The Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 are getting another two years of software updates

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 11 December 2024

Google has extended the software support life of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 families by two years, meaning both sets of devices will now get a total of five years of operating system updates.

The phones - which include the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and Pixel 7a - were originally only meant to get three years of operating system updates, which would have meant the Pixel 6 family no longer received new versions of Android after this year. The Pixel 7 family was set to lose support after Android 16 next year.

Security update lifespan is unchanged. The phones will still continue to get five years of security updates.

Google's revised software support life brings the older models closer in line with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 family, which all receive seven years of software and security updates.

By and large, Android manufacturers have greatly improved their software support policies over the last few years. While three or four years of operating system updates used to be at the high end for Android flagships, we're now seeing manufacturers like Google and Samsung promise seven for their top-end devices. OPPO's new Find X8 Pro has been promised six years, which while a step behind, is OPPO's longest software promise yet.

There's also been positive change in the budget space, where some phones were lucky to even get a single operating system update. The $499 Moto G75 will get five years of operating system updates, while the $349 Samsung Galaxy A16 will get six.

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Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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