Google to Release Pixel 6, Pixel 7, Pixel Fold Updates for Two Extra Years

In a surprise announcement, Google has stated that it will support its Pixel 6 series, Pixel 7 series and Pixel Fold smartphones with two more years of software updates over and above the originally promised three years. This means that owners will be able to take advantage of new features and get all the latest security patches for up to five years after these phones went on sale in the US. Owners will now have more reasons to delay an upgrade, and will enjoy far better value for the money they have already spent. This also drastically improves the resale value of these previous-gen devices.

Google’s move comes at a time when the Android industry is moving towards Apple’s longstanding practice of supporting phones for more than five years, at least in the premium segment. 

It should be noted that there’s no guarantee that all features of new Android versions will be able to run on older hardware – especially resource-intensive on-device AI processing. While Apple will continue to offer many major design and feature improvements, Apple Intelligence features will not run even on last year’s iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.

Google originally promised three years of software updates and five years of security patches for these phones, but has updated its online support documentation and confirmed the news in a social media post, after noted Android ecosystem analyst Mishaal Rahman spotted the change. 

This also means that Google has likely mapped out its plans for the next three major versions of Android, since it is confident that older hardware will be able to run them. 

No other Android OEM has yet announced any changes to their upgrade support plans for older devices, in light of this development. This year’s Pixel 9 series and Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series launched with the promise of updates for seven years, while OnePlus and Xiaomi have both committed to four years for the OnePlus 12 series and Xiaomi 14 series respectively. Oppo’s just-launched Find X8 models will receive OS updates for five years plus an extra year of security patches, but Realme only promises three years for its brand new GT 7 Pro.