If you buy a Google Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro, you may have access to the latest Android features all the way up to late 2026.
New rumours suggest the new Pixel phones, which will be announced on October 19 at Google’s autumn hardware showcase, will gain four years of Android updates.
Considering the phones will launch on Android 12 out of the box, four years of operating system updates will get users all the way up to Android 16.
If the current pattern holds, that’ll be released in autumn 2025, meaning the handsets wouldn’t be out of date until the launch of Android 17 in 2026.
The latest word comes from leaker @_snoopytech on Twitter, who says there’ll be four years of OS upgrades for the Pixel 6, and a further year of security updates. The leaker says multiple sources have verified the information.
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Previous rumours have suggested there will be five years of support, but now it seems we’re able to dial that in a little bit, if today’s leak is accurate.
That would be a significant increase on the Pixel 5a, which offers at least three years of Android updates for all users, and help to set the standard once again for Android manufacturers. The likes of Samsung and Xiaomi are promising three years of OS updates.
It’s possible the extra support could be made possible by the Google Tensor processor, which is the homegrown chip that’ll power the Pixel 6 range. We don’t know too much about it yet, which is the perhaps the major reason to tune into the Google event on October 19.
We’re pretty excited for the Pixel event next week, which could also feature the long-rumoured Pixel Watch running WearOS 3. It’s also possible Google will update its Pixel Buds earphones. We’ll have full coverage of the event as it happens, so be sure to join us on October 19.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.