When Google dropped the first developer preview for Android 16 late last month, eagle-eyed onlookers spotted the Pixel 6 had been included in the list of compatible devices.
That led to hopes the 2021 Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro would be included in next year’s operating system release schedule, despite officially running out of road for the promised OS updates.
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Not only were those hopes confirmed today, they were exceeded with the news the entire Pixel 6 series (including the 6a) will TWO additional years of Android OS and security updates. That’ll cover Android 16 and the following year’s Android 17 too.
The two-years of additional support will also apply to the Pixel 7 range and original Pixel Fold, which will now get five years of total support from the operating system and the requisite security updates to keep you safe from potential exploits. That’ll take those devices up to Android 18.
The news comes from the ever-vigilant report Mishaal Rahman of Android Policy, who first noted the new Google support page, whioch he posted on Twitter.
The most recent Pixel phones are guaranteed seven years of Android updates which will take support into the next decade.
It’s part of an overall drive to ensure Android phones are supported for well beyond the traditional lifespan of a handset. Google hopes this drive will help its sustainability goals, even if it may harm hardware sales due to phones being upgraded less often.
Samsung also promises seven years of updates for its latest Galaxy phones, while Google itself is working on compartmentalising parts of the operating system to make it easier for third-party manufacturers to support later versions of Android even if the processors they run on do not.
