One of the big problems with Android since its launch has been the famous fragmentation, which has caused many working phones to reach 1 or 2 operating system updates after they go on sale.
Google has tried to solve this problem with projects like Treble or Mainline, however, Android phones are still far behind iOS when it comes to update time.
That seems to change the prnext week when the Pixel 6 is presented, because according to information from XDA-Developers, this will be the first Android phone that will have 4 years of guaranteed operating system updates.
Android 12 to Android 16
Currently only the Pixel, the best Nokia and Samsung’s premium range are capable of promising 3 years of operating system updates, with Google being the first to update their devices.
And although Samsung has made an effort to expand its period of security patch updates to 4 years, no Android phone has been able to match the 6 years that the iPhone 6s currently has by receiving operating system and security updates.
Because the Pixels will be Google’s first phones with Android 12 out of the box, this means that its last update would be Android 16. This under the understanding that in the coming years Google will follow the same strategy of launching versions of its operating system .
On the other hand, both the Pixel 6 like Pixel 6 Pro would have 5 years of security patches. That is, the support of the Pixel 6 will end in 2026, a record number for an Android phone.
On October 20 we will know all the details of these devices, as well as their update policy.