When Google announced the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro would benefit from seven years of Android OS updates, it signalled a major improvement for the longevity of Google-powered handsets that have always lagged behind the iPhone.
Now Google is taking the extra step necessary to keep the devices not only supported by the latest software for seven years, but the ability for the hardware to stand up to the challenge.
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A Google representative told Android Authority there are plans to sell spare parts for the Pixel 8 range for seven years also. Whether it’s a new screen, a new battery, a replacement charging port or more, Google intends to keep some of those parts available.
“Parts will be available for seven years. That’s part of our commitment as we go to the seven years (sic) that we need to make our parts available so you can keep your hardware alive for that long,” Soniya Jobanputra, director of product management at Google said in an interview.
Google didn’t go any further in terms of confirming precisely which parts it will sell. However, through the official repair partner iFixit, there are multiple options for the current Pixel 7 Pro including the rear camera array, the screen and the battery.
This is a good move from Google. After all, what’s the point of having seven years of support if you can only get the official battery replacement for three? That battery absolutely is going to require a replacement if the user keeps it for longer than a couple of years.
This initiative will open the door to more people keeping their expensive smartphone purchase active for longer. Even if it’s as a backup phone, rather than the main handset, or one to be passed down to other members of the family. By 2030, the Pixel 8 could end up like Trigger’s broom.
Given governments around the world are rallying around right to repair calls from consumers, as well as the effort to radically reduce e-waste, this is a solid initiative from Google that’s likely to foster brand loyalty when it does come time to upgrade the Pixel device for whatever reason.
