Pixel 8 and 8 Pro: the 7 years of updates promised by Google are the only new thing worth it

It’s back to school, and like every year, Google took the opportunity to present its new phones: the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro. But beyond the AI ​​which is everywhere on its phones, the real revolution announced by Google is software longevity.

Finally a Pixel that thinks long term. During the presentation conference for its Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, Google concluded its tour of new features with discreet, but oh so crucial, information: the new Pixels will benefit from 7 years of updates. A total change in philosophy for Google, which until then was not known for ensuring excellent software longevity.

Updates until 2030

Google’s new phones will therefore be able to benefit from versions of Android until 2030 (until October 2030, to be precise). This is also when security updates (which fix software flaws independently of major updates) will stop being deployed to devices. This is better than the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, which offer 3 years of major updates and 5 years of security updates, and much better than the original Pixels, which only offered two years of updates major.

It must be said that Google was under pressure. Samsung now promises 4 to 5 years of updates on its Galaxy mobiles, just like OnePlus or the manufacturer Xiaomi. But it is obviously the iPhones that Google has in its sights with this policy. Apple is indeed one of the manufacturers that offers the longest software support, with updates offered up to 5 to 7 years after a product’s release.

Good for the wallet and the planet

Google has therefore gone from being a bad student to being at the top of the class with this new tracking policy. And that’s a very good thing for future buyers, but also for the planet. Let us recall that in France, according to a Senate report, “ 70% of the total digital carbon footprint » is due to the manufacturing of the terminals. A smartphone that lasts longer and does not need to be replaced due to software obsolescence issues is a more ecological smartphone by definition.

Technically, this is undoubtedly made possible by the fact that Google uses an in-house chip in its Pixel 8, the Tensor G3, which gives it more latitude regarding the combined operation of hardware and software (this is the famous “vertical integration”). » advocated by Apple for a long time). On the hardware side, to avoid spoiling anything, Google has partnered with iFixit to offer official tools and spare parts to the general public.

Google can (even) do better

Step by step, Google is designing more durable phones at a time when the industry desperately needs them. Is everything rosy though? Not completely. In its most optimistic calculations, the French Telecoms Regulatory Authority estimated in 2021 that “ the total duration of use of mobile devices could probably reach […] 10 years », compared to 2 to 3 years today. Certainly, consumers have a responsibility in this frantic pace of renewal, but manufacturers must also ensure a minimum lifespan to limit the need for repurchase which is exhausting the planet.

We can also welcome Google’s new policy while putting it into perspective. A manufacturer like Fairphone also offered 7 years of updates for its Fairphone 2 and offers 8 for its Fairphone 5. If the Dutch firm achieves such a feat despite the fact that it only employs around a hundred people , there is no doubt that Google could do better with its thousands of engineers and developers.

It will also be necessary to examine the future repairability rating of the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro as well as the price of the spare parts that will accompany them. Because a smartphone that lasts a long time is good, but if it is impossible (or much too expensive) to change the screen after a fall, then this will largely limit the interest in such a promise.

Remember that according to an ADEME report published in 2021, “ the first obstacle to the repair of gray equipment [catégorie qui comprend les smartphones, ndlr] is the cost of the repair compared to the price of the new product “. This explains why only 26% (again according to ADEME) of smartphone breakdowns outside of warranty are repaired.

An example to follow in the industry

Finally, more prosaically, we will have to see how the Pixel 8 behaves after 7 years of successive updates. Often richer in features and more resource intensive, new versions of Android can sometimes bring a phone’s processor to its knees and make it, with great slowdowns and bugs, more painful to use, and therefore more susceptible to be replaced.

However, we can only welcome the decision taken by Google with its Pixel 8, because it is undeniably going in the right direction. In addition, it makes Pixels much more attractive compared to the competition, since they are potentially more profitable in the long term.

All that remains is for the rest of the industry to follow suit, and for consumers to continue to demand smartphones that are ever more durable, more repairable and more affordable.

Sources: Google, Ademe