No Pixel 8? Then maybe Google doesn’t care that much about you and your old Pixel
If you have an older one Pixel phone and you’ve been wondering when the latest Pixel features would finally arrive, I’ve got… news! It could be this week, but probably not. There’s no rhyme or reason to it Google’s Pixel feature is coming to an end, and confusion over features like Circle-to-Search portends deeper problems. Google has promised to support its latest version Pixel8 phones for a long time, and this debacle makes me doubt Google will deliver.
This isn’t really about the Pixel Feature Drop, not yet. I have issues with Google’s erratic ‘Feature Drop’ model, but the biggest thing Google did for phones this year was the promise to release the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro for seven years from the time they were launched. That is unprecedented in the telephone world. Apple has supported its iPhone models for five years and offered the longest support until Google stepped up.
Of course, Apple has been supporting five-year-old phones for more than a decade, while this promise of longevity is new to Android makers like Google and Samsung. Apple has a proven track record. Until the Pixel 8 gets its final OS update in 2031 and the Galaxy S24 in 2032, we won’t know if Google and Samsung can actually deliver on the seven-year promise, or what that delivery will look like.
If Google wants to beat the best, it has to be the best
In the meantime, I look forward to Google following Apple’s pattern. Apple has reliably updated its phones every year, so if Google wants to meet or beat Apple’s promise, it will have to match its practices.
The iPhone XR from 2018 recently received the latest IOS 17.4 update. It also received iOS 17, iOS 16 and iOS 15 on the day these operating systems were offered. There is no delay for older iPhone models. Clearly, Apple’s dedication to keeping its phones up to date provides a clear path to that final update later. I am confident that my iPhone 11 Will get iOS 18 this year because it got every iOS update and every new iOS feature right on time.
Google is asking me to have the same confidence in Pixel phones, and that’s not an easy question. So far everything has been smooth with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. Google’s biggest software addition of the past year, the new Circle-to-Search functionality, was added to those phones on day one. Of course, the new search feature inexplicably launched on the Samsung Galaxy S24, but it appeared on the latest Pixel phones at the same time. No harm, no foul, Pixel 8 fans.
Google said it would bring Circle-to-Search to older Pixel devices, and the rollout was strange. This week, the new feature was added to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro during a Pixel Feature Drop. The Pixel 7a and Pixel Fold, both newer phones than the Pixel 7, have not been updated with the new feature. Why?! All these phones use the same Google Tensor G2 chipset. The Pixel 7a is a bargain phone, but it still has 8GB of RAM, just like the Pixel 7.
Why not bring the feature to all of these phones at the same time? The only reason I can imagine is that Google didn’t think it was worth spending developer resources on this. Google only has a limited number of developers and a limited number of people working on older phones. They first focused on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Other phones will follow later.
This makes sense for a small company, but Google has over 180,000 employees. This smacks of laziness or limited vision from Google’s Pixel team. Google seems to be abandoning its customers without rhyme or reason. Thanks for spending $1500 on the Pixel Fold! Maybe it will end up having the same features as this Pixel 7 that you could have bought for $400.
It’s hard to recommend a phone that Google doesn’t update
This doesn’t happen at Apple, a company that supports its phones long-term. Apple isn’t abandoning its older phones, nor is it leaving its core buyers wondering when cool new features will come their way. If you iPhone 12or a iPhone 13minior a iPhone 15 Pro Maxyou got the new NameDrop feature on the same day as everyone else.
This way, Apple simply treats its owners better. It’s easier to get the best iPhone today because I know from Apple’s history how it will treat iPhone owners. I’m not so sure about Google.
The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are great phones, and I would have little problem recommending them, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have any problems. Will you be mad at me if Google offers a cool new AI feature for Pixel 9 owners, but older phones give no feature or explanation? I asked Google why the Pixel 7a was left out of the search circle, and they said they had nothing to share.
I recommended the Pixel 7a as a great value phone option, but now I’m wondering if Google cares about that phone as much as I do. I can’t recommend it if Google leaves it in limbo for the rest of its lifespan for no apparent reason.
The line in the sand for me is Google’s seven-year promise, and that started with the Pixel 8, so that’s the phone I hold to a higher standard. From this phone forward, including a possible Pixel 8a coming to market soon, I expect Google to treat its phones equally and treat its owners with respect and clarity. If Google wants to change the game and make promises that can beat Apple, it needs to show us that it’s ready to play ball.