- Google has promised seven years of OS upgrades, security updates, and feature drops for its new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.
- Despite the same hardware, Pixel 8 is missing features exclusive to Pixel 8 Pro, raising questions about Google’s long-term commitment to parity among devices.
- Google spokesperson Matthew Flegal stated that not all updates will be available for every phone, without specifying the limitations.
- One feature exclusive to the Pixel 8 Pro, Video Boost, is cloud-based, indicating that the exclusivity is economically motivated, not hardware-limited.
- Author questions the true value of Google’s seven-year promise and argues that Android OS versions are becoming less significant as updates occur independently.
Fairphone is going to be my next phone although likely to be second hand, as all the phones I have used to date. Recycle, recycle and recycle is my motto.