A week ago, Google won praise for promising to provide spare parts for its new Pixel 8 and 8 Pro smartphones for a whopping seven years, matching its commitment to give the devices software updates for the same period. All this is a far cry from Google’s previous practices around its mobile devices—the Pixel 5, which was released just three years ago, will stop receiving updates on Saturday.
But Google’s change of heart isn’t just a matter of doing the right thing. As the Californian company will have observed, the state’s legislature spent the past several months enthusiastically advancing the California Right to Repair Act—and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it into law yesterday. The new act forces gadget-makers to provide spare parts, tools, and software for their over-$100 products for seven years (it’s three years for items priced between $50 and $99.99.)
