Google has confirmed in an interview with How-to Geek that the latest Pixel 7 smartphones will receive OS updates for at least three years. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro ship with Android 13.0, the most recent version. That’s the same update promise you get with the Pixel 6 family, and it’s pretty much what Google’s been offering with their phones since the original Pixel came out in 2016. This, however, is no longer sufficient. Google’s Pixel 7 smartphone series ships with Android 13, so the company’s promise of three years’ worth of updates brings the total number of versions it will support to 16. After then, two more years of updates will be added to shore up security. Phone manufacturers like OnePlus and Realme often offer three years of software upgrades.
Companies like Motorola and iQoo, among others, promise at least two years of major updates for their handsets, and often even three years for their flagship models. Only Samsung, out of all the major Android manufacturers, guarantees four years of major updates for their upper-midrange and flagship devices.