More than 4 years of Android updates for the Google Pixel 8!

[Senzelian]

Summary

 

According to 9to5google Google will offer more Android updates than Samsung with their upcoming Pixel 8. Samsung currently offers 4 years of Android updates and 5 years of security patches, while Google offers 3 years of Android updates, but also 5 years of security patches. This means that Google will have to offer 5 years of Android updates for the Pixel 8 to surpass Samsung.

 

Pixel 8 will likely launch with Android 14 in October and therefor will receive updates at least until Android 19.

 

 

 

Quotes

 

Quote

From what we’re hearing, Pixel 8’s update promise should surpass Samsung’s current policy on flagships and meaningfully match the iPhone. Of course, the devil is in the details, especially in those later years. For example, the Galaxy line has, in the past, adopted a quarterly approach towards the end. Even a bump to just five years of OS updates for Pixel would be enough and let the Google phone be at the top of the ecosystem, with anything beyond that squarely going after the iPhone’s record.

 

Leaked Picture of Pixel 8 Pro

 

 

 

My thoughts

 

Sure, it was about time that Google offered more updates, but I have to wonder whether this even matters, as Pixel smartphones already receive 5 years of security patches and therefor can easily be used for 5 years.

Is anyone still using a Google Pixel 3? I don't think so...

 

But then again, it's nice to have and at least fanboys can now stop complaining about it.

 

 

 

Sources

 

https://9to5google.com/2023/08/28/google-pixel-8-android-os-updates/

[RONOTHAN##]

As someone who just bought a Pixel 7 due to all the sales, I really hope they carry back this policy to their older phones. 

[PocketNerd]

Cool, now they just need to open more repair centres or partner with more repair shops so they can actually get fixed when they break!

[AndreiArgeanu]

11 minutes ago, Senzelian said:

Is anyone still using a Google Pixel 3? I don't think so...

I don't think the Pixel 3 was nearly as popular as other competitors devices at the time. People will hold on to their devices for really long periods of time, and if it's not them, it's other people who might buy the device used.

 

Still, great to see progress, as slow as it is. 5 years of feature updates does match what Apple offers, but there's yet to be a manufacturer who provides the 7-8+ years of security updates Apple provides to their older devices. The iPhone 6s through 7 are still supported for that. It's hard to rival that, but at least we've now got a reasonable length of support for these devices.

[jaslion]

40 minutes ago, Senzelian said:

Is anyone still using a Google Pixel 3? I don't think so...

Euhhhh sooooooo work phone is a google pixel same as my partners. It's great, small, has good battery life with a replacement and speedy + great camera.

[Dracarris]

4 hours ago, AndreiArgeanu said:

I don't think the Pixel 3 was nearly as popular as other competitors devices at the time. People will hold on to their devices for really long periods of time, and if it's not them, it's other people who might buy the device used.

 

Still, great to see progress, as slow as it is. 5 years of feature updates does match what Apple offers, but there's yet to be a manufacturer who provides the 7-8+ years of security updates Apple provides to their older devices. The iPhone 6s through 7 are still supported for that. It's hard to rival that, but at least we've now got a reasonable length of support for these devices.

6S got 7 years of feature updates (iOS 9 all the way to 15) and will receive security updates for even longer.

The X got 6 years feature (11 to 16) and I‘m sure there‘s more examples of such models.

Edit: 7 and 8 also both got 6years feature.

[Doobeedoo]

That would be great, I've been mentioning how they slack in updates being Google of all.

[Donut417]

This is a big reason why I went to Apple. I got sick of my phone being out of date only after a two or so years. 

[Quackers101]

its stupid that we can only get a few years and celebrate over it.

Anything less than 5 years should be looked down upon, unless the phone was made to be cheap and not having the future in mind.

Also when google have so long said to improve their update structure and that might go away from years, but its still annoying to not know when the updates end. Just that suddenly you wont get them, or the update process is bugged or restricted for some stupid reason.

 

Hope the EU forces them to do better, and it sucks when one want to rely on some OEM or others, although its good if they offer longer support.

[Senzelian]

17 hours ago, Quackers101 said:

but its still annoying to not know when the updates end

Why wouldn't you know that? They're pretty clear about it.

[LAwLz]

I see that people are already mentioning Apple and iOS.

Please remember that updates on Android are not at all the same as they are on iOS.

 

Android is far more modularized. On iOS, basically, any change requires a full system update. If Apple wants to change the location of a button in the phone app, they need to push out an entirely new OS version for you to download and install.

On Android however, a large number of core OS components can be upgraded without the "OS" being upgraded. New OS functions can even be added without an OS upgrade, such as the rumored "find my" competitor, and Nearby Share, which were modules downloaded through Google Play Services or as mainline modules.

Google could literally upgrade the entire app runtime on all Android devices running Android 11 or higher tomorrow, without pushing out an actual "OS upgrade" and without having  to go through the OEMs. They can upgrade the network stack as well if they want, and have been able to since Android 10 (Android 11 if we're talking about Wi-Fi). 

 

 

OS upgrades are not the same on Android and iOS. OS upgrades are far less important on Android, and as a result, it is a very bad idea to look at things like "Apple gives you X number of years of OS updates and Android only gives you Y". 

 

 

 

 

As far as this story goes, this sounds nice. It was pretty embarrassing that Samsung was offering better support than Google for Google's own OS.

[jagdtigger]

*yawn*
Fairphone 2 received 7 years, cherry on top it has an unlockable bootloader....

[RejZoR]

1 hour ago, LAwLz said:

I see that people are already mentioning Apple and iOS.

Please remember that updates on Android are not at all the same as they are on iOS.

 

Android is far more modularized. On iOS, basically, any change requires a full system update. If Apple wants to change the location of a button in the phone app, they need to push out an entirely new OS version for you to download and install.

On Android however, a large number of core OS components can be upgraded without the "OS" being upgraded. New OS functions can even be added without an OS upgrade, such as the rumored "find my" competitor, and Nearby Share, which were modules downloaded through Google Play Services or as mainline modules.

Google could literally upgrade the entire app runtime on all Android devices running Android 11 or higher tomorrow, without pushing out an actual "OS upgrade" and without having  to go through the OEMs. They can upgrade the network stack as well if they want, and have been able to since Android 10 (Android 11 if we're talking about Wi-Fi). 

 

 

OS upgrades are not the same on Android and iOS. OS upgrades are far less important on Android, and as a result, it is a very bad idea to look at things like "Apple gives you X number of years of OS updates and Android only gives you Y". 

 

 

 

 

As far as this story goes, this sounds nice. It was pretty embarrassing that Samsung was offering better support than Google for Google's own OS.

Embarasing and disappointing. I was looking at Google Pixel 7 and then decided to go with Galaxy S23 Ultra instead. 3 major OS updates was just not enough for a phone that costs 900€. Now, S23 Ultra costs even more, but base Galaxy S23 gets same updates as Ultra and costs about same as Pixel.

[Senzelian]

2 minutes ago, RejZoR said:

3 major OS updates was just not enough for a phone that costs 900€

Why?

Which phone did you have previously?

[RejZoR]

12 minutes ago, Senzelian said:

Why?

Which phone did you have previously?

iPhone XR

[Senzelian]

21 minutes ago, RejZoR said:

iPhone XR

But why were 3 updates not enough then? And why were 4 enough? I don't get it.

[RejZoR]

1 hour ago, Senzelian said:

But why were 3 updates not enough then? And why were 4 enough? I don't get it.

I'm not sure what you're asking. iPhone has 5 years of updates. Pixel would only have 3. Samsung has 4. Plus the fact that OneUI is just way better than what Pixel offers. I don't use any Google services so their whole tightly integrated shtick doesn't help me, but Samsung has neat things like built in charge limiter that limits charging to 85% natively without having to use hacks. Also I can use services from Samsung instead of Google. I know many resent Samsung for this reason, but I like it for this very reason.

[Senzelian]

34 minutes ago, RejZoR said:

I'm not sure what you're asking. iPhone has 5 years of updates. Pixel would only have 3. Samsung has 4. Plus the fact that OneUI is just way better than what Pixel offers. I don't use any Google services so their whole tightly integrated shtick doesn't help me, but Samsung has neat things like built in charge limiter that limits charging to 85% natively without having to use hacks. Also I can use services from Samsung instead of Google. I know many resent Samsung for this reason, but I like it for this very reason.

You said that 3 OS updates weren't enough. I want to know why they weren't enough for you.

In the same sense that someone hands you half a burger and you would say that's not enough for you to get full.  

 

btw.: does Samsung have adaptive charging, where the device is charged slowly to preserve the battery? If I set the alarm on my Pixel at 8am for example, it will make sure the battery is full by 8am, but takes all the time available to charge it.

[LAwLz]

2 hours ago, jagdtigger said:

*yawn*
Fairphone 2 received 7 years, cherry on top it has an unlockable bootloader....

It was released in 2015 and the last OS upgrade it got was to Android 10, which was released in 2019.

So in Samsung/Google terms, it got 4 years of OS updates and 3 additional years of security updates. Something to keep in mind when comparing updates from manufacturer to manufacturer. Not all updates are equal.

 

 

But I would argue that after 4 years or so, it is probably time to upgrade your phone anyway. The improvements over that time are fairly big, the phone gets pretty beat up, and the battery is probably not that great either. Sure, you can repair it, but that probably ends up costing a decent chunk that's better allocated toward a brand new phone instead.

 

 

 

  

16 minutes ago, Senzelian said:

btw.: does Samsung have adaptive charging, where the device is charged slowly to preserve the battery? If I set the alarm on my Pixel at 8am for example, it will make sure the battery is full by 8am, but takes all the time available to charge it.

No it doesn't.

You can do a fairly hack-y "routine" where it disables fast charging during certain times, and enables it during other times, but there is no such feature built in to Samsung's software.

 

However, I don't really see the point in it. Just get a slow charger for where you charge your phone at night. You probably want a stationary charger there anyway, in addition to your fast charger that you can carry around with you.

Below a certain threshold (I think it was 0-100 in about 1 hour) the damage to the battery is pretty much the same. So it doesn't really matter if you charge your battery over the course of 1 hour or 10 hours, it will still be just as "damaged" by the process. Charging the same amount over the course of 1 hour vs 30 minutes however, is a much bigger difference to the battery health (relatively).

[Senzelian]

13 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

However, I don't really see the point in it.

I get your point, but I also think it's a nice feature to have. I travel a lot and only carry a single USB C charger, which is an Apple 96W one. I need it for my laptops and don't want to carry an additional one, so adaptive charging is quite helpful here. 

[RejZoR]

37 minutes ago, Senzelian said:

You said that 3 OS updates weren't enough. I want to know why they weren't enough for you.

In the same sense that someone hands you half a burger and you would say that's not enough for you to get full.  

 

btw.: does Samsung have adaptive charging, where the device is charged slowly to preserve the battery? If I set the alarm on my Pixel at 8am for example, it will make sure the battery is full by 8am, but takes all the time available to charge it.

Um, because I have phones for more than 3 years? I believe Samsung has that, as well as direct control on charge speeds. If I desire, I can force it to charge at slow speeds even when connected to powerful USB-PD charger.

 

29 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

It was released in 2015 and the last OS upgrade it got was to Android 10, which was released in 2019.

So in Samsung/Google terms, it got 4 years of OS updates and 3 additional years of security updates. Something to keep in mind when comparing updates from manufacturer to manufacturer. Not all updates are equal.

 

 

But I would argue that after 4 years or so, it is probably time to upgrade your phone anyway. The improvements over that time are fairly big, the phone gets pretty beat up, and the battery is probably not that great either. Sure, you can repair it, but that probably ends up costing a decent chunk that's better allocated toward a brand new phone instead.

 

 

 

  

No it doesn't.

You can do a fairly hack-y "routine" where it disables fast charging during certain times, and enables it during other times, but there is no such feature built in to Samsung's software.

 

However, I don't really see the point in it. Just get a slow charger for where you charge your phone at night. You probably want a stationary charger there anyway, in addition to your fast charger that you can carry around with you.

Below a certain threshold (I think it was 0-100 in about 1 hour) the damage to the battery is pretty much the same. So it doesn't really matter if you charge your battery over the course of 1 hour or 10 hours, it will still be just as "damaged" by the process. Charging the same amount over the course of 1 hour vs 30 minutes however, is a much bigger difference to the battery health (relatively).

You can have it just set to charge slowly or use slow charger. When I'm not in hurry I charge my S23 Ultra on regular 5V 2.4A charger and only up to 85% limited charge. If I'm in a hurry, I plug it into my other 65W GaN charger (though it only charges at 30W for some reason coz Samsung). You can have both toggles in the notification dropdown menu if you want.

 

Btw, tech advancements are only visible on budget phones and midrangers where 4 years is eternity. I've had few flagships and they feel capable for much much longer and are great the entire time. Seeing trends, there is no way Galaxy A59 will match Galaxy S23 Ultra camera in 5 years. It's still designated to be a midranger and I'm pretty confident there won't be dramatic camera advancements in this time for the flagships for the midranger to be allowed to progress that much.

[Senzelian]

5 minutes ago, RejZoR said:

Um, because I have phones for more than 3 years?

Yes I figured you would, which is why I asked which phone you had previously. That doesn't explain it tho. Your phone doesn't magically die the moment the 3 years are over, and as Lawlz mentioned, most updates now are delivered via play services and not system updates. 

[Zodiark1593]

45 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

 

 

 

But I would argue that after 4 years or so, it is probably time to upgrade your phone anyway. The improvements over that time are fairly big, the phone gets pretty beat up, and the battery is probably not that great either. Sure, you can repair it, but that probably ends up costing a decent chunk that's better allocated toward a brand new phone instead.

 

 

 

  

 

I know I’m definitely an outlier here, in that after nearly four years of ownership, my phone (iPhone 11) is in excellent condition (no broken screen, nor dents or major scratches), and I’m even using the original charger and cable that came with it. Can definitely use a battery though. Device performance is holding strong, and I’ve zero desire to upgrade.
 

Yeah, keep those updates coming!

[jagdtigger]

1 hour ago, LAwLz said:

t was released in 2015 and the last OS upgrade it got was to Android 10, which was released in 2019.

So in Samsung/Google terms, it got 4 years of OS updates and 3 additional years of security updates. Something to keep in mind when comparing updates from manufacturer to manufacturer. Not all updates are equal.

4 years OS + 3 security (+ easily unlockable bootloader) vs 4years then EOL (+ permanently locked bootloader)......

 

 

1 hour ago, LAwLz said:

But I would argue that after 4 years or so, it is probably time to upgrade your phone anyway. The improvements over that time are fairly big, the phone gets pretty beat up, and the battery is probably not that great either. Sure, you can repair it, but that probably ends up costing a decent chunk that's better allocated toward a brand new phone instead.

Why should anyone upgrade if it fulfills ones needs? Yeah sure developers getting lazier and lazier as phones getting stronger, its still pisses me off how fat apps become to basically only do the same basic functionality that was possible with less resources. And a battery change costing as much as a good fraction of a new phone? Maybe if you go to the "official" service center, but we both know what those places charge are unrealistic to put it mildly. As for the condition of a phone i have bad news, since glass screen protectors and phone cases exist tear and wear arent as bad as you seem to think......

Edited September 2, 2023 by jagdtigger

[Senzelian]

3 minutes ago, jagdtigger said:

4years then EOL

They're not EOL after 4 years. Where do you even get that idea from? 

 

3 minutes ago, jagdtigger said:

(+ easily unlockable bootloader)

The bootloader on Pixel is also easily unlockable. 

Louis Rossman bought a Pixel specifically for that reason.