Seang Chau, the VP of Devices & Services Software at Google, recently appeared on the Made by Google Podcast to explain why Pixel devices now have a 7-year software support lifespan.
Chau mentioned that Google’s own data reveals that users tend to replace their old phones after about 7 years. For instance, there are still users hanging onto the Google Pixel 1 released in 2016. However, after around 7 years, the usage statistics drop significantly, prompting the decision to extend software support to 7 years.
Another factor contributing to Google’s extended device support is the integration of their custom Tensor chip in recent Pixel models, reducing the complexity of updating different hardware variants and streamlining the process for both the Pixel hardware and Android software teams.
Furthermore, Google has adopted a Quarterly Platform Release schedule and a Beta software testing group specifically for QPR releases, enabling a greater number of users to participate in testing. This approach has also contributed to prolonging the lifespan of Google’s hardware support.
Source: Droid Life
TLDR: Seang Chau discusses why Google Pixel devices now receive 7 years of software support, citing user behavior, custom Tensor chips, and an updated software release schedule as key factors.
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