmed that Android 16 will indeed roll out earlier than the company's usual release cycle. The Android 16 update will be rolled out via a major release in the second quarter of 2025, while another minor release will follow in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Google typically releases its new Android software updates in the third or fourth quarter of each year. To put things into perspective, the last time Google didn't release a new Android update in the last three months of the year was with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, back in 2012.
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Published: Dec 6, 2024 1:59 PM IST
