If seeing AR stickers and wonders of its camera wasn't enough for you to buy Google's latest Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, Google is offering you another reason - more security updates.
Security is one of the major issues that is cited by users when it comes to Android. While Google's devices - even before its branding them as its own - typically received timely security and feature upgrades, the company is taking things a little more seriously now that it's launching products with its own name on them.
When Google originally released its Google Pixel and Pixel XL phones last year, the company had promised two years of software updates for the handsets. With today's new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, however, Google is adding another year to the software support cycle.
Google's Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will receive three years of updates from the time of release
Remember, this is the "guaranteed" timeframe of Android software updates for the new Pixels. Google typically adds extra time especially when it comes to security updates, but promises conservative numbers.
Google's Nexus phones were also promised two years of software support, but many of them continue receiving security updates from the search giant. [Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X recently got a few bonus months of updates]
However, this extra year of Android software updates wasn't highlighted during the announcement earlier today, making it unclear if it indeed is true. The feature comes as a footnote on Google Store's Pixel 2 listing: "Pixel’s software and security updates for three years".
It is also unclear if Google's Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will receive only security updates for three years (which is already true for the original Pixels) or feature upgrades will also be offered.
While Google has made the flagship smartphone world a little more exciting since last year, it is yet to match the support that its arch rival, the iPhone maker, promises. iPhones and iPads continue to receive both feature and security updates for years. Google starting to slowly add more years in the software support cycle will only give users another reason to hop on to the otherwise-malware-ridden Android world where phones are left out in the wild with no support just a few years after their release.
