Do you think seven years of software support on the Pixel 8 is overkill?

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domfonusr
domfonusr
Arena Master
• 1y ago

If we were talking about PC's, then yes, the 7-year upgrade and support cycle is normal. PC's are built to last that long, at least as a fairly general rule for the last couple of decades... there are noted exceptions as well, in both directions, but I would not put mobile phones in the same category. Phones were never before designed to last so long, at least not since the early 2000's. I would never expect 7 years from a phone... and Google is just making a PR stunt out of this to try to upstage Apple and Samsung. There is nothing inherently different about the components in the Google Pixels that extends their useful life that long, especially when, in the mobile device world, the next new technology seems to make the previous generation of tech obsolete within the first two years, and the processors getting supported by Samsung, Google, and even Apple, already get old, sluggish, and glitchy sooner than their support cycle ends, anyway. Even PC's, which were once reasonably well designed to last a good 7 years, are going the way of 'mobile', and therefore becoming disposable, nowadays, too. Extended support for the Pixel 8 and beyond does nothing real to extend the functionality of the devices, which are all, ultimately, still made from the same general parts, processes, and software families...

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JC557
JC557
Arena Master
• 1y ago

Considering the current state of the economy and how people should save as much as possible for any future issues, there is no such thing as "too long" when it comes to support for things that still work, at least from a consumer point of view. People should hold onto their stuff if it still works for them and having the most up to date security fixes would give quite the piece of mind. Now the question is will manufacturers continue supplying parts for the phones should they ever need repair? The automotive industry tends to have a good supply of spares as well as a network of 3rd party making parts as well. Electronics should do the same esp when you take into account the push for less e-waste.


There's one thing you gotta give Apple is they still supply security fixes for phones that are over 5 years old (I think Apple released a 15.8 update for old phones like the iPhone 7 this week).

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Mariyan Slavov
Mariyan Slavov
Phonearena team
Original poster
• 1y ago
↵domfonusr said:

If we were talking about PC's, then yes, the 7-year upgrade and support cycle is normal. PC's are built to last that long, at least as a fairly general rule for the last couple of decades... there are noted exceptions as well, in both directions, but I would not put mobile phones in the same category. Phones were never before designed to last so long, at least not since the early 2000's. I would never expect 7 years from a phone... and Google is just making a PR stunt out of this to try to upstage Apple and Samsung. There is nothing inherently different about the components in the Google Pixels that extends their useful life that long, especially when, in the mobile device world, the next new technology seems to make the previous generation of tech obsolete within the first two years, and the processors getting supported by Samsung, Google, and even Apple, already get old, sluggish, and glitchy sooner than their support cycle ends, anyway. Even PC's, which were once reasonably well designed to last a good 7 years, are going the way of 'mobile', and therefore becoming disposable, nowadays, too. Extended support for the Pixel 8 and beyond does nothing real to extend the functionality of the devices, which are all, ultimately, still made from the same general parts, processes, and software families...

Absolutely. The PC analogy is not fair, and let's not forget that almost all PCs, even laptops, are upgradable. That's the main reason they can last 10+ years, the software situation just follows the hardware. You can just throw more RAM, storage, and GC in if needed and keep the thing going. If we had modular phones (Google ARA project) seven years of software support would've made sense.

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CamDexter
CamDexter
Arena Apprentice
• 1y ago

No doubt some people will benefit from it but I don't think it will be a huge number.


You've only got to look at how phone technology has advanced over the past 7 years to see how quick things move. Not many people are going to want to be using 7yr old tech. And those that do have to consider the battery and screen holding out for that long and apps that struggle with old versions of Android.


I think Google are just playing the number boasting game,

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domfonusr
domfonusr
Arena Master
• 1y agoedited
↵MariyanSlavov said:

Absolutely. The PC analogy is not fair, and let's not forget that almost all PCs, even laptops, are upgradable. That's the main reason they can last 10+ years, the software situation just follows the hardware. You can just throw more RAM, storage, and GC in if needed and keep the thing going. If we had modular phones (Google ARA project) seven years of software support would've made sense.

Good point about the Google ARA project... that could have extended the life of modern mobile hardware, but Google made the strategic decision to not continue with that. Yep, and guess what? That benefits the mobile hardware OEM's (of which Google is now one) directly, and keeps them safe from the same collapse that is coming soon in the world of PC OEM's... until people get wise to it. Now, as it stands, if you want a five-to-seven year mobile phone, then there are only three real options: Apple, Samsung (Galaxy S and Z lines only), and Google... and all of them cost as much, or almost as much, as a traditional laptop (or more, even)! For a tenth, or less, of that price, I can get a disposable mobile phone that will reasonably last me two years, and do anything that I could ask of it - within reason - so, yeah, it may be that I will be subject to the "environmental shaming," but until the people who do the most crowing about that stop jet-setting around the world on their private jets, I do not feel like such the hypocrite that I am told that I am. And, so, seven years of updates... yeah, just a PR stunt by Google, unless you happen to be one of those special folks that has money, power, fame, wisdom, beauty, etc., in excess of the rest of us ordinary human beings... but wait a minute! Those special folks won't need to wait to upgrade for the full 5 to 7 years, either, so... it will only be those who try to live beyond their means, for popularity's sake, who need the thing to last... and it probably won't!

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Moysh
Moysh
Arena Apprentice
• 1y ago
↵MariyanSlavov said:

Well, what do you know? As it turns out, Google thinks that you, people, are going to use Pixel phones for seven years. One of the hottest topics after the launch of the Pixel 8 series was and still is the super-long software support cycle. What's going on? Most surveys show that people use their phones for around two years before switching to the next model. So, is this a PR move? Or an attempt to beat Apple and Samsung in the numbers game? What do you think about it?

Seems like a silly question. Who cares, unless you own the phone for 7 years. Seems like a solution in need of a problem.

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ChipBoundary
ChipBoundary
Arena Apprentice
• 1y ago
↵TheRealDuckofDeath said:

It's hypocrisy, smoke and mirrors.


My 16 years old reserve-reserve laptop is still getting free updates and they are always faultlessly and timely delivered every second Tuesday of every month. Started on Windows Vista, got free upgrades to 7, 8, 8.1, 10. What did I pay for that old Acer laptop? Less than 400 bucks.


Promising 7 years of untimely updates, when it was Google themselves who deliberately sabotaged the built-in self-updating design of Linux, to get rich on planned obsolesce in collusion with global network operators, is bollox.


Fix the automatic software updating feature to give everybody over a decade of free updates instead of this. I'd even argue that Google should be put on trial for ecosystem abuse, by delivering zero updates to competitors while selling their own mediocre trash with these nonsense promises. Google needs to be destroyed as an ecosystem leader. Now that they feel like Android can't grow its usage share compared to iOS, they start sabotaging access for all OEMs in an attempt to take the whole Android cake for themselves.

First, you're full of it. There were no free upgrades from Vista to 7 or 7 to 8/8.1. 10 was the very first version of Windows to offer a free upgrade. If you didn't pay for an upgrade for prior editions it was gifted to you, or you pirated it plain and simple. Second, your 16 year old laptop is riddled with known and unknown hardware security vulnerabilities that can never be patched. This is established fact by many independent security organizations. My Pixel now, and the other two I've owned prior, run perfectly fine with zero issues. They have gotten monthly, regular updates since the Pixel 1.


All that aside, due to the previously mentioned hardware vulnerabilities baked in, all devices should be phased out at no longer than 5 years. Keeping them longer is irresponsible and puts the entire Internet at risk as long as a machine/device is connected to it. This is standard IT practice at all major organizations for this very reason.


The new versions of Android are always released to competitors, eventually. And no updates have ever been denied to them. So, now you're making things up. Also, Android is entirely open source. So, all updates are released to the public freely, which means they make exactly zero dollars on it. Also, keep in mind that their major competitors all do their own updates entirely separate from Google's updates.


Now, as far as market share goes, Google phones have less than 1% of the market share. However, Android as an OS controls over 70% of the market share. So, I'd say Android on the whole is doing just fine and nothing Google is doing is horning in on anybody's market share.


You're grossly misinformed on the actual facts and you straight up lie as well. I'd ask you stop using the Internet so misinformation stops getting spread.

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TheRealDuckofDeath
TheRealDuckofDeath
Arena Master
• 1y ago
↵ChipBoundary said:

First, you're full of it. There were no free upgrades from Vista to 7 or 7 to 8/8.1. 10 was the very first version of Windows to offer a free upgrade. If you didn't pay for an upgrade for prior editions it was gifted to you, or you pirated it plain and simple. Second, your 16 year old laptop is riddled with known and unknown hardware security vulnerabilities that can never be patched. This is established fact by many independent security organizations. My Pixel now, and the other two I've owned prior, run perfectly fine with zero issues. They have gotten monthly, regular updates since the Pixel 1.


All that aside, due to the previously mentioned hardware vulnerabilities baked in, all devices should be phased out at no longer than 5 years. Keeping them longer is irresponsible and puts the entire Internet at risk as long as a machine/device is connected to it. This is standard IT practice at all major organizations for this very reason.


The new versions of Android are always released to competitors, eventually. And no updates have ever been denied to them. So, now you're making things up. Also, Android is entirely open source. So, all updates are released to the public freely, which means they make exactly zero dollars on it. Also, keep in mind that their major competitors all do their own updates entirely separate from Google's updates.


Now, as far as market share goes, Google phones have less than 1% of the market share. However, Android as an OS controls over 70% of the market share. So, I'd say Android on the whole is doing just fine and nothing Google is doing is horning in on anybody's market share.


You're grossly misinformed on the actual facts and you straight up lie as well. I'd ask you stop using the Internet so misinformation stops getting spread.

There was a six month pre-launch signup for a free upgrade to Windows 7. I know, because I availed of that. I have not payed for any Windows licenses on that laptop bought in the noughties. Yes, it is true, once Win7 was out, the upgrade was the old type of expensive. That did not affect me or anyone using the free option before the launch. I think the exact prerequisites was that the computer had to be bought within a year before Windows 7 launched. I worked in IT and might have gotten that grace period extended a few months backwards. 😋


You BS about my 16 years old computer is riddled with hardware security issues applies to everything. The humongous difference between it and your toxic Android phone is, I know the Windows device will get patched. Yes, there is no TPM support, so that is the reason it can't get Windows 11, but there is no realistic exploit available as, I keep mentioning, it keeps getting timely security updates every month, unlike any Android phone in the world. So, eff that own goal of yours. That is Android's number one issue. Updates are never guarantueed. They are delivered if Google feels it would otherwise damage their reputation too much. Not even your 1,500 dollar Pixel 8 Pro is getting timely updates. If you're lucky you'll get one per month. 400 bucks on Windows gets you that without worries, for at least a decade, no matter what computer you buy.


You are the grossly misinformed person here. I can probably guess why you choose to be this misinformed, as the cost for Google to fix this is terminal.

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JaneE
JaneE
Arena Apprentice
• 1y ago

Will the support apply to the original buyer or subsequent owner/users? I may want a new phone before the 7 years is up, but it would go to someone else. If it will still hold a decent charge for 7 years, you can bet someone will be using it.


Our local organization that does outreach for abused spouses (mostly women) will take any working phone. 911 access does not even need a provider. After the switch to 5G, they can't take the really older phones, but if it can make a call, they will give it to someone who really needs a phone for emergency use.

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bonedatt
bonedatt
Arena Apprentice
• 1y agoedited
↵MariyanSlavov said:

Well, what do you know? As it turns out, Google thinks that you, people, are going to use Pixel phones for seven years. One of the hottest topics after the launch of the Pixel 8 series was and still is the super-long software support cycle. What's going on? Most surveys show that people use their phones for around two years before switching to the next model. So, is this a PR move? Or an attempt to beat Apple and Samsung in the numbers game? What do you think about it?

Honestly, I would still be using my Pixel 4XL if Google didn't end security updates for it. So no, seven years isn't overkill. I'm glad they're offering it. My current device, a Note20 Ultra, is now three years old, and will lose update support in 2025; so I plan on getting the Pixel 10 Pro in 2025, as long as the same seven years support currently being offered is still available at that time.

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