The Pixel 3 is no longer updated by Google, only three years after its release
On its Pixels, Google promises updates for three years. However, this policy very quickly shows its limits: the Pixel 3, released at the end of 2018, is already obsolete. Should the Mountain View firm review the way it manages its smartphones over time?
Is Google abandoning its smartphones too quickly? On its Pixel range, Android updates are indeed promised for three years. Then, your terminal is good to be changed if you want to have the latest versions of Android. Too short a deadline? For example, the Pixel 3, released in 2018, is now obsolete.
This is Aaron Gordon of the site Vice who points the finger at the problem. In an editorial, he protests about having to change his smartphone while his Pixel 3 still works great and it still suits him. It is true that three years is not much.
Google assumes the three-year lifespan of its phones
Aaron Gordon has therefore asked Google for an explanation on this arbitrary deadline. The response from the Mountain View firm is not really encouraging:
“We believe that three years of OS and security updates still provide a great experience on devices.”
It’s a bit infuriating for Pixel 3 owners. It’s all the more frustrating that users generally go to this range to be constantly up to date on Android.
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Google seems to have understood that this time frame was too tight. Indeed, on the latest Pixel 6, the promise has been pushed from 3 to 5 years of updates. The new smartphones will therefore be obsolete in 2026. This choice to extend the support could also be due to the presence of an in-house processor (the Tensor) more likely to last over time than a Qualcomm SoC.
Anyway, the Pixel 3 is therefore no longer updated today. You can certainly continue to use it if you have one, but you will no longer have the latest Android updates in addition to security updates, which are still important. A situation that concerns many users.
Source: Vice