Google Pixel 2 Family Guaranteed 3 Years Of OS And Security Updates
Google on Wednesday formally introduced its new generation of Pixel phones, with pricing starting at $649 for the 5-inch Pixel 2 and $849 for the Pixel 2 XL, placing them in premium territory. You can tack on another $100 if jumping from 64GB to 128GB of built-in storage, pricing the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL at $749 and $949, respectively. Those MSRPs are on the upper end of the spectrum, but not only do you get a unadulterated Android experience in return, Google is promising a full three years of software and security updates.
That is a jump from two years of OS and security updates that were guaranteed for the original Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. Having that additional 12 months is a pretty nice value-add, especially now that smartphone hardware has evolved to the point where it is feasible to own a device for several years, rather than feeling the need to upgrade very 12 or even 24 months.
Assuming the hardware can keep up—and there is every reason to believe it will be able to in this case—updating to a major new version of Android has the potential to breathe new life into a handset, depending on what new features it brings to the table. And in this instance, the new Pixel phones will enjoy three generations of Android, starting with Android 8.0 Oreo, which was released in August.
Source: Google
Kudos to Google in going the extra mile. Hopefully this is something that its hardware partners will take notice of and follow suit. Fragmentation in the Android camp is still a thing in part because of limited support from vendors—less than 2 out of 10 Android devices have Nougat installed. The most prevalent version of Android is Marshmallow, which was released over two years ago.
Beyond the three-year commitment from Google, there is a lot to like about the new Pixel phones from a hardware standpoint. Both devices are powered by a top-shelf Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and 4GB of RAM. Other specs include a 12.2MP rear camera and 8MP front camera, 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C connectivity, water and dust resistance, and OLED display panels.
That is a jump from two years of OS and security updates that were guaranteed for the original Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. Having that additional 12 months is a pretty nice value-add, especially now that smartphone hardware has evolved to the point where it is feasible to own a device for several years, rather than feeling the need to upgrade very 12 or even 24 months.
Assuming the hardware can keep up—and there is every reason to believe it will be able to in this case—updating to a major new version of Android has the potential to breathe new life into a handset, depending on what new features it brings to the table. And in this instance, the new Pixel phones will enjoy three generations of Android, starting with Android 8.0 Oreo, which was released in August.
Source: Google
Kudos to Google in going the extra mile. Hopefully this is something that its hardware partners will take notice of and follow suit. Fragmentation in the Android camp is still a thing in part because of limited support from vendors—less than 2 out of 10 Android devices have Nougat installed. The most prevalent version of Android is Marshmallow, which was released over two years ago.
Beyond the three-year commitment from Google, there is a lot to like about the new Pixel phones from a hardware standpoint. Both devices are powered by a top-shelf Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and 4GB of RAM. Other specs include a 12.2MP rear camera and 8MP front camera, 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C connectivity, water and dust resistance, and OLED display panels.
