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Pixel 8 to have seven years of Android updates
(www.theverge.com)
I'll believe this in 7 years.
Every Pixel so far has been supported for as long or longer than it's official support window. This isn't a free chat app. It costs a lot and it comes with warranties and expectations for true spec sheets.
Also consider that the cost to do the maintenance updates has decreased due to extensive code refactoring and projects like Treble, Mainline, and the Generic Kernel Image. Major work in the platform has been focused on cutting these costs.
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Tbh, it's Google. I can actually believe that they stick to their promises.
Ahem https://killedbygoogle.com/
Edit: my tone was tongue in cheek, I hope Google will keep its promise, but you know, they did us a Stadia after all.
The person you replied to is being downvoted, and yes, expecting support from Google is a meme, and Google deserves 100% of the negativity they're receiving in this regard.
But, in their defense, they have always kept their word on keeping Pixels updated, and in some cases, have added on an additional year of support when not originally planned, including an extra full Android update for older devices.
So while they eventually kill every new software product they make, they've always kept their word on Pixel updates. I think the Pixel team has a lot more resources than the rest of Google, so I'm inclined to believe them for now, but I'll be one of the first people grabbing a pitchfork if they don't keep their word.
Not to mention a lot of their killed apps/services are old versions. Like angularJS was upgraded to Angular V2.
That's like saying Mozilla is killing Firefox because they released version 120!
Also a lot of the services were "killed" to combine them into one service. The thing people have been begging Google to do for years, to merge apps and focus on one instead of 10 separate ones.
Or the fact there's hardware on there, like Google "killing" Google Home Max. You mean releasing Google Next Max? The next version?
That website is garbage, and anyone that links it is just being dishonest.
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Didn't they give stadia people their money back though?
100% refunded the cost of the starter kit and any games purchased. (Not sure if microtransactions were refunded too)
They even made it possible to convert your stadia controller to standard Bluetooth through a free update hosted by Google themselves.
I really enjoyed the tech and used mine quite a bit. I'm sad to see it gone, but they actually handled it in a respectable way.
They sent me 5 free ones also. Now I have 5 free Bluetooth controllers and 5 free Chromecast ultras.
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Sure, but they've "done right" by customers when they can. I mean, I received a refund for everything I purchased on Stadia, for example.
I'm guessing here, but are any of those products on that website both purchasable AND given a guaranteed product support time? Or to make it more specific, has Google ever killed off a phone (Nexus and Pixel years, so 15 years total) prior to its end of support date?
I don't believe they have. Stadia, a non-phone product, is the closest thing. Of course it's not a phone and Google also didn't give a eol date before its release. When it was killed they refunded any purchased games. So I guess the better question is would you be fine with getting a refund in the amount of your purchase of a Pixel 8/Pro if they didn't hold up their end of the bargain?
I know some of the comments in the community are tongue-in-cheek, but if Google were to keep the prior support date or do what they did today by increasing them, folks still wouldn't be happy.
You literally still have unlimited Google photos on a Pixel 1. They keep their promises for sure
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/s..?
Start of an era for Android hopefully, especially with EU's replaceable batteries law coming up. This is what OEMs should copy and not dumb shit done by Apple.
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Annnnnnnnnnnd Grapheneos....
No Google pay/Wallet so no.
Haven't picked up my wallet and cards in ages and my driving license is also on my phone..so no.. Love the idea tho of Graphene but without NFC payment in my area it is a no-go.
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Meanwhile every other phone is on some old version of Android. The fuck is going on where every single Android phone can't just upgrade to the latest? Why does the phone maker have to be the one to support the OS? It's like relying on fucking Dell to update Windows on a Dell desktop, for example. Makes no goddamn sense. I should be able to download any new version of Android for my devices and install them.
The only alternative is fucking crApple, and I won't go there. Fuck that pile of trash that you have to beg crApple to do any simple thing or have any simple customization. They control all their own phones and upgrade them, which solves that problem, but I want phones and tablets to work like a real computer. Is that so goddamn hard?
Corporatism my friend.
The issue is Qualcomm who makes the majority of SoCs for phones. Qualcomm, if I am not mistaken controls the support of the phone because the phone uses their chip.
Google is now pulling an Apple move and using their own Silicon (Samsung's Silicone) to bypass using Qualcomm.
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I think what's happened is that unlike windows each manufacturer is given the source code to make their own unique version of Android that's incompatible with anything else typically. So once the lifetime of the product has expired as intended that development ceases.
Google has tried to resolve this problem with their android security updates. But this isn't a perfect solution either.
The manufacturer argues that it's not profitable to maintain legacy devices as you're incentivizing the customer to not buy the next model. So as consumers we are asking manufacturers to impact their own profits and capitalistic goals. This is unfortunately hopeless without a regulatory power to force that consumer interest.
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7 years honestly seems excessive but this is a good trend I suppose
Especially when you consider the lifespan of the battery. I’d like to see battery replacements get easier as well
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)
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Hopefully Google doesn't end up cancelling Pixels before the seven are up!
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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.
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
I like to think this is because all the regulation regarding parts and support coming from EU. Right to repair finally got some spotlight and we're starting to see the results. Now just give me a phone with a replaceable battery and I might actually use it for 5 years. Oh, and with a headphone jack.
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I had actually considered switching out of Samsung for my next phone. Looks like I might be going with Pixel. Still gonna be expensive, but if they follow through on this, might be worth it. Just need to see how well it handles some things.
the only thing I need is a samsung dex replacement
I'd say I'd need a stylus, but I'm looking at my current phone and I don't use it. And I'm not paying $1800 for a fold.
And it's been so long since I've gotten to use base android. I won't miss Samsungs UI at all
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Lol, I don't believe Google for a second on this kind of shit
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro will be supported with seven years of “OS, security, and Feature Drop updates,” meaning buyers should be able to use them until 2030 before their software starts to become outdated.
It’s also a longer support period than what basically all of Google’s mainstream Android competitors are currently offering.
Google has the freedom to offer this longer support period thanks to using its own Tensor processor in the Pixel 8 series, which gives it more control over the hardware that’s gone into the phone compared to most of its Android competitors.
Apple, another manufacturer that also produces its own processors for its phones, offers similarly lengthy support periods.
But that assumes Google is still using the same annual release cadence for Android seven years from now, even before we get into its somewhat flaky history of ongoing support for other services and initiatives.
However, Fairphone has no plans to sell its fifth-generation device in the US and is also only committed to releasing five major Android OS updates.
The original article contains 473 words, the summary contains 174 words. Saved 63%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
As a guy with a OnePlus 7 Pro that has been waiting, I am waiting to see how reparable it is, and this might be the one I have been waiting for, I mean, I have been eying pixel since I got the OP7pro
I'm guessing this is the result of Google using their own hardware.
Because, if they're using chips from other manufacturers, those chip manufacturers may not provide firmware updates or driver updates for extended periods
Also, it was very much needed. I hope they extend the support period for pixel 7 too
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this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2023
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