Verizon won't drag its feet in releasing Pixel system updates from Google

Verizon now says that any Android system and security updates released by Google for its Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones will be rolled out for both its devices and ones not sold by the carrier at the same time.

Last week, Verizon said in an official statement it would manage the system updates for its versions of the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, while letting Google handle the security updates. That lead many people to assume that OS updates for those phones could be delayed on Verizon’s Pixel models, while folks who bought the unlocked phones directly from the Google store would get those same updates first.

As it turns out, Verizon now says that those worries are unjustified. Ars Technica received a statement from a company representative that said:

First and foremost, all operating system and security updates to the Pixel devices will happen in partnership with Google. In other words, when Google releases an update, Verizon phones will receive the same update at the same time (much like iOS updates). Verizon will not stand in the way of any major updates and users will get all updates at the same time as Google.

Verizon’s statement added that the Pixel phones themselves will be carrier unlocked, although Google has confirmed that the phones’ bootloaders cannot be unlocked. In addition, while the phones will have three Verizon apps pre-installed, the carrier says they can be deleted by the user.

In a separate statement, a Google spokesperson confirmed Verizon’s update plans to Ars, saying:

OS updates and monthly security patches will be updated on all Pixel devices (Verizon and non-Verizon versions) simultaneously.

This is obviously a big relief for any Verizon customers who might have feared they would get Android updates later than their unlocked Google counterparts. Does this new statement from the carrier make you more willing to purchase the Pixel phones from Verizon?