While Google promises up to seven years of updates to Android on its Pixel phones, other manufacturers typically offer shorter updates. But support for updates largely determines how long you can continue to use the smartphone. Chipmaker Qualcomm recognized the problem and promised a major improvement this fall, making it easier for manufacturers to deliver updates for longer.
Not long ago, a few years’ worth of updates was great. Those days are officially over, especially when it comes to the Google Pixel 8, which promises to support new versions of Android for seven years. Well, of course it helps to be an Android creator. Qualcomm will have to settle for less “inside knowledge.” The company behind the popular Snapdragon chips found in many smartphones admits that updating Android is currently “difficult and expensive” for phone manufacturers. According to Qualcomm, this is not due to the company itself.
The culprit phone manufacturer?
In an interview with Robot body Qualcomm CEO Chris Patrick says the company has been working for some time to help keep the Android process, and therefore the devices themselves, up to date. To this end, it will work closely with both Google and phone manufacturers, to “restructure the software on the devices themselves,” as she puts it.
In other words, by improving the way devices interact with both the Qualcomm chip and Android. So it seems to be pointing the finger a bit at the smartphones themselves, whose native code seems to need improvement.
Big improvement this fall
However, Qualcomm is promising to make an announcement this fall that promises to improve its entire ecosystem and, as a result, the products that phone makers produce. This should make it easier for manufacturers to keep devices with older Qualcomm chips up to date for longer.
Although no specific date has been mentioned, the announcement is expected to take place during Qualcomm’s own event, the Snapdragon Summit, in October. Another possible event is IFA, Europe’s largest tech trade show, which will be held in Berlin in September. However, an earlier date would make more sense, as the company has more space and opportunity to announce such major changes within the company.
New Snapdragon chip
Qualcomm will likely then introduce its latest mobile chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. With any luck, this release will also be a first step towards the promised improvements.
Although the company admits that it won’t reach seven years of updates anytime soon, smartphone manufacturers will at least be able to count on easier maintenance. As a consumer, you can finally count on longer updates from more phone brands. This means that you can use your smartphone for a longer period.
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