Samsung was the first Android OEM to announce four years of software update support for its smartphones. Later, OnePlus, OPPO, and Xiaomi also announced that they would offer software support to some of their smartphones for four years. Google, which was left behind in the game, has now decided to offer the longest software update support in the Android space.
The Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro will be Google's first smartphones to come with five years of software support. The information was revealed through leaked product pages of the upcoming Pixel phones on CarphoneWarehouse's website (now pulled).
The software section on the product page mentions, “Pixel comes with at least 5 years of updates, so it gets more secure over time.” However, the terms and conditions section of the webpage mentions “Android security updates,” which probably means that the devices will get 3-4 years of Android OS updates and 1-2 years of additional security updates.
Google is promising a year longer software update support than Samsung
This is a year longer than what Samsung is promising for some of its mid-range and all high-end smartphones. Things are definitely moving in the right direction, but it is nothing groundbreaking. Apple releases 5-6 major OS updates to all of its smartphones, and we would've liked to see Google match Apple's software support considering that it develops Android for the whole ecosystem.
The Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro are the company's first true flagship smartphones in years. They come with an attractive design, 120Hz OLED displays, Google's in-house high-end processor named Tensor (developed in collaboration with Samsung), upgraded front and rear camera sensors, an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, stereo speakers, 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 6, and high-capacity batteries.
Based on their specifications, they can go head-to-head with most high-end smartphones from Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi. Would you switch from a Galaxy smartphone to a Pixel smartphone for longer software support? Let us know in the comments section below.
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