Qualcomm and Google are working together to enable longer support for Android smartphones. Devices with a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip can receive up to eight years of updates.
Qualcomm announced in a blog that it is working with Google to extend support for Android smartphones. Samsung and Google already offer seven-year updates today, but Qualcomm wants to increase this to eight years. That includes both security updates and OS upgrades.
Qualcomm and Google want to make it as easy as possible for smartphone manufacturers to offer long support. This is made possible by “Project Treble,” a separation between the operating system and the underlying hardware implementation. This allows manufacturers to roll out updates more easily without drastic changes to their platform and OEM code, lowering costs and extending the life of devices.
Which devices are eligible?
The first eligible devices will be smartphones with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset launched with Android 15, such as the OnePlus 13 and Samsung Galaxy S25 devices. Qualcomm plans to eventually extend this to all new devices with a Snapdragon 8 and 7 series processor, i.e. premium phones or those just below them. This will not be rolled out retroactive to older devices.
How long a device is supported does ultimately remain the manufacturer’s decision. Just because Qualcomm and Google allow long support does not mean that the manufacturer is obligated to participate in it. Not every smartphone maker seems to be equally supportive of long-term support.
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A device’s hardware must also be designed to last that long. If the battery fails after four years, there is no point in providing eight years of updates. Therefore, eight years of support is unlikely to become the norm in lower price ranges. But consumers are shopping more in the premium segment, and those who pay more for a device want to be able to use it for longer.
Pain point
Limited support has long been a pain point in the Android ecosystem, as each brand has its own policies. It used to be not exceptional to be done after two, at most three years. For years, Google has been trying to encourage manufacturers to offer longer updates. That the main supplier of mobile processors is joining hands with the owner of Android can only benefit the longevity of devices.
The Dutch smartphone brand Fairphone deserves an honorable mention. It has been a trendsetter in terms of long-term support for years. The Fairphone 5 will potentially receive up to 10 years of updates. As of June 2025, devices appearing on the European market should receive at least five years of support.