Samsung doesn’t need to rush to copy Google’s promise of 7 years of updates
Diehard Pixel fans were pretty happy when a recent rumor claimed that Google’s upcoming Pixel phones could get software updates for seven years. It sounds impressive, even if it’s not clear if the seven years mean the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will get seven major Android version updates or if Google is only increasing the support duration for security updates.
Our best guess is that it will be a combination of the two. Pixel phones currently get three major Android version updates, and Google may be extending that number to four or five in addition to increasing the number of years that its devices get security updates.
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Either way, Google could soon end up marching ahead of Samsung in the update game. It won’t be able to beat Apple, as Apple has been known to provide security updates to iPhones up to 10 years after launch, though Google will close the gap considerably.
Naturally, after learning that the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro could get updates for seven years, Samsung fans have been wondering if the Korean giant will do something similar for Galaxy smartphones. It sure will be nice if it does, but does Samsung need to do it?
A big deal for Pixel fans, but Google is partly playing catchup
Well, I don’t think so. That’s because, frankly, Google isn’t exactly doing something wonderful here. Yes, it’s great that future Pixel devices will be supported longer, but it isn’t as significant a leap as it may seem on the surface once you realize that Google currently does less than it should when it comes to software updates.
Pixel smartphones, including the $1799 Pixel Fold, are only eligible for three big Android updates, and that is too low for smartphones made by the same company that develops the software from the ground up. Google should already have been providing at least four years of OS upgrades, but instead, it’s Samsung that has shown Google and other manufacturers the way, and not just on one occasion.
And there’s nothing stopping Samsung from taking charge again and promising five or six big OS upgrades for Galaxy devices and more than five years of security updates. But I don’t think any of that needs to happen immediately. Four years of guaranteed Android and One UI version upgrades for phones priced anywhere between $300 and $1800 is already quite amazing, and Samsung can afford to take a breather and perhaps focus on other things, like making its phones wacky and exciting again.
