There has been a quiet shift in the last couple of years with Android devices as new phone updates have been extended. For years, it was risky to keep an Android phone longer than two or three years because it wasn't guaranteed that it would continue to receive operating system and security updates beyond that.
Google kicked off the changes in 2023 when the Mountain View company announced that the Pixel 8 lineup would have seven years of guaranteed Android and security updates. The company extended that support to the mid-range Pixel 8a this year when it was announced in May. The Pixel 9 series, launched in August, is also guaranteed seven years of support.
