Rumor 5 years of system updates Pixel 8

[AugieTN]

Currently a rumor flying around the net, that starting with the Pixel 8 Googles phones will get 5 years of system updates to match Apple.

I never keep a phone that long, plus after 5 yrs your battery won't be in great shape.

 

[Hadron]

I typically keep mine 4.5 years, and the way the battery in my s21 is holding up I can see it going longer - maybe that setting to limit charging to 85% actually does work?

But things are going to change. As a result of recently enacted EU legislation changing the battery will become much easier, so it will be easy to extend device lifetimes. Sadly they've been unnecessarily generous to the manufacturers and given them 3-4 years to make the changes (they're always telling us how dynamic and innovative they are, so surely 2 would suffice?), but it's coming. And the economics of the business mean that they won't make different phones just for the EU, so everyone else will also get simpler battery replacement. So longer software support will become more likely to be useful.

 

[AugieTN]

I like that EU easy battery replacement legislation, like all phone use to have. They don't need 3-4 years to do it. I think you're being generous with 2 years.

 

[Hadron]

It may not mean the sort of swappable battery we used to have (a rigid pack where you could carry a spare and swap with no tools whatsoever) - from my reading that's not specified. But being able to swap the battery using nothing more than a small screwdriver, without giving up ingress protection, would be a huge improvement (remember that we had phones with removable backs that still had IP ratings, so they definitely can do that).

 

[PitCarver]

I wonder if the EU specs will migrate over to this side of the ocean.

 

[AugieTN]

I wonder if the EU specs will migrate over to this side of the ocean.And the economics of the business mean that they won't make different phones just for the EU, so everyone else will also get simpler battery replacement

I would think so, as Hadron said, ........And the economics of the business mean that they won't make different phones just for the EU, so everyone else will also get simpler battery replacement.....

 

[Hadron]

Put it this way: why do you think Apple have dropped the Lightning port from iPhones? It's not because they wanted to (they get license fees from anyone who wants to make accessories for it and any accessories help lock their users in), but because they had to comply with EU legislation and it didn't make sense to make different models.

Meanwhile Fairphone have just announced the Fairphone 5, promising 8 years of software support and planning for at least 5 major Android version updates in that time). Shame I refuse to use a phone that's that wide (75mm)

 

[AugieTN]

So many things can change with technology over 8 years, plus it would probably be pretty beat up after 8 years. Who would take the time and spend the money to replace a burnt out screen after 6 years of use.

While it's a great idea, it has limits.

 

[Hadron]

Many wouldn't. On the other hand, we see lots of people here who only change their phones when they are forced to, so increased longevity would clearly be a good thing for them as well as for the environment and reducing the waste of finite resources. And once the hardware longevity is improved the next thing that may force you to change is that apps won't run (because the OS is too old) or you feel insecure because you've not had a security update for years. So improved software support addresses those things.

And phones are mature products. To be honest there is little materially that has changed between my 2013 HTC One and my current Galaxy s21. The camera is better (HTC messed-up the m7 design, and the camera sensors got damaged by heat), though far short of a real camera, the phone is larger (a negative), and it has 5G (though where I live hasn't), but it doesn't do anything fundamental that the 10 year old phone doesn't. So in some senses a lot can change over 8 years, but in reality it's all incremental now and there's no sign of that changing (bar foldables, but they are still expensive and fragile, and for me don't yet address any need). So honestly if they would make it a more sensible size, and if I didn't already have a phone that is less that 2 years old (and hence a bad thing environmentally for me to replace it) I would be happy to give them a shot.