Best daily deals

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.

Pixel 3 series to get guaranteed feature, security updates until October 2021

It's not quite as lengthy as Apple's commitment to updates, but Google is certainly ahead of other Android OEMs.
By
October 10, 2018
Pixel 3 XL hands on
TL;DR
  • Google’s Pixel 3 will receive feature and security updates for three years after its launch.
  • This means your new Pixel phone is guaranteed to receive updates until October 2021.

The Google Pixel series is renowned for its brisk updates, but it’s also well-known for receiving updates long after other brands abandon their phones. Fortunately, the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will continue this trend.

In a post on Google’s support website (h/t: r/Android), the company outlined the period of support for the new flagship phones. The Pixel 3 and XL model will receive feature and security updates for a period of three years from launch — until October 2021, in other words.

Google’s Pixel 2 series also receives version and security updates for three years after its launch — until October 2020. The original Pixel phones won’t receive any version updates after October 2018, according to Google’s website, but they’ll continue to receive security patches until October 2019.

Android 9 Pie update tracker: When will your phone get it? (Updated May 10)
Features
Pixel 3a Android P

It’s great to see Google continue its commitment to updates, especially when several other manufacturers only deliver one update (or sometimes none). But this three-year commitment still pales in comparison to Apple’s update period, having just brought iOS 12 to 2013’s iPhone 5S. Imagine if the Nexus 5 still received official updates from Google…

Nevertheless, the Android One program seems to be bearing fruit thus far, promising a lengthier commitment to updates. And with the likes of HMD Global and Essential leading the charge for updates (in addition to the Project Treble framework), things are tentatively looking up.

NEXT: New Xiaomi Mi Box S streams in 4K, has Android TV 8.1, and Google Assistant