For years, Google Pixel owners knew what to expect on the first Monday of a month. Like clockwork, Google would release its security patches (and sometimes itsquarterly feature drops) on the day, ensuring that your device was always up to date. Ever since the switch to its ownTensor CPUsin the Pixel series, Google hasn’t always been able to hit this target, though, sometimes only updating devices almost a month later. To combat this, the company is simply getting rid of its fixed update day with the Pixel 8 series.
In itsannouncement postfor theGoogle Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, the company gives a rundown of what we can expect in terms of software support. Apart from introducing the phones’ impressive new 7-year window for security and OS updates, Google also made clear that it’s changing how it updates its phones on a monthly basis, pinning the change to a focus on quality (via Der Standard):
We also dug into how we can deliver the highest quality, best tested updates to Pixel users on a consistent basis. As part of this effort, our security updates, bug fixes and feature updates won’t roll out on a specific day each month. Instead, we’ll deploy updates as soon as they’ve completed the necessary tests to ensure they improve the experience for all Pixel customers.
Rather than missing its own deadlines over and over again, Google has decided to just get rid of it altogether, making it easier for the company to provide updates when it’s truly ready. Given the Pixel 8-free wording of the quote, we think that the updated policy is going to be in place for all currently supported Pixel phones.
It’s unclear if it also applies to security bulletins to Android as a whole. We would presume that for security bulletins for its hardware partners, the company will still provide updates in the usual cadence, even if they may not arrive on Pixel phones right on the same date anymore.
We can only hope that this won’t have negative implications for security. Some security patches might fix an actively exploited loophole, so for those, Google should get updates to devices as soon as possible.
For what it’s worth, the Google Pixel 8 series significantly steps up the software update game in every other way. The Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are the first Google devices with a 7-year update policy, giving them access to seven years of full Android version upgrades and security patches. This is longer than any other Android manufacturer, including Samsung, and roughly matches the support window Apple usually offers for iPhones (though Apple has never confirmed numbers like this at launch).
Thanks: Armando
Google Pixel 8
The Google Pixel 8 and its bigger sibling are the first major Android phones to offer seven years of software support, which is a major step forward for the whole industry. If you want to keep your phone for a long time, it’s worth a look for sure, especially as preorder deals are live.
Google Pixel 8 Pro
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is the most pro model Google has ever made, especially compared to the regular model. If you don’t just love a long support window but also a great camera, big and flat screen, and want a thermometer right in your phone for some reason, the Pixel 8 Pro is the one to pick.
