Google Backs Pixel 2 And Pixel 2 XL With Three Years Of Android And Security Updates

Team Pixel 2 Phones
Google started shipping its Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones this week (check out our review here), and customers are just now getting a chance to start enjoying their new flagships. With the release of the new Pixels also comes an update to Google's support profile page for its hardware devices.

We now know the Google is being more generous with its support window for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Google is guaranteeing that both smartphones will receive major OS update updates through October 2020. That means that both smartphones will be eligible for Android P (2018), Android Q (2019) and Android R (2020).

Security updates will also be provided for three years from the devices’ original release date, ending in October 2020.

google pixel 2 family

For last year's Pixel and Pixel XL, Google only guaranteed two years of Android OS updates, meaning that they have received Android Oreo and will be eligible for Android P in 2018. All bets are off after that. Google will provide security updates through October 2019.

It's admirable that Google is providing three years of OS and security updates for its latest hardware devices, and this move should give customers more peace of mind that their device will be supported for the long-haul. Given that customers have to practically beg many OEMs to provide timely updates when a new Android OS is released, Google’s clockwork delivery of updates is a breath of fresh air.

While three years is no doubt a long period of time to support a mobile device, Apple sets the bar even higher with its iOS devices. Apple is still providing the latest iOS 11 operating system and security updates for iPhone 5s, which was first released back in 2013. That smartphone originally shipped with iOS 7.

Brandon Hill

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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