Google says it’ll support Pixel 8 series with seven years of Android updates
www.theverge.com
Two seven-year smartphones.

Now this is nice. Hopefully 3rd party manufacturers can also provide a longer life span for the device.

  • limerod@reddthat.com
    ·
    9 months ago

    Awesome. This should get the gears going for other manufacturers like Samsung unless they want to be left in the dust by Google and fairphone both.

    • aaaaaaadjsf [he/him, comrade/them]
      ·
      9 months ago

      Samsung moving to four years of OS updates, and 5 years of security updates, is what pushed Google to adopt this new policy, as Google only offered 3 years of OS updates beforehand. So Samsung will probably try match Google again.

    • Madis@lemm.ee
      ·
      9 months ago

      How does it differ from buying a laptop at this point? The price is the same, the capabilities are similar, the form factor can be the same (Fold or tablets in general).

      As long as the hardware can keep up with the software, and the manufacturer keeps building products, why should they ever end support? (a la Windows)

      • 👁️👄👁️@lemm.ee
        ·
        9 months ago

        I don't really know all the differences but phone OS upgrades need firmware updates as well, which will delay a lot of OS releases and cause old hardware to no longer have security support. I don't think the OS layer is completely separate like it is with desktop computers.

        • Madis@lemm.ee
          ·
          9 months ago

          I can understand that part, but not why providing such update timeline would be "excessive" or "crazy", if there are ways to achieve it.

    • philodendron@lemdro.id
      ·
      9 months ago

      Especially when you consider the lifespan of the battery. I’d like to see battery replacements get easier as well

  • TheMadnessKing@lemdro.id
    ·
    9 months ago

    IMO, the biggest headlines in the launch. 7 years is crazy timeline to support. But the phones have matured so much that it makes sense people would want to keep the phone for longer period of time