Google has delivered a surprise holiday gift to people with a Pixel 6, Pixel 7 or . The company will give these devices two additional years of operating system updates. The phones were originally slated to get three years of OS updates and five years of security patches, but it’s now five for eachfrom when the devices first hit the Google Store in the US.
Since the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro debuted in October 2021, it was planned to be the last major OS update for these smartphones. However, they will now have an additional two years of new features, giving them a longer lifespan. The move could go against Google’s business interests to some extent as it could deter those holding on to a Pixel 6, 6a, 6 Pro, 7, 7a, 7 Pro or Fold from upgrading early.
And ICYMI, #PixelFold together with #Pixel6 i #Pixel7 Generation users will get two additional years of OS updates! This extended support will be for a total of five years from when the device is first available on the Google Store in the US: https://t.co/Y50A92TiqC
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) December 5, 2024
Google has stopped having a big annual feature dump with the release of a new version of Android every fall. Instead, the company is now preparing to roll out new features throughout the year . To this end, Google suggested a that additional Pixel 6, 7 and Fold OS updates “may also include new and updated features with Pixel Drops.”
Building on last year’s Pixel 8 lineup, Google promises for their devices, largely to meet the software requirements of a California right-to-repair law that . Pixel 6, 7 and Fold users don’t get as long of a support period, but this is a positive step for sustainability.
