Key Takeaways
- The Pixel 6 collection might get Android 16 in 2025, regardless of official help ending in October 2024. That is advised by its inclusion within the developer preview.
- Google goals to supply 5 years of safety updates for the Pixel 6 collection. Newer Android variations supply higher safety, motivating the continued help.
- Working the newest Android model ensures optimum safety, much like updating the Linux kernel. This doubtless influences Google’s choice to increase help.
When Google introduced the
Pixel 6
collection again in 2021, it mentioned that it will present software program updates for at the least 5 years from when the gadget went on sale. Nonetheless, there was an vital caveat to that announcement. The Pixel 6 collection was solely assured to obtain 3 years of Android OS updates — the remaining 2 years of updates would solely embody safety fixes. It’s been over 3 years for the reason that Pixel 6 collection launched, which implies it isn’t assured to obtain Android OS updates anymore. Nonetheless, it’s wanting just like the Pixel 6 would possibly get subsequent 12 months’s Android 16 replace regardless.
In line with Google’s official help documentation, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Professional had been assured to obtain Android OS updates till at the least October 2024. We’re now effectively into November 2024, which is months earlier than Google will launch the following main model of Android. Google doesn’t plan to launch Android 16 till Q2 of 2025, which implies both April, Could, or June of subsequent 12 months. Thus, it’s affordable to imagine that the Google Pixel 6 is out of Android model updates.
The Pixel 6a, then again, was launched a number of months after the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Professional. It’s assured to obtain Android OS updates till at the least July 2025, which is after the window of Android 16’s launch date. Previously, the later launch date of the A-series Pixel telephone meant that it will obtain quarterly platform releases (QPRs) not pushed out to the principle telephones within the lineup. For instance, the Pixel 5a obtained an replace to Android 14’s third QPR, whereas the Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 stopped on the preliminary launch of Android 14.
Going by this, it’s affordable to imagine that the Pixel 6a would possibly obtain Android 16 whereas the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Professional received’t. Nonetheless, it appears that evidently received’t be the case, and it doesn’t make sense for Google to do, for a number of causes. For one, the Pixel 6a is powered by the identical chipset because the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Professional (the first-generation Google Tensor chip), so a number of the work that Google must do to carry up Android 16 onto the Pixel 6a would additionally carry over to the remainder of the Pixel 6 collection.
Safety updates are simpler with out backporting
Extra importantly, although, porting Android 16 (and later Android 17) to the Pixel 6 collection will assist Google preserve its dedication to delivering 5 years of safety updates. That’s as a result of, whereas Google does backport safety patches for a bit of over 3 years after the AOSP launch of a brand new Android model (e.g., Android 11 obtained safety patch backports till March of this 12 months), it nonetheless recommends that producers migrate their units to the newest model of the Android platform when attainable. The rationale for this is identical cause that it’s beneficial to all the time maintain your gadget’s Linux kernel up-to-date with the newest fixes. It’s not all the time instantly clear {that a} bug repair is definitely a safety repair, so it’s dangerous to go away a tool on an outdated model of Android or Linux, as producers must hope for these fixes to finally be recognized as safety fixes after which later backported.
That’s why some observers believed that Google had all the time deliberate to increase Android OS help past its assure, and it’s wanting like they is perhaps proper. Google simply introduced the discharge of Android 16 Developer Preview 1 earlier immediately, and forward of the announcement, we requested the corporate what units might be eligible to put in DP1. A spokesperson for Google instructed us that the next units will be capable to get Android 16 DP1:
- Pixel 6 and 6 Professional
- Pixel 6a
- Pixel 7 and seven Professional
- Pixel 7a
- Pixel Fold
- Pixel Pill
- Pixel 8 and eight Professional
- Pixel 8a
- Pixel 9, 9 Professional, 9 Professional XL, and 9 Professional Fold
Provided that the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Professional, and Pixel 6a are getting Android 16 DP1, I’d be shocked in the event that they didn’t obtain the secure launch of Android 16 subsequent 12 months. And in the event that they do obtain it, I’d be shocked if the updates finish there — I can see Google pushing Android 17 out as the ultimate OS replace for the Pixel 6 collection for the explanations I discussed earlier than. We don’t know for positive if Google plans to do both of this stuff, however we’ll maintain a watch out to see what occurs.
Associated
Extra OEMs would possibly supply prolonged help