Google is not going to support its Pixel 6, 7 and Fold as announced at launch, and that’s a good thing. Quietly, the company is promising two additional years of OS updates.
At launch, Google promised three years of OS updates and five years of security updates for its Pixel 6, 7 and Fold. At launch, that was still a fairly standard deadline, but in the meantime, manufacturers typically promise longer updates for their high-end devices anyway. For example, the Pixel 9 gets seven (actually six) Android updates. Google is now quietly pulling the support promise for its older devices more or less in line with today’s expectations.
Specifically, the three models will receive not three but five years of OS updates. Security updates will remain limited to those same five years for now. That implies that the devices will remain current for five years. The updated plans apply to all variations of the lineup: Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 6a, 7, 7 Pro, 7a, and Fold.
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Google adjusts support promise for Pixel 6, 7 and Fold
The Pixel 8 and its variants do not fit the bill, as it already came with a seven-year update guarantee at launch, as did the Pixel 9.
E-waste
Google’s decision is laudable, although it does not extend the usability of the devices. After all, how long you can keep a smartphone safe is primarily dictated by security updates. In practice, a lack of OS updates does make people more likely to trade in their device, thus consigning a perfectly workable smartphone to the dustbin. The Pixel 6, 7 and Fold are less likely to end up in the e-waste bin thanks to the decision.