cross-posted from: https://lemdro.id/post/2136203 (!samsung@lemdro.id)
Samsung is an industry leader when it comes to Android OS and security updates. There are only a few Android manufacturers that can match the four years of Android OS and five years of security updates that it provides. Never one to rest on its laurels, the company is now actively considering to expand the […]
They won’t do that, because older Pixel phones used Qualcomm SoCs and Qualcomm didn’t support these SoCs for more than three Android versions.
They might technically be able to extend support for the Pixel 6 and up (Tensor SoC), depending on the contract and who, Google or Samsung, is responsible for providing the chipset drivers. But even if it is technically possible to extend support, it is probably also unlikely to happen due to the additional expenses it requires.
Overall it’ll be interesting to see how many phones actually live long enough to see their final update after seven years. Considering I already had to replace the battery on my three year old Pixel 5 once (which initially came with Android 10 and got updated to Android 14). USB connectors and broken screens are also common failure points for aging phones.
Sure, but it’s nicer that I would stop using my phone because it’s not worth repairing anymore rather than because it’s not supported.