Google’s Pixel 8 recently unveiled boasts impressive features such as sleek designs, advanced camera technology, and AI enhancements.

However, beyond these eye-catching elements lies the most significant change in the Android realm this decade, one that might go unnoticed by the average consumer browsing in a carrier store.

Google’s Pixel 8 promise

However, beyond these eye-catching elements lies the most significant change in the Android realm this decade, one that might go unnoticed by the average consumer browsing in a carrier store.

What sets Google’s latest Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro apart is their unprecedented post-sales software support commitment.

Unlike previous Pixel models, these phones come with a groundbreaking promise: seven years of operating system updates, along with seven full years of security updates, feature drops, and comprehensive support.

This move represents a substantial shift for Google, as their previous Pixel phones received only three years of OS updates and five years of security patches.

The Pixel 8 smartphone Impact

The impact of this change goes beyond the immediate benefit to Pixel owners. It could potentially revolutionize the entire Android ecosystem and even influence the broader smartphone industry.

The significance of this transformation becomes apparent when you consider the concept of “smartphone math,” which calculates a device’s cost based on the number of years it receives both operating system updates and security patches.

In practical terms, Google’s Pixel 8, priced at $699, will cost users approximately $100 per year of advisable ownership or 27 cents per day over the seven-year support period.

In comparison, Samsung’s top-of-the-line Galaxy S23, priced at $799 and receiving four years of OS updates, equates to $200 per year or 55 cents a day.

Meanwhile, Apple’s iPhone 15, also priced at $799 and typically supported for around six years, translates to about $133 a year or 36 cents a day.

Beyond the immediate cost benefits, Google’s extended support for its Pixel phones could have broader implications.

Firstly, it might enable Google to gain a more significant foothold in the mobile market, which is currently dominated by Apple and Samsung.

A more competitive market encourages innovation and benefits consumers by pushing companies to improve their products and services continually.

Secondly, this move could pressure other smartphone manufacturers to match or exceed Google’s support promise to stay competitive. This trend has been observed before in the industry, where manufacturers have followed Google’s lead in extending their support commitments.

Therefore, Google’s decision to provide extended software support for its Pixel phones could trigger a ripple effect, leading to improved support across various phone models and brands, ultimately benefiting users regardless of their preferred smartphone choice.

Source – Blog