I really hope Google doesn’t promise 7 years of Android for the Pixel 8a
When Google and then Samsung promised major OS updates for the latest for seven years Pixel8 And Galaxy S24 families, I was left in pain. That’s longer than any other phone manufacturer; even longer than Apple, which quietly supports every iPhone with five years of iOS. Since then, I have been looking for potholes on the road for seven years. I started looking for off-ramps where Google or Samsung are not living up to their promise. That’s why I hope Google doesn’t promise seven years for the rumors Pixel 8a. It would just be too stressful for me.
Look, I don’t think Google can do it. I don’t think Google can support the Pixel 8a for seven years. I’m pretty sure there will be disclaimers and caveats for the Pixel 8 by the time we reach the finish line.
We’ve already seen hints. So I don’t want to go into this promise on the Pixel 8a, Google’s next affordable Pixel, which is said to launch in May. Google I/O 2024. I just want to enjoy the phone on its own merits and not worry about Google disappointing us in the long run.
Is seven years realistic? No one knows for sure
Could a phone from seven years ago run the current version of Android? In 2017, Samsung launched the Galaxy S8 β certainly one of the best Galaxy phones. That phone had respectable specs, even by today’s standards. It used an Exynos or Snapdragon 8-core processor and included four or six gigabytes of RAM. It also used USB-C, had wireless charging, and even offered microSD card expansion.
By today’s standards, this would be a great bargain. You can find cheap phones with less than 4 GB of RAM. Therefore, you would expect that the Galaxy S8 could be upgraded from its original Android 7 to Android 14. Unfortunately, Samsung never pushed the Galaxy S8 past Android 9. Yep, that flagship phone got two major OS updates, and that’s it, folks.
The Galaxy S23 family will only receive updates for four years, meaning that phone will go from Android 13 to Android 17 in 2027. Pixel 7 family, which launched the same year, only gets two paltry years of Android updates. Google isn’t promising any new Android updates, not even for the Pixel 7 Proafter 2025.
Now Google and Samsung expect me to believe that the latest phones will be supported for seven years. Google more than triples its support promise, from two to seven years, in one generation. We’ve already seen cracks starting to show, and some are questioning updates.
One Pixel gets a new feature, the other doesn’t
Google’s Gemini Nano Large Language Model (LLM) was offered on the Pixel 8 Pro to live on that device and create generative AI language suggestions. This wasn’t offered for the Pixel 8 and the base model had to communicate with Google’s cloud for AI responses. That seemed a bit strange considering the two phones use the same AI-forward Tensor G3 chipset, although admittedly the Pixel 8 only has 8GB of RAM versus the Pixel 8 Pro’s 12GB.
Still, the red flags went up. The alarms started blaring. If Google can’t add the same features to both devices now, just a few months after launch, how can it deliver on that promise over the next seven years? What’s going to happen in two years if the Pixel 8 lags miserably, feature after feature? Will we even be able to say it’s an up-to-date phone if Google doesn’t update everything?
Google changed course and eventually gave the Pixel 8 a Gemini Nano, so for now the phones are reaching parity. There have been no more unexpected omissions with the Pixel 8. We might wonder why the Pixel Fold has been so abused with missed updates, but Google’s most expensive phone never got the same promise as the Pixel 8 family, and it runs on a older Tensor G2 chipset, such as the Pixel 7a.
The Pixel 8a should be a bargain phone with bargain promises
Which brings me to the Pixel 8a. There’s no Pixel 8a yet, although rumors suggest we’ll see the phone at Google I/O soon. If Google follows the same pattern as previous A-series phones, I expect some cool colors, lower camera specs, and a cheaper price tag than the Pixel 8.
It will probably cost $100 more than I want it to cost, just like the last two A-series phones, and I recommend waiting for a price drop.
The Pixel 8a should be a bargain phone. It will likely feature the same Tensor G3 chipset as the Pixel 8, as Google puts the same chips in everything launching in the same model year. It should also get the same 8GB of RAM as the Pixel 8, just like the Pixel 7a had the same RAM as the Pixel 7.
But even if performance is comparable between the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a, I won’t have the same expectations for software updates and support. I expect less because buyers will pay less. That’s the idea of ββan affordable phone. That’s fine, as long as Google sets the right expectations.
Google should learn how Apple makes people happy
Just this once, I want Google to under-promise and over-deliver. Promise three years of updates for the Pixel 8a. Give us every update on time, at the same time as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. Make it work. You know, just like Apple.
I really hope Google doesn’t promise seven years of updates, because then I’ll have to hunt down the company’s reps every time the Pixel 8a misses an update. Every time the Pixel 8 gets a new AI search feature and the Pixel 8a isn’t on the list, I’m going to ask why Google gave up on its bargain phone.
I don’t want to do that again for the next seven years. I don’t want to do that at all. So don’t make me, Google. Don’t make me hesitate and doubt the updates. Don’t bother promising so much for this affordable phone. Make it a bargain. Make it right. Then make a commitment to support that can be delivered. That’s what I want from the Pixel 8a for years to come.