Google promises 7 years of Android OS updates for the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro

Google unveiled the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones and the Pixel Watch 2 today, and while I no longer spend too many words on new phone releases on OSNews these days, this new phone does come with a rather major promise by Google.

The Pixel 8 will get seven years of Android OS updates with security patches, as well as quarterly Feature Drops. Launching with Android 14, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro will see updates to Android 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 - assuming the naming doesn't change before 2030.

We'll have to see if Google keeps its promise - not an unreasonable concern - but if they do, this is unprecedented in the Android world, and even surpasses Apple's OS support for the iPhone. This is the kind of meaningful, important dedication I like to see, and I sincerely hope Google sticks to its promise.

Regardless, the combination of some of the new camera features - which are great for taking photos and videos of small children, which I have now - and this support promise, as well as my carrier offering a free Pixel Watch 2 with any Pixel 8 Pro purchase, has made it pretty easy for me to choose the Pixel 8 Pro as my next phone when my contract runs out 12 October.