From CNET: Google's new seven-year software update commitment for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro is a significant step forward for Android. But it also highlights one of the biggest weaknesses most Android phones face, regardless of their price: They don't get enough software support. Google's $449 Pixel 5A from 2021, for example, won't receive new Android OS upgrades or software updates past August 2024. Three years of updates can go by pretty quickly.
Smartphone sales continue to decline year over year amid inflation, and people are likely looking for devices they can hold onto for as long as possible. Market analyst firm Canalys is predicting that the North American smartphone market will decline by 12% this year, though it also notes that phone-makers are still relying on the otherwise stable market for premium phones. As customers hang onto their phones longer, keeping those customers up to date with new features and security protections requires longer upgrade periods.
And it's not just inflation that underlies the need for phones to get more years of software support. The update extension arrives alongside a push for phones to become more repairable. An increasing number of US states are passing right to repair laws that cover electronics, and right to repair proposals recently adopted by the European Union also include phones and tablets.
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