Google unveiled the Pixel 8 this week and the most important new function isn’t the Tensor G3 chip, the 48MP ultra-wide digital camera, or the LTPO show. It’s the promise, direct from Google, that the Pixel 8 will nonetheless get updates in 2030. Google is guaranteeing seven years of Android OS upgrades, safety updates, and common Characteristic Drops, an enormous enchancment over the Pixel 7 (three years of OS upgrades and 5 years of safety updates) and the Galaxy S23 (4 years of OS upgrades and 5 years of safety updates).
Google can also be boasting that it’s higher than what Apple presents with the iPhone. Apple technically doesn’t assure a particular size of time for upgrades, however you’ll be able to usually depend on 5 years of iOS updates and 6 years of safety updates. iOS 17 helps iPhones again to the XR, XS, and XS Max, which had been launched in 2018. At first look, that may look like lower than Google is promising, however let’s dig in.
Google guarantees seven years of updates “from when the machine first turned accessible on the Google Retailer within the US,” so should you purchase one subsequent August, you’re getting six years of updates. Google particularly says updates are assured till October 2030, so even when which means Android 21 comes out in October 2030, you’re not assured to get any updates past the preliminary launch.
The iPhone XR and XS, in the meantime, initially shipped with iOS 12, in order that’s 5 full OS updates to this point (iOS 13-iOS 17), six years of updates (via subsequent September till iOS 18 arrives), and 7 years of safety updates, as Apple continues to assist the earlier iOS era for not less than a 12 months. So in actuality right here’s how the 2 platforms look facet by facet with the present generations of telephones:
| OS updates | Safety updates | |
|---|---|---|
| Google Pixel 8 | October 2030 | October 2030 |
| Apple iPhone 15 | September 2029 | September 2030 |
And that’s if Apple doesn’t prolong the life of the present iPhones. As lately as iOS 15, Apple had supported iPhones going again six years, which suggests the iPhone 15 may get iOS 23 in 2029, updates all through 2030, and safety updates via 2031 which might be higher than Google ensures.
Apart from, there’s a cause why Apple doesn’t assure a sure variety of upgrades. Every era of iPhone is exclusive and by the point iOS 21 rolls round, the iPhone 13 may not be match to run it. Whether it is, Apple will add it to the compatibility checklist. If it isn’t, Apple received’t assist it. And Google doesn’t know the way the Pixel 8 will fare with Android 21 both.
As Tommy Boy mentioned, “A man places a assure on the field ’trigger he desires you to really feel all heat and toasty inside. … As a result of they know all they offered ya was a assured piece of sh—” nicely, you get the purpose. Perhaps the Pixel 8 will find yourself getting a few months of additional software program updates than the iPhone 15 as soon as 2030 rolls round. However you already know what, I’d nonetheless quite belief the corporate that doesn’t want to vow something.