- The phones that run the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip can obtain up to eight years of software support.
- This will be extended to future Android phones with Qualcomm chips.
- However, will anyone use a phone for eight years? We are not so sure.
More and more Android phones could come with software and longer security support, thanks to an association between Google and Qualcomm.
The Quid of this association means that the two companies will aim to extend the software and safety support for devices that run Snapdragon chips up to eight years of consecutive updates. The first phones that will fall into this initiative will be the ones that will wear the chips of Snapdragon Elite 8 of the flagship grade, with the association that will cover the next five generations of Qualcomm chips.
“What this means is that the support for the platform software included in this program will be available for OEM for eight consecutive years, including Android OS and Kernel updates, without requiring significant changes or updates on the platform and the code Oem on the device. ” Qualcomm explained, pointing out: “This software support can reduce costs for OEMs interested in supporting their devices for a longer time and can show consumers the advantages of mobile processors and Snapdragon software support.”
In a nutshell, this movement should help extend the longevity of Android smartphones. Since, in general, the phones have become so iterative in the new features they offer and how much step forward they offer about their predecessors, there is more reach for people to stay on their phones for longer.
The lack of software and security support hindered this a bit, but with the tastes of the Samsung Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 9 series already offering seven more years of support, such a problem could be consigned to the garden of virtual bones.
However, there are two ‘buts’ for this situation. The first is that, ultimately, it depends on telephone manufacturers to decide how they implement software support, and some are still behind and even OnePlus recognizing that it does not feel the need to provide more than four years of software support.
The second is based on that last point, that eight years is an age for a smartphone, with a lithium -ion battery that has probably worn at that time and fighting to have a decent load on a phone unless Replace, and software advances such as baked characteristics tend to demand more powerful chips. Therefore, it is unlikely that a smartphone will last for most people eight years old unless you use it with a lot of moderate and have no interest in the latest software functions.
However, at a time when there is concern about electronic waste and the environmental impact of technology, this association between Google and Qualcomm is a positive step to make smartphones more sustainable, since it certainly does not seem like appetite of the world is far at any time soon. Speaking of that, see our summary of the best phones if you are on the market for a new device.
