Skip to main content

Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro will finally rival iPhones in OS update support

Google is reentering the flagship segment this year with the launch of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro on October 19. The devices will be powered by Google’s Tensor chipset, which is tipped to offer camera enhancements that can compete with the best smartphones on the market. The Pixel 6 lineup will also compete with the iPhones in terms of the number of operating system updates.

According to a new leak, the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will receive four major OS updates and five years of security patches. It comes from a tipster who goes by the pseudonym Snoopy on Twitter. They posted on Twitter, “Pixel 6 gets 4 OS Upgrades and 5 Years of Security Patches.” It reiterates the longer software support mentioned in the leaked marketing material by reliable leaker Evan Blass.

Pixel 6 gets 4 OS Upgrades and 5 Years of Security Patches

— Snoopy (@_snoopytech_) October 13, 2021

Google currently promises three years of updates for its Pixel devices, and it doesn’t guarantee continued support after the last major OS update. To recall, Samsung promised four years of major OS updates for select Galaxy smartphones, which is currently the most by any company in the Android space. In many ways, Google has fallen behind in the software support game, so it’s nice to see them coming back with a new benchmark for Android manufacturers to measure themselves against.

The Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro will be revealed at an official Pixel Fall Launch event. It will be livestreamed starting 10 a.m. PT on Tuesday, October 19. Devices could go on sale starting October 28 and will likely be sold in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, and Taiwan. It won’t be long before we get confirmation of all these various leaks.

Editors' Recommendations

Prakhar Khanna
Prakhar writes news, reviews and features for Digital Trends. He is an independent tech journalist who has been a part of the…
This one Google Pixel 8 Pro feature is driving me crazy
A person holding the Google Pixel 8 Pro horizontally.

The Google Pixel 8 Pro is a fine phone at $999. It’s got a great display, a good design, a bunch of AI features, and thr promise of updates over a long period of time.

I’ve been using the phone since launch and am getting accustomed to the new Google Photos features like Best Take and the improved Magic Eraser. I like the fact that I can get a great group photo without worrying if someone’s eyes are closed or isn’t ready for the photo. But the experience of using these features isn't what I was expecting.
It’s all about the experience

Read more
I did an iPhone 15 Pro Max camera test and the results shocked me
A person holding the Apple iPhone 15 Plus and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (left) and Apple iPhone 15 Plus Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

An iPhone 15 with a big screen is calling your name, and this year you really do have a choice of two. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has grabbed headlines with its titanium body and improved camera, but the iPhone 15 Plus has the same size screen and is $200 cheaper; plus, it’s a great phone overall.

Read more
Don’t update your Pixel phone — a new Android update might break it
Android 14 logo on the Google Pixel 8 Pro.

Android 14 introduced a host of convenient additions to Google’s Pixel phones, but a recent minor update has utterly broken the storage system for some users. Specifically, owners of the Google Pixel 6, Google Pixel 6 Pro, and Google Pixel 6a who run multiple profiles on their phones are reporting that their phones no longer have access to the storage pipeline for the main profile.

That means users are locked out of accessing the stored media and find themselves unable to add new files as well. A few users have reported on Reddit and Google’s official community forum that they can’t even click images using the camera app because it flashes an insufficient storage warning message. A few others say trying to install an APK package also returns a similar storage writing roadblock.

Read more