Google wants to give people more reasons to consider buying the Pixels over iPhones and the new move could definitely help.

Pixel Phones Receive More OS Updates From Google Than iPhones

Adriana MaraisOctober 5, 23 Android 14, Google Pixel

The Google Pixel 8 series was announced on Wednesday and the phones are also coming to India. There was a lot of talk about Google’s artificial intelligence technology and cameras. But the important stuff came pretty much at the end, when Rick Osterloh, SVP, Devices & Services at Google, shared a software support update.

He announced that the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will receive 7 years of OS updates, effectively keeping the Pixel 8 series relevant in the market until 2030.

Apple has been the market leader in iOS support for iPhones for five years and has kept its promise all this time. But Google’s big news means it has overtaken Apple by a couple of years, which could make the Pixels even more attractive to buyers.

Google has started using its own Tensor chip since the release of the Pixel 6 series. And now it feels capable enough to handle longer software support for phones. Using proprietary hardware has brought Apple plenty of profit, allowing for better control over performance and other aspects.

Although Google operates in the world of open source, the Android version of the Pixel is probably one of the best on the market because of its complete control over its design and performance. It’s great to see Google changing its stance on OS updates, but we still have a few questions for the company. First, does 7 years of OS updates mean you get 7 versions of Android for the Pixel 8 series phones, and how many of them get security updates?

Second, what about the other Tensor powered Pixel phones, won’t they get more OS updates? We’re hoping for more clarity from Google on this, which could help people decide if they want to invest in the new Pixel phones.

And after clearing these technical aspects, we would like to understand whether these phones can withstand daily use for these years and still provide reliable performance. After all, nobody uses phones these days for more than 3-4 years. Bringing 7 years of updates is a good thing, but only if the device lasts that long.