Original Google Pixel and Pixel XL will no longer receive security updates (Update: One final security update to Pixel and Pixel XL on December)

[zanderthunder]

 

Google has started rolling out the November 2019 security patch for its Google Pixel devices. Apart from patching some severe exploits, the update also brings camera- and display-related improvements to the Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL.

 

This time around though, Google is not rolling out the November security patch for the original Pixel and Pixel XL marking the end of their life. The handsets were released back in 2016 with the promise of receiving two years of Android updates and three years of security updates.

 

As per Google's promise then, the handsets should have stopped receiving security updates after September but the company still rolled out the October security update for them. Similarly, despite the promise of Android updates for two years from release, Google extended the software support for these devices and rolled out the Android 10 update for them.

 

The November security patch fixes a number of 'High' and 'Critical' severity exploits. For the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, the update also brings Smooth Display improvements. On the Pixel 4 XL, the display now runs at 90Hz consistently irrespective of the brightness level while on the smaller Pixel 4, the display switches back to 60Hz only when the brightness goes below 42%. This brightness threshold was previously set to 75%.

 

The Google Pixel and Pixel XL launched with Android 7.1 Nougat, receiving three major Android OS updates before reaching their end of life. In comparison, most Android flagships receive only about one or two major OS updates before they are stopped supporting by their OEM.

 

Google promises that all new Pixel phones and devices will receive OS and security updates for three years from release.

 

Source: Original Google Pixel and Pixel XL will no longer receive security updates (via Neowin)

 

p/s: While this news is initially about to be posted under Mobile News, this news was instead posted under Security and Privacy news as the title and post reflects about ended security support for 1st generation Pixel phones.

 

p/s 2: The title has been edited to include new information regarding security support for Pixel and Pixel, in which both of these devices will get one last security update on December, and therefore will no longer receive any updates (also end of support) starting 2020. Refer to my second post on the clarification.

[halvgris]

back then when iphone was locked in any way i really needed

to work. purchasing iphone wasn't an option.

 

later on i became known to the world infamous android flaw,

recent updates. a major android upgrade were available in usa

and asia a whole year before it came to europe. worth mentioning

is that this was a so called flaggship phone.

 

i moved over to iphoneios after my 4 year old ipadios got its last

ever update 4 years after its release. i consider that fair.

 

i got a refurbished iphone for 200 usd that got the last update 6

years after its release. the last three updates made it noticeable

faster each time.

 

the worst thing with this limited security is that with google you

are locked in to every service with your google account.

 

[zanderthunder]

Update: The original Google Pixel and Pixel XL will get one final security update in December.

 

Quote

The Google Pixel and Pixel XL will get “one final software update” in December, the company confirms to The Verge. As of yesterday, it looked like the original Pixel was done getting updates, as Google released its November security update for most Pixel phones, but nothing for the Pixel or Pixel XL.

 

Google tells The Verge that the Pixels won’t get that November update, but it says December’s “encapsulates a variety of updates” from the November and December updates that were issued for other Pixels.

 

It wasn’t too surprising to see that Google’s original Pixels didn’t get yesterday’s update. When Google announced the phones in 2016, the company said they would get two years of guaranteed Android version updates and three years of security updates, which is also reflected on Google’s support page.

 

That said, Google surprised Pixel owners earlier this year by letting them run Android 10, which is one more year of Android than Google originally promised, and now, they have one final update to look forward to as well.

 

Source: The original Google Pixel will get one final update in December (via The Verge)