The Google Pixel 6 is the biggest smartphone release left for 2021. On October 19 the Android makers will be lifting the lid fully on the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, after the Mountain View firm surprisingly announced the new flagship devices back in August. This bucked the trend of previous Pixel reveals, so fans already have a good idea of what to expect.
We know the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are the first to feature Google’s custom-made Tensor chip, should bring with it performance improvements that touch virtually every aspect of the smartphone’s function thanks to AI and machine learning, and also boast a gorgeous new design with a striking rear camera bump.
But arguably one of the most exciting things about the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro could be its level of software support. According to a new leak, the new range of Google Pixel phones will offer five years worth of Android updates. SamMobile reported that this crucial information was revealed in a now pulled listing for the Pixel 6 on the Carphone Warehouse website.
The listing said the Pixel 6 range comes with “at least 5 years of updates, so it gets more secure over time”.
This level of support blows other Android rivals out of the water, with Samsung, OnePlus, OPPO and Xiaomi offering four years of software support.
However, there is one caveat to bear in mind. The Ts and Cs section of the Carphone Warehouse website said the Pixel 6 would be getting five years worth of “Android security updates”.
So this could mean the Pixel 6 gets up to four years of Android OS updates, followed by a further one to two years of security updates.
The news will still move Android devices a step closer to being more in line with its iOS counterparts from Apple.
Apple’s iPhones have long been the gold standard when it comes to software support, offering between five and six years of major OS updates and security patches.
Previously the best Android users could hope for was up to three years, but in recent years this has begun to shift.
Earlier this year Samsung became the first Android OEM to offer four years of software updates for its smartphones.
And this latest Pixel news may mean it won’t be too much longer till other Android OEMs match this and offer at least five years of software support.