Android updates are super important, and we are glad things have improved in that regard over the past 2-3 years. It was Samsung that started offering longer software support, and that pushed other brands, including Google, to provide more Android OS and security updates. Qualcomm is doing something that should make it easier for brands to offer software updates.
Qualcomm will announce something later this year that makes providing Android updates easier
In an interview with Android Authority, Chris Patrick, SVP and General Manager of Handsets at Qualcomm, revealed that Qualcomm has been working on a few things that should make it easier for Android OEMs, like Samsung, to release software updates. He revealed that Qualcomm has been working with Google and Android OEMs over the past few years “to change the structure of inline code — to kind of change the machinery for how we do those updates.”
These changes should theoretically reduce the friction Android smartphone brands face while keeping their devices updated with the latest software. While these improvements have been happening over the past few years, Qualcomm will announce something later this year that should make things even better.
While the Qualcomm executive didn't reveal an exact date or the event where this announcement will happen, we expect the announcement to be made at the Snapdragon Summit 2024 in October. This is the same event where Qualcomm is expected to announce the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, a chip used in the Galaxy S25 series and other high-end Android phones and tablets.
The story continues after the video below, which explains all the new One UI 6.1 features.
Earlier, Android smartphone brands, including Samsung, offered just a couple of major Android OS updates for high-end devices. Low-end and mid-range devices used to get even fewer updates. Some devices haven't even received a single major Android OS update. However, Samsung started improving by offering three major Android OS updates. Later, it announced that its high-end and some mid-range devices would get four Android OS updates and five years of security updates.
Last year, Google announced it will offer Android OS and security updates to Pixel devices for seven years. It was a massive deal in the Android ecosystem. Even Apple doesn't offer such a promise for iPhones and iPads. A few months later, Samsung announced that it would match Google and offer seven major Android OS updates to its high-end smartphones and tablets, starting with the Galaxy S24.
Hopefully, Qualcomm's announcement will improve the speed at which Android updates arrive, as that is the only thing that needs improvement in the Android ecosystem right now.
