Google’s freshly revealed Pixel telephones have loads of good issues goin’ for ’em — however do not let all of the shiny surfaces, digital camera smarts, and AI additions idiot ya.That stuff’s all nice and dandy, certain, and it is what’ll doubtlessly persuade some common phone-buyin’ animals to choose a Pixel over all the opposite rectangle-shaped decisions.But what makes Google’s newest Pixel telephones notably important is one thing you may’t see on the floor. It’s one thing a typical human strolling right into a service retailer in all probability will not be in in the slightest degree conscious of. And but, it is the a part of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro that is no doubt crucial — and probably the most consequential from a platform-wide and even industry-wide perspective.It’s the truth that these two Google-made telephones include an unprecedented post-sales software program assist promise. It could not seem to be earth-shattering information, particularly within the context of all of the way more eye-catching, advertising-friendly parts the gadgets supply.But make no mistake about it: It’s probably the most important change we have seen in Android this decade. And it may have a serious impact in your phone-buying future — whether or not you employ a Google Pixel gadget or not.[Psst: Got a Pixel? Any Pixel? Check out my free Pixel Academy e-course to uncover all sorts of advanced intelligence hiding out inside your current device!] Google’s Pixel 8 promiseThe information, in case you have not heard, is that Google’s guaranteeing a whopping seven years of working system updates for its new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro telephones — together with seven full years of safety updates, function drops, and general assist, besides.For comparability, because it stands now, Pixel telephones have been getting three years of OS updates together with 5 years of safety patches. Google has greater than doubled the utmost advisable lifespan of its flagship telephones, in different phrases, whereas persevering with to promote ’em for lower than the main competitors. Now, for context: Google’s Pixels have been already in a league of their very own in terms of improve reliability on Android. My annual Android Upgrade Report Card analyses let you know all it’s essential to know on that entrance: Year after 12 months, time after time, Google will get each Android working system replace into the palms of its Pixel homeowners inside a matter of days, typically even hours, of the software program’s launch — no matter whether or not the gadget in query is the latest mannequin, a second-gen model, or perhaps a three-year-old Pixel — whereas actually each different Android phone-maker flails and fails with delays stretching wherever from a number of months to typically nicely over a 12 months. Google
Google’s Pixel 8 Pro telephone, in its blissful new “Bay” blue shade.
So Google’s at all times been forward of the sport in terms of software program assist timeliness. But it has been caught on this three-year window for longevity for much too lengthy — a legal responsibility that creates a notion of Android telephones not holding as much as iPhones in terms of assist life. Heck, even Samsung began offering 4 years of OS upgrades to a lot of its Galaxy fashions final 12 months, and whereas it is much less speedy and dependable with these deliveries (and switches to a quarterly mannequin for its safety patches beginning in a telephone’s third 12 months, on prime of that), that distinction is not precisely a great search for Google because the platform’s main keeper.The Apple comparability is fairly deceptive, too, reality be advised — as what constitutes an OS replace on Android is wildly totally different than what you discover on iOS. Long story quick, Apple bundles in all types of stuff into its twice-annual updates whereas Google breaks quite a few system-level items out into standalone apps and updates ’em quite a few instances a month in a approach that reaches all gadgets roughly immediately and indefinitely. So it isn’t precisely an apples-to-apples juxtaposition, to say the least.But even so, the fact stays that after three years, a Google-made Pixel telephone has historically stopped receiving working system updates. And regardless of all of the emphasis round safety patches and Play-Store-provided rollouts, Android working system updates completely do matter — as all interface enhancing and have finessing apart, OS updates typically embrace important under-the-hood enhancements together with essential safety and privateness developments. They additionally introduce each expansions and restrictions to APIs, that are what allow third-party apps to work together together with your telephone and private knowledge and carry out a wide range of superior features. Those updates are so essential, the truth is, that I’d by no means recommend anybody hold utilizing a telephone that is not actively receiving ’em in a fairly well timed method.And that will get on the coronary heart of why this Pixel assist life change is so critically consequential. But to know what sensible influence it may have throughout all of Android — and doubtlessly past — we have to dig in somewhat deeper.The Pixel 8 smartphone mathWhen we take into consideration the precise worth of a contemporary cellular gadget, I prefer to lean on one thing I name smartphone math.The concept, as we hinted at a second in the past, is that to ensure that a telephone to take care of an optimum degree of privateness, safety, and efficiency, it must obtain each well timed and dependable working system updates and well timed and dependable safety patches. Whether each single phone-owner realizes it or not, the previous supplies important under-the-hood enhancements associated to all three aforementioned areas — whereas the latter, in fact, fills within the gaps and addresses a wide range of vulnerabilities alongside the best way. And so with that in thoughts, you may consider a telephone’s most advisable lifespan as being the variety of years it is assured to obtain each working system updates and the smaller safety patches between ’em — two equally essential elements of an optimum cellular gadget puzzle.Having that framework in thoughts empowers you to calculate precisely how a lot any given telephone truly prices you for each single 12 months and even day that you simply’d be capable of advisably use it.To wit:
Google’s new Pixel 8 prices $699, and it will get these seven years of each OS updates and safety updates — so, with a little bit of primary number-crunching, we are able to see that it’d price you roughly 100 bucks per 12 months of advisable possession or 27 cents per day over the course of that seven-year window.
Samsung’s newest top-of-the-line Galaxy gizmo, the Galaxy S23, prices $799 and receives 4 years of OS replace deliveries. That comes out to $200 per 12 months of advisable possession or 55 cents a day — mainly twice what you’d pay for the Pixel 8, offered you propose to apply it to some degree for that whole time.
And on the opposite facet of the mobile-tech spectrum, Apple will cost you a similar $799 for its iPhone 15. And whereas the iCrew does not make any specific ensures about its software program assist, it tends to supplies OS updates for six years, in line with current analyses. So with our helpful math, meaning an iPhone 15 will doubtless price you about $133 a 12 months or 36 cents a day over your entire interval of its totally supported, advisable possession interval.
Google/Samsung/Apple/JR Raphael
Smartphone math — the Google Pixel 8 vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. Apple iPhone 15.
An attention-grabbing breakdown, would not ya say? It’s a differentiator Google can be sensible to emphasise in its presentation of the Pixel 8, however all speedy cost-related worth apart, the true influence of this might hit in two way more broadly significant methods:1. It may assist Google seize extra of the cellular market.Now, grasp on: This is not about any sort of bizarre company cheerleading or foolish “winner!” bragging rights. We, as mammals who purchase and use these gadgets, do not have a lot of any actual stake within the cellular market share sport — however we do have loads of inventory within the sensible results the state of that market creates.And that is the place this might actually make a distinction. As it stands now, the US cellular market is dominated largely by Apple and Samsung. Everyone else represents a comparatively meager, single-digit slice of the pie.To be clear, Google’s place is rising — each within the US and globally. In truth, Pixel gross sales have been exploding with double- or typically even triple-digit progress in most up-to-date quarters whereas smartphones gross sales and gross sales particular to most different device-makers have been falling.But aside from Japan, the place Pixels are literally now taking the highest spot on the gross sales chart, the place of Pixels within the greater image stays comparatively meager — round 4% or so of the entire right here within the States, as an illustration. So whereas there is definitely important momentum, these numbers nonetheless must broaden significantly if the Pixel is gonna maintain any actual affect over the state of smartphone improvement.And that is the place Google rising its share of the market because of the Pixel 8’s added worth may rely. No matter which type of platform or telephone taste you like, in any case, competitors can solely be a great factor — and sure, I notice the irony of speaking about Google being the one who would possibly break by means of a longtime enviornment to create competitors! Without true competitors, although, the market leaders can relaxation on their laurels and never be motivated to push ahead with adjustments and enhancements that’ll in the end profit us, as customers.And that leads us straight into the second, extra tangible profit that might come from this…2. It may pressure others to comply with go well with.Sure, the speedy influence of the Pixel 8 providing seven full years of assist is that anybody shopping for the Pixel 8 reaps the advantage of that change. But extra broadly, what’s prone to occur is that different device-makers will finally be moved to match that very same promise with a purpose to stay aggressive and keep away from being seen as falling behind in what they provide.We’ve seen it occur earlier than — quite a few instances. Heck, again firstly of the Pixel journey, Google’s telephones and all different Android gadgets got here with solely a two-year working system improve promise.Back in 2016, a sure riled-up Android author perched upon his soapbox and referred to as for Google to step up its promise and supply Pixel homeowners with three years of working system updates — an above-average assure that’d give Google’s do-it-yourself gadgets an above-average Android expertise becoming with the remainder of their positioning.Google listened, and three years quickly turned the usual improve window for Pixels close to and much. And guess what occurred subsequent? Yup: Other Android phone-makers adopted go well with and began providing three years of assist for his or her gadgets, too. And then quickly after, Samsung determined to one-up Google and supply 4 years for its Galaxy gizmos. See how that performed out?Last December, the identical yap-flappin’ frumpus slid as much as his soapbox once more and prompt it was excessive time for Google to not solely meet however exceed Samsung’s normal and put its Pixel merchandise again on the prime of the Android assist life heap. And, nicely, right here we’re.If that very same cycle continues — and historical past suggests it’s going to — the following step will likely be Samsung and different producers scrambling to catch as much as Google’s new assure. It’s a ripple impact that advantages us all, it doesn’t matter what taste of telephone we want.Mark my phrases: Everything else about these new Pixel telephones could also be attention-grabbing, however this software program assist change is actually transformative — and its results virtually actually will not be restricted to any single telephone mannequin or sort of gadget.Don’t let your self miss an oz of Pixel magic. Start my free Pixel Academy e-course to uncover oodles of hidden options and time-saving methods for any Pixel gadget you are utilizing.
Copyright © 2023 IDG Communications, Inc.