One thing that is considered when looking for a new phone to buy is how long the software support will last. Sure, you can use a phone with outdated software for as long as you want, but not only does that predispose you to security risks, but you also start to lose compatibility with newer apps and miss out on new features.
The longer, the better. I don’t think I’ll ever need a phone with more than four years of support, but for some people, as long as they can get is the best. A partnership between Google and Qualcomm is about to blow your mind in that regard. Get ready to start seeing phones with a maximum of eight years of major OS updates. That’s crazy.
Google and Qualcomm Partner to Make Eight Years of OS Updates a Reality
For a very long time, Apple users would bash the Android platform as a whole due to its relatively limited window of software support for its devices. There was a time when getting an Android device with three years of major OS updates was a big win. Nowadays, we’ve seen some Android devices with promises of seven years of OS and security updates, and that’s a major improvement compared to the past.
Fortunately, things are going to get even sweeter. Just yesterday, Google and Qualcomm announced a new partnership that will give Android OEMs the power to provide OS and security updates for a device for up to eight consecutive years. That’s bonkers, quite honestly.
Ultimately, it will still be the OEMs’ choice to opt into this new support program. However, Qualcomm does state that it has received commitments from some unnamed OEMs to latch onto this chance for longer device support. Only the latest Snapdragon chips will support this, however. This starts with the Snapdragon 8 Elite and should include all Snapdragon 8 and Snapdragon 7 chips in the next five generations of SoCs.
Some Smartphones Already Support Seven Years of OS Updates
If you think that no manufacturer will actually commit to eight years of OS and security updates, then I have to say that I think you’re wrong. At the moment, we’ve already seen some smartphones that have pledged seven years of updates, so an extra year from that is hardly an unfathomable concept.
Two good examples in the Android space include the Google Pixel 9 series—the company behind Android has to lead by example, after all—and the Samsung Galaxy S25 family, which is essentially the poster child Android flagship.
Would You Keep a Phone for Nearly a Decade?
As someone who aims to upgrade to a new device every three years or so, I wonder how many people would actually keep their smartphones through an entire eight-year software support window. I can’t imagine it would be very many people, especially for lower-end devices. That’s like buying a Galaxy S9 at launch and still using it until now.
Let me know in the comments. Would you actually keep a smartphone for eight years straight as long as the software remains up to date?
