Let’s focus on some exciting news from Google’s camp instead of the flurry of rumors and leaks surrounding the iPhone 15: the eagerly awaited Google Pixel 8 series. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, this year’s hotly anticipated Android flagship pair, are filled with exciting new features.
The real kicker is that the release date has been set for October 8 this year, adding to the anticipation.
Specifications, functionality, and even the design have all been liberally leaked prior to the formal introduction. Fans have focused their attention on a software leak, which indicates Google’s intention to vigorously battle with its arch-enemy, Samsung, and their Galaxy S series.
Google’s Takes the Biggest Leap in Software Support
Image Credits: Gadgets 360
Google is preparing for a momentous event that will far exceed all expectations. According to rumors, Google may soon announce an unprecedented 4- to 5-year commitment to software updates for Pixel phones, eclipsing even Samsung in this crucial area.
Let’s take a look into the current situation in more detail and consider what Google’s prolonged support would imply.
For Pixel phones, Google now maintains a timetable that includes 3 years of OS updates and 5 years of monthly security fixes. With the introduction of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, this pattern began, and it has maintained with following releases, including the most recent Pixel Fold. Google gave OS upgrades for 3 years and security updates for only 3 years prior to this update schedule.
In contrast, Samsung presently offers its devices 5 years of security upgrades and 4 Android version updates. Without taking into account the intricacies, it may appear like Samsung is winning the race for OS updates when you hear these numbers side by side.
Image Credits: Android Setting
The problem, though, is that Google’s flagship Pixel phones always come with the most recent version of Android, whereas Samsung frequently sells phones that are one Android version behind the most recent release.
As a result, when Samsung releases the first Android version upgrade, it essentially puts their devices up to par with Google’s most recent release. Both businesses then receive three subsequent OS version updates, which ultimately lead to the same result.
However, Google’s A-series stands out as an exception to this pattern. With the exception of the 4a 5G variant, these phones often release after the higher-end Pixel launches in terms of the final Android version.
This discrepancy can be traced to Google’s choice to release the A-series of smartphones later in the Android cycle, needing an upgrade to bring them into line with the latest Android version, much like Samsung did.
The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, which will have a longer upgrade cycle than Samsung’s existing products and even outperform the recently released $2,000 foldable phones.
Recent Pixel 8 series speculations imply that Google is about to surpass Samsung in terms of software support. It will take more updates over a longer period of time to beat Samsung’s legacy, even though details are still scarce until the October 4 launch.
What does this possibly signify for Pixel owners, then? A jump to 4 or perhaps 5 Android versions would put Google in a new league given its current 3 Android version releases and five years of security patches. Imagine the Pixel 8 Pro debuting in October with Android 14 pre-installed. By 2027, if it were to get four more version updates, it would run Android 18.
If you choose five years of upgrades, Android 19 will be available in 2028. Keep in mind that Google always releases the most recent Android version with its flagship phones. Samsung, on the other hand, doesn’t provide any devices that pledge to support Android versions beyond 17. At Android 17, which will be their fourth version update, the Fold 5 and Galaxy S23 are anticipated to stop working.
The competition for supremacy in software support promises to be one of the decisive chapters in the ongoing conflict between Google and Samsung as the Pixel 8 series prepares to revolutionize the Android environment. Keep an eye out for October 4; it’s going to change everything.
