Google sticks to 2-year requirement for Pixel updates
Google has long implemented a 2-year guarantee of OS updates (and 3 years of security patches) for their Nexus phones, and while that reassurance is nice, we were hoping that they’d extend that expectation a bit for the launch of the Pixel and Pixel XL. Sadly, those phones are getting the same treatment.
To be fair, 2 years of updates is still plenty, but with Apple phones getting updates sometimes 4 or 5 years down the line (albeit in neutered fashion, in some instances) we were hoping Google would look to match wits.
Of course, the company’s language is that 2 years is the “guarantee,” which means that there’s a chance the Pixel phones will receive updates beyond October 2018. We won’t bet the farm on that, but it’s a point worth noting anyway.
Most people are likely to be looking toward their next smartphone after 2 years, but for those who stay for the long haul, this news is saddening for certain. Here’s hoping Google finds no reason to cut the Pixel phones off the moment we hit that point on the calendar.
[via Google]