Qualcomm clarified today that it is supporting its “premium” tier of processors (that’s essentially the Snapdragon 8 Elite lineup) with eight years of kernel updates. That’s more than most OEMs are committing right now for software updates, but that is a really good move by Qualcomm.
Essentially, Qualcomm issues kernel updates to the OEM, and the OEM then sets its own schedule for Android OS and security updates.
Qualcomm’s SVP and GM of Handsets, Chris Patrick, stated, “It’s very important to us for these devices to be useful and impactful to the end user for many, many years to come.”
We haven’t seen this level of support from other chip makers in the mobile space, though that’s really only MediaTek. Google can decide how long it wants to do kernel updates for its Tensor chips.
This is going to allow more OEMs to offer 7 years of updates
This move by Qualcomm will allow more OEMs to offer seven years of updates, or possibly even more. As Qualcomm is doing eight years, we could see some move to eight years as well.
Currently, only Google and Samsung are doing seven years of updates across all of their flagship products. Google is also offering 7 years of support for its Pixel A-series, even though they use the same chip as its flagship devices, so that’s not too surprising. HONOR is offering 7 years of support on some flagships, like the Magic 9 series, and the same goes for Motorola. Currently, Motorola is promising 7 years of updates on the Razr Fold, Signature, and the new Signature 27 that was previewed today at Snapdragon Summit.
This is great news, as many people are keeping their phones for longer than ever before. In fact, the current average upgrade cycle is pushing four years, at least in the US.
The post Qualcomm Just Made It Easier for OEMs to Promise 7 or More Years of Phone Updates appeared first on Android Headlines.
