The Pixel 3's three years of support are over, while the Pixel 6 is just beginning.
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Android’s November security patch brings Pixel 6 fixes, ends Pixel 3 support
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My Pixel 3 XL had a good run... notched about three years! Pixel 6 Pro is on a FedEx truck headed my way. 
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Is it just Pixel 3/3XL or 3a/3a XL also?
I have a Pixel 3a XL and it just got updated to Android 12, which I am enjoying very much.It would be really shiity to know that I won't be getting any more version updates. The phone works perfectly well apart from a bit of battery degradation, which is as expected after 2.5 years of use. F*** you Google.
I have a Pixel 3a XL and it just got updated to Android 12, which I am enjoying very much.It would be really shiity to know that I won't be getting any more version updates. The phone works perfectly well apart from a bit of battery degradation, which is as expected after 2.5 years of use. F*** you Google.
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Isn't the 3a still in its 3-year support window? The 3a was released in May 2019.
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I was wondering that myself... According to Google; May 2022.
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The dichotomy of the first two posts quoted below made to this article is striking.
I think it's sad that 3 years is considered good, but it is above nearly all other Android brands.
It's ironic that Google commits to 3 years support and does exactly that, while Apple doesn't have any formal official minimum support period, yet historically has had much longer support periods and in fact is continuing the trend overall to longer and longer support periods.
I wish Apple's support periods were explicit minimums that could be surpassed rather than just based on faith.
IOS and Android ecosystems each have their flaws.
I think it's sad that 3 years is considered good, but it is above nearly all other Android brands.
It's ironic that Google commits to 3 years support and does exactly that, while Apple doesn't have any formal official minimum support period, yet historically has had much longer support periods and in fact is continuing the trend overall to longer and longer support periods.
I wish Apple's support periods were explicit minimums that could be surpassed rather than just based on faith.
IOS and Android ecosystems each have their flaws.
My Pixel 3 XL had a good run... notched about three years! Pixel 6 Pro is on a FedEx truck headed my way.
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I know it would be difficult to define and legislate, and also difficult to enforce, but I don't think it's unreasonable to mandate 5 years of security updates for all new smartphones and PCs. The environmental costs of chucking good hardware away for lack of software support is horrific imho.
The PCs obviously are not really an issue and mandating 5 years support would pretty much just maintain the status quo.
Smartphones have now reached the point where they can last for 5 years, especially if rules on easy battery replacement were brought in.
Big picture - and I have nothing concrete to base this on - I suspect the costs of fraud from lack of security updates for old phones probably outweighs the costs of a few years' software support many times over.
Edit: I would also count the support period from when the individual phone was sold, not when the model was released. Again, there may be difficulties in terms of definitions, and obviously if someone buys a pixel 3 that's been sat on a shelf for 6 years after the model went end of line, that shouldn't count. At the other end of the scale, if the manufacturer is still selling the phone themselves though, they absolutely should (imho) still have to support it for the required period from date of sale.
The PCs obviously are not really an issue and mandating 5 years support would pretty much just maintain the status quo.
Smartphones have now reached the point where they can last for 5 years, especially if rules on easy battery replacement were brought in.
Big picture - and I have nothing concrete to base this on - I suspect the costs of fraud from lack of security updates for old phones probably outweighs the costs of a few years' software support many times over.
Edit: I would also count the support period from when the individual phone was sold, not when the model was released. Again, there may be difficulties in terms of definitions, and obviously if someone buys a pixel 3 that's been sat on a shelf for 6 years after the model went end of line, that shouldn't count. At the other end of the scale, if the manufacturer is still selling the phone themselves though, they absolutely should (imho) still have to support it for the required period from date of sale.
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Wait... so no security updates? Well that nixes my plan to hand it down to my kid........
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Yup. The 3a series is separate from the 3 series and will continue to get support until mid-2022.
Also, I know this is Ron's thing (much like bezels), but has Google confirmed that the Pixel 6 will only get three years of OS updates? What I've read says it will get at least three years, and while that will most likely be it the door could be open for later support. A comment on the review I read yesterday mused that the support window may be due entirely to Google's use of modified Exynos chips from Samsung for Tensor.
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And now I'm stuck either never getting more kernel security patches, or downgrading my phone.
My 3's performance is still great, I've never had an issue with it. A better camera would be nice but not worth sacrificing basic usability for.
The 5 is basically a sidegrade at best, and it's getting to be pretty difficult to find. The 5a is too big and the 6 is way too big. Not a fan of having literal chunks cut out of the screen either. I don't want face unlock, and I consider rear fingerprint straight up superior to attempts to put it under screen.
Most other phones have the same issues or worse, and iOS has too many deal breaking issues of its own (bad notification handling and lack of work profile in particular).
My 3's performance is still great, I've never had an issue with it. A better camera would be nice but not worth sacrificing basic usability for.
The 5 is basically a sidegrade at best, and it's getting to be pretty difficult to find. The 5a is too big and the 6 is way too big. Not a fan of having literal chunks cut out of the screen either. I don't want face unlock, and I consider rear fingerprint straight up superior to attempts to put it under screen.
Most other phones have the same issues or worse, and iOS has too many deal breaking issues of its own (bad notification handling and lack of work profile in particular).
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Pretty damning how willing they are to throw in the towel on 3 your old hardware. Not even giving it security updates just screams lazy/we don't care about you or your security and will never delight or surprise you by offering one iota of support beyond that which is stated and required in our arbitrary and underwhelming contract
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I wish my Pixel 3XL didn't just get the Android 12 update. This version blows. I wish I could easily go back to Android 11.
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Yeah, Google needs to extend support by at least a year, preferably two. My Pixel 3 is still going strong, the only reason I moved to a 6 is I dropped the 3 and that caused the case to start separating. If my butterfingers hadn't stepped up to make the decision, it would have been a lot harder to fork out for the 6 because the 3 still did everything I needed it to.
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3 years is a dismal run. Besides they should have given N years (5 is a decent minimum) of at least security support starting the day they last sold the device!
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So my 3XL is still perfectly funtional, faster than a pixel 4 or 5, and a very good phone (with ram limitations)!
but we've got a problem, a couple bugs slipped through in android 12 (the main one that effects me is the keyboard drawing over apps in some situations, in my case MS Teams). This was fixed in the patch last night that the 3 didn't get!
I sure hope that, similar to the pixel 2, they do a final roll up patch in December to fix some of these bugs that came along with Android 12 or else that's a massive problem.
but we've got a problem, a couple bugs slipped through in android 12 (the main one that effects me is the keyboard drawing over apps in some situations, in my case MS Teams). This was fixed in the patch last night that the 3 didn't get!
I sure hope that, similar to the pixel 2, they do a final roll up patch in December to fix some of these bugs that came along with Android 12 or else that's a massive problem.
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I have a Pixel 3a. Overall I've been happy with it, but I feel like the performance is getting poorer and poorer over the last year, and I don't do much more than work e-mails and browse reddit. Not sure what's causing it, or if I should try a completely fresh Android install. Wondering if there are alternatives that would be longer lasting than this has been.
On a side note, Android 12 is rubbing me the wrong way. Feels scattered -- there's a huge clock on the front when the phone is off, but if I have any notification or text message, the clock is relegated to a much smaller space in the upper left. So is Google trying to say that knowing the time is really important (big font) ... except if you have a message you haven't read. Then time is irrelevant. Small annoyance but for some reason it really sticks with me. That and swipe up to close windows vs pulling up the complete app list, I keep doing the one I don't want by accident.
On a side note, Android 12 is rubbing me the wrong way. Feels scattered -- there's a huge clock on the front when the phone is off, but if I have any notification or text message, the clock is relegated to a much smaller space in the upper left. So is Google trying to say that knowing the time is really important (big font) ... except if you have a message you haven't read. Then time is irrelevant. Small annoyance but for some reason it really sticks with me. That and swipe up to close windows vs pulling up the complete app list, I keep doing the one I don't want by accident.
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My Pixel 3 XL had a good run... notched about three years! Pixel 6 Pro is on a FedEx truck headed my way.
Yeah, mine had a good run of 3 years. Could have upgraded for free earlier but didn't feel the need to. Having 8GB of RAM on my new phone, better battery life, and much faster storage is much appreciated though. Also happy not to see the notch anymore, even if I got used to it quickly.
I would have totally handed it down to my nephew (who would have been very happy) if the job had allowed me to keep it...
All this points to Google needing to provide more years of support, particularly in terms of security updates. Latest versions of Android have typically not brought of a lot to the table in terms significant features/improvements but extending that a year or two wouldn't hurt either.
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While I don’t see the political will, the policy itself could be pretty straightforward— require that any networked device be insured/bonded (by the manufacturer) against critical security vulnerabilities, for a period based on the device category (eg 5 years from purchase for phones, 8 years for tablets and PCs, 15 for household appliances, 30 for vehicles).
If a critical vulnerability is discovered and not patched within a reasonable period of time, the manufacturer would be held liable for any damages resulting from said vulnerability.
The insurance/bond scheme serves two purposes— first, it would prevent fly-by-night companies from evading liability, and second, insurers are terrific at calculating risk and would set prices efficiently based on the potential harm of a vulnerability (eg the damage done by malware on your fridge is lower than on your car) and the track record and binding commitments made by companies.
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Mr. Perfect
Ars Praetorian
This is why I prefer the "a" variants from here on out. My 3a will continue to get six more months of patches after getting 12. The flagship 3 on the other hand just has to hope the Android 12 launch was immaculate, because they're not guaranteed to be getting any fixes if it wasn't.
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Just updated my mom's iPhone 6s to iOS 15.1 ... Google should be ashamed.
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All good points - though I'd definitely add in networking gear or indeed anything else that's 'Smart' or connects to the internet in any way.
As for political will, the only country/organisation that I can think of with the clout and potentially the will to do something like this is the EU.
At which point other countries might follow, and if manufacturers are having to do it for the EU, they may not lobby quite as hard against having to do it elsewhere.
Yeah, I know, I can dream...
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You're ignoring the context. Apple has many financial incentives to keep older devices updated, and Google's only just broken away from Qualcomm's chicanery. There are people using the 6S with monthly sub services that directly generate revenue for Apple, so keeping those users updated and in the ecosystem without forcing an upgrade is good business sense. Meanwhile, Google's attempts at updating Android agnostic of carriers and OEMs has been stymied by Qualcomm for years, and they're treading in relatively uncharted territory. Three years isn't much compared to Apple, but we're looking at Gen 1 for Google vs. Gen 6-7 for Apple, not to mention that outside the Pixel line, there's negative incentive for OEMs (who are generally still stuck with Qualcomm) to maintain extended support.
If the 6a ends up with the same support window, we'll know that Google is deliberately withholding updates.
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I have a Nexus 7 tablet that keeps chugging along. Android doesn't get updates, but all the apps do (Chrome), which is a bigger deal in my mind. The reality is that it takes a long time to things to open, and buffering while streaming is common. But as an e-reader, and server-for-kid-games for the grandkids it works great. I just limit things that are on it (not used for email or contacts, for example).
I think people are getting a little worked up on this. Said grandkids face planted my Pixel 3 last year (which is why I resurrected the Nexus), which resulted in my Pixel 5. The Android 12 update is great! Don't know why people are bitching about it. It's not all that different, really, just better integration. Pixel 6 sounds interesting, but I'll probably wait for the 7, simply because I tend to skip generations with tech purchases.
I think people are getting a little worked up on this. Said grandkids face planted my Pixel 3 last year (which is why I resurrected the Nexus), which resulted in my Pixel 5. The Android 12 update is great! Don't know why people are bitching about it. It's not all that different, really, just better integration. Pixel 6 sounds interesting, but I'll probably wait for the 7, simply because I tend to skip generations with tech purchases.
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With the 6 I think Google left the door open to support major updates longer than 3 years with their "at least" verbiage. I'm not expecting Google to make the right choice here, but they've at least left the door open and I am hopeful they do make the right choice. I'm sure Lineage will be an option for many but I do use Google Pay very regularly which loses functionality with 3rd party ROMs.
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Kinda ridiculous that security patches wont be provided. Obviously new versions of Android require support from SOC vendors for new hardware facing APIs but a lot of the security patches have been at the OS level and wouldn't require any SOC vendor support.
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Downloading the update on my Pixel 3a right now, so it is still within its support Windows. Think there is another 6 months or so to go?
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I have a small stack of phones in the house that are fully capable of useful work and are in cosmetically mint condition, but are useless to anyone who cares about security.
If I donate them, am I just adding to the pool of hackable devices being used for whatever hacked phones get used for?
Do I shred them?
Do I use them as electronic tools (oscilloscopes, music devices) for garage projects?
What interesting things have y'all done with your old phones?
If I donate them, am I just adding to the pool of hackable devices being used for whatever hacked phones get used for?
Do I shred them?
Do I use them as electronic tools (oscilloscopes, music devices) for garage projects?
What interesting things have y'all done with your old phones?
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I thought the issue of 3 years support was a Qualcomm driver issue? Isn't that why Google went to Tensor so that they can extend the support period?
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Curious about Apple's incentives to keep older devices running? According to a survey by SellCell Apple has a customer retention rate of 92%. They could easily drop support for anything iPhone 8 or older and have no problem keeping customers, especially ones that are paying additional for Apple services.
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"The Pixel 3 launched in October 2018 with one of the biggest display notches ever"
It has a large upper bezel sure, but there's no notch in the Pixel 3?
EDIT: Oh I see, they mean the 3 XL - but yeah there's not a notch in the 3 at all.
It has a large upper bezel sure, but there's no notch in the Pixel 3?
EDIT: Oh I see, they mean the 3 XL - but yeah there's not a notch in the 3 at all.
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Voix des Airs
Ars Praefectus
Google has always said that. That's what they said about the 3, too (I know because I have a perfectly good 3, that I don't want to replace, that I bought right after release because Google had discontinued support for my previous phone); and what you are saying is what people were saying when the 3 was released, too. As far as I know Google has ever actually done it so I definitely wouldn't count on it with the 6.
I actually find Google's language about support annoying and kinda insulting in that I think it's, at least to date, just been market-speak intentionally misleading people to hope that they are going to get more than they are. But you know... fool me on once... but fool me 6 times?
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My Pixel 3 XL still runs great in spite of the RAM quantity. I was really happy with it. Recently it started to split open at the seam, and the rear panel is now coming away from the chassis. The battery life isn't great anymore either, so I suspect that it may be swelling a bit.
Google has more issues than just LTS with their older phones. The fingerprint scanner on my Pixel 3 XL has deteriorated and only correctly unlocks on maybe 1/5 of the attempts (after several re-learnings). I think the hardware issues are worse than the software neglect in this case.
I moved on to an iPhone XR (same age as the Pixel 3 XL) that a friend sold me (this was when iPhone 13s had a 60 day wait and the Pixel 6 was not available yet), and it still feels like a brand new device. Google's got some work to do in the device quality department still I think. I've been a Google Phone user since the Nexus S, and it's clear that Apple is still untouchable in this regard.
Google has more issues than just LTS with their older phones. The fingerprint scanner on my Pixel 3 XL has deteriorated and only correctly unlocks on maybe 1/5 of the attempts (after several re-learnings). I think the hardware issues are worse than the software neglect in this case.
I moved on to an iPhone XR (same age as the Pixel 3 XL) that a friend sold me (this was when iPhone 13s had a 60 day wait and the Pixel 6 was not available yet), and it still feels like a brand new device. Google's got some work to do in the device quality department still I think. I've been a Google Phone user since the Nexus S, and it's clear that Apple is still untouchable in this regard.
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My understanding is that Qualcomm just won't do anything for older chips, not that they're actively preventing others from supporting older chips.
In other words, if Google wants to put in the effort and expense, Qualcomm isn't stopping them. They just won't help them either.
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