Google has announced that its upcoming Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones will receive Android software updates, Pixel Feature Drops, and security updates until 2030. This is a significant increase compared to the previous Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 line, which only received three years of software updates and five years of security updates.
While Google’s Pixel phones are known for receiving timely software updates, the company has lagged behind Samsung in terms of promised years of software support. Samsung’s Galaxy S and Galaxy Z phones are promised four years of software updates and five years of security updates.
The new policy for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro aligns them more closely with Apple’s iPhone, which typically receives software and security updates for about seven years. Although Apple has not published a specific timeline commitment, the iPhone 8 and iPhone X received five major iOS updates from 2017 to 2023 but will not receive iOS 17 or later. However, Apple has provided security updates for older models like the iPhone 6S up until iOS 15, which means that device has received eight years of security updates.
In addition to the Pixel 8 phones, Google also unveiled the Pixel Watch 2 and AI enhancements for Fitbit’s fitness tracking during its Made by Google event. The Pixel 8 phones will feature Audio Magic Eraser for removing unwanted sounds from videos, while the Pixel 8 Pro will have a temperature sensor and various camera improvements.
