Google has announced its commitment to provide seven years of Android updates.

Google has announced its commitment to provide seven years of Android updates for the Pixel 8 series, ensuring that the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will receive ‘the most recent operating system and security updates’ until 2030.

The Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are set to receive an impressive seven years of software support, encompassing “OS, security, and Feature Drop updates.” This extended support means users can enjoy their devices until 2030 without worrying about outdated software. Google’s announcement states, “You’ll receive the latest OS and security updates for 7 years, along with helpful new features through Feature Drops every few months.”

This seven-year software support represents a substantial improvement over Google’s previous offerings, which included only five years of security updates and a mere three years of Android OS upgrades. Notably, this support period surpasses the industry standard, with competitors like Samsung, OnePlus, and Xiaomi committing to four generations of Android version updates and five years of security updates for their flagship devices.

Google’s ability to offer this extended support period is made possible by its use of the Tensor processor in the Pixel 8 series, granting it greater control over the hardware compared to many of its Android counterparts. For instance, Fairphone, a competing Android manufacturer known for prioritizing extended support, has highlighted the challenges of providing ongoing support once chipset manufacturers like Qualcomm cease support for their processors. In Google’s case, with the Tensor processor, it holds the reins.

Similarly, Apple, a company that manufactures its own processors for its iPhones, also offers lengthy support periods. While Apple doesn’t explicitly state the number of years of support, it provided five major iOS version updates for the 2017 iPhone X before ending support with iOS 17 this year. Additionally, Apple occasionally releases security patches for older devices.

In theory, Google’s commitment implies that the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro should receive updates at least until Android 20 in 2029, possibly even stretching to Android 21 in 2030, depending on the timing of these updates. However, this assumes that Google maintains the same annual release schedule for Android seven years from now, considering its somewhat inconsistent track record with ongoing support for other services and initiatives.

While Google’s seven years of security support outpaces most mainstream competitors, Fairphone does one-up it, having recently announced the Fairphone 5 with a promised eight years of security updates (with a stretch goal of 10 years). Nevertheless, Fairphone has no intentions of selling its fifth-generation device in the US and commits to releasing only five major Android OS updates.

For comprehensive coverage of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, along with the newly announced Pixel Watch 2, check out our guide to the Google Pixel 8 launch event.