The highly anticipated Google Pixel 2 lineup was officially announced earlier today and according to the official spec sheet that went live earlier, both smartphones will take advantage of a prolonged guaranteed software update timeframe of three years, up from the previous two years of guaranteed updates made available for the older Nexus smartphones. This virtually means that the new Pixel 2 series should receive at least three new major Android OS updates following Oreo, as well as numerous security patches throughout its lifetime.
The bit of information regarding the extended timeframe for guaranteed updates was revealed by Google in one of the footnotes listed at the bottom of the official Google Pixel 2 tech spec webpage. Having said that, and given the fact that the webpage went live just earlier this morning, there is a possibility that this might be a typing error and both Pixels could still be guaranteed for updates for the next two years, not unlike the Nexus smartphones preceding them. It’s also worth noting that Google made no mention of an extended life for the two new smartphones during the launch event, but this alone doesn’t negate the possibility that these beneficial changes may have been quietly implemented by the tech giant.
Google’s latest flagship phones have been equipped with some of the best hardware components currently on the market, which – in theory – should allow them to remain relevant for the next three years. The spec sheet includes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip housing eight Kyro CPU cores and an Adreno 540 graphics chip, as well as 4GB of RAM. Both devices will be available with 64GB or 128GB of on-board memory, and both share the same camera configuration including a 12-megapixel main camera whose capabilities should match a dual-sensor setup, at least according to Google who also stressed that the unit has received the highest score yet from DxOMark, leading the pack with a total of 98 points. In any case, aside from the display and design differences, both smartphone models share the exact same hardware components and features, meaning that Google should have no difficulty in treating them both equally in terms of future software updates. Whether the updates will be carried over a minimum period of three years remains to be seen.