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Sorry Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL owners. No more updates for you

Published: Feb 08, 2022, 7:22 PM

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Sorry Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL owners. No more updates for you

Today is a bittersweet day for Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL owners. With a special and final update released on Tuesday, the Pixel handsets that were released in 2018 will no longer receive Google support. The company had completed its obligations to owners of the two models back in October with the release of Android 12.

In January, though, a special update was pushed out to fix the issue with the Microsoft Teams app that prevented Pixel handsets from making emergency calls to 9-1-1. Google realized that it couldn't leave Pixel 3 series users without the ability to make an emergency call and so it disseminated a software update in January although it still had the October security patch running.

It was Google's intention all along to give Pixel 3 series users one last security patch like it had done for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL in December 2020. This was supposed to take place last December, but was released today after all under the title "Feb 2022." Two versions of the update were released with one variant of the update made specifically for Australian carriers Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone.

The Pixel 3 series received its final update today

It was hoped by owners of the Pixel 3 series that Google might have the Android 12L operating system for large screen devices ready in time for the phones' swan song. This, unfortunately, did not occur.

Update now to the Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro

Google Pixel 6

The Pixel 6 is also available at BestBuy with our without carrier plan activation. All storage and color versions are in stock.

$599

Expired

Google Pixel 6 Pro

Same BestBuy conditions apply to the Pixel 6 Pro too. You can get an unlocked version or a version with a carrier plan.

$899 ⁹⁹

Buy at BestBuy

This means that the oldest Pixel models still being supported by Google are the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL. The pair of mid-rangers were released in May 2019 with Android 9 onboard. The last Android update that the Pixel 3a line will receive is the aforementioned Android 12L since Android 13 won't be ready in time to meet the May 2022 deadline.

Google supports Pixel models with three years of software and security updates. The clock starts on the date the phone is available from the Google Store.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.