Google's Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL get three years of guaranteed Android updates
It’s never fair to compare the adoption rate of a new iOS version with official Android distribution numbers, as Apple controls its entire mobile ecosystem, while Google allows third-party hardware manufacturers to make their own software choices.
But it’s certainly fair to compare Pixel devices with iPhones on a software support level. Unfortunately for Android “purists”, Big G is still not ready to compete in the same league as its Cupertino-based arch-rival.
For what it’s worth, Google has been stepping up its game, promising three years of security updates and three years of Android version updates for the Pixel 2 and 2 XL shortly after their 2017 announcement.
The original Pixel and Pixel XL were only guaranteed security updates for three years, i.e. until October 2019, with major OS revisions reaching an end this fall after the Android 9.0 Pie promotion.
Fortunately, the newly released Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are following in the footsteps of the Pixel 2 duo with a fall 2021 deadline for both security and Android version updates. Unless Google radically alters its OS naming scheme and upgrading tempo, that means the two new stock Android handsets are looking at Q, R, and S enhancements over the next 36 months.
That’s obviously a lot better than the typical expectation for an Android flagship device from other companies, but it’s still no match for Apple’s one-of-a-kind policy. In case you’ve forgotten, 2013’s iPhone 5s currently runs iOS 12, not to mention 2014’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
But it’s certainly fair to compare Pixel devices with iPhones on a software support level. Unfortunately for Android “purists”, Big G is still not ready to compete in the same league as its Cupertino-based arch-rival.
The original Pixel and Pixel XL were only guaranteed security updates for three years, i.e. until October 2019, with major OS revisions reaching an end this fall after the Android 9.0 Pie promotion.
That’s obviously a lot better than the typical expectation for an Android flagship device from other companies, but it’s still no match for Apple’s one-of-a-kind policy. In case you’ve forgotten, 2013’s iPhone 5s currently runs iOS 12, not to mention 2014’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
source: Google Support
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