Google unexpectedly added two more years of updates for older smartphones: who's lucky

When Google released the Pixel 6, Pixel 7 and Pixel Fold smartphones, it promised them three years of major system updates and five years of security patches. Now the manufacturer has extended the support period by adding two additional years.

Five years of full OC updates are promised for Pixel 6/6 Pro, 6a, 7/7 Pro, 7a and Fold. This means that Pixel 6 models that are considered obsolete by 2024 standards will be relevant even after the release of Android 17.

As for the Pixel 7 series and the first Pixel Fold, they will be updated until 2028, when Android 18 is released. Extended support will also include Pixel Feature Drops.

We should add that five years of support is not a record for Google. Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 will receive major updates for seven years. That is, even after 2030, new versions of Android will come to smartphones. Few on the market can offer such terms.

A new affordable smartphone from Google should be shown as early as March 2025 – before that, they always came out in May. Compared to the Pixel 8a, the screen diagonal of the Pixel 9a will increase, as will the battery capacity.

We already know that Google plans to release Android 16 much earlier than Android 15 and previous versions were released. Next year, users won't have to wait until autumn: the new OS will be released in the second quarter (April-June) of 2025.

What's new in Android 16? Android Authority journalists say that the new OS will feature a completely redesigned notification panel and quick settings, and the “Do Not Disturb” mode will be redesigned so much that even the name will be different.

The current version of Android 15 was released on October 15 for Pixel devices. The rest of the users will have to wait until the end of the year while their manufacturers adapt the OS to their own skins. And if you have Samsung, then you will have to wait until mid-January 2025.