Google Pixel phones may not sell by the bucketload, lagging as they do in popularity behind Samsung Galaxy devices when it comes to Android, but if you have a Pixel in your pocket then you could be about to benefit from a pleasing change in fortune.
When Google released the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro in 2023, it decided to start promising seven years of Android updates and seven years of security updates, meaning those phones will continue to get important software upgrades all the way to the end of 2030.
That has continued with the Pixel 9 series and even the cheaper Pixel 8a, but older Pixels were set to miss out – but now that seems to have changed for the better.
Google has quietly updated its official Pixel software update webpage (via 9to5Google), and it’s good news if you have a Pixel 6 or Pixel 7. Those phones were initially only supposed to get three years of Android updates along with five years of security updates. That meant the Pixel 6, released in 2021, would be getting its last update to Android 15 this year, even if it would still get security releases until 2026.
Now, Google has had a change of heart and is promising the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a and the first-generation Pixel Fold will get five years of Android updates rather than the previously advertised three.
This means if you have a Pixel 6, it’ll now hopefully get Android 17 in 2026 as its last major software update, with the Pixel 7 set to continue into 2027 and pick up Android 18.
It’s rare to see smartphone manufacturers bettering their software update promises with longer support, but we are all for it. If you’ve been taking care of a Pixel 6 for three years, there’s absolutely no reason why it wouldn’t last another couple of years. Sure, Google was offering security updates for five years, but now you’ll be able to enjoy new Android platform updates too.
Android 15 is the latest version of Android, and it admittedly does not add much over Android 14. That said, Google released one of its Pixel Drop software updates last week, an example of the sort of updates the company brings to Pixel phones. It included better integration with Snapchat, HDR uploads to Instagram for Pixel 9, new ways to make emoji stickers, and more expressive captions for videos that will show extra detail in how they are displayed.
You will also now be able to share pictures and videos to others using QR codes, and get higher quality document scans from your camera.
Even though the Pixel 6 and 7 will be a little long in the tooth if you manage to use them into their fifth year, Google updating its promise and adding another two years of support to these devices should be recognised and celebrated. Other Android manufacturers still don’t offer five years of Android updates, but the pressure is on for them to match the market leaders.
