Thanks to a new agreement between Qualcomm and Google, more Android phones will soon be able to receive updates for a longer lifespan. On Monday, Qualcomm announced that “up to eight consecutive years of software and security updates” will be available for Android phones running the upcoming Snapdragon 8 and Snapdragon 7 series chips.
According to Android specialist Mishall Rahman, “eight years in a row” is a bit misleading, as Qualcomm takes into account the year of the device’s release. This means that a device can be supported for eight years, but receive Android version updates for seven years – thus, more Android phones will match the seven-year support for Google’s Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 line.
In October, Qualcomm announced plans to expand support, which began with devices running on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform. These include the Samsung Galaxy S25, Xiaomi 15 Series, OnePlus 13, and Asus ROG Phone 9.
Today’s announcement extends the service to additional chipsets, but it’s important to note that eligible phones are not guaranteed to receive the extended support update. This update makes it easier and more affordable for handset manufacturers to provide users with longer support, but Qualcomm says it is ultimately up to device manufacturers to decide whether to offer this service on specific handset models.
“Support for the platform software included in this program will be provided to OEMs for eight consecutive years, including updates to both the Android OS and the kernel, without requiring significant changes or updates to the platform and OEM code on the device,” Qualcomm said.
Phones running on older Snapdragon chips will not be eligible for future support updates, according to Qualcomm. The biggest caveat to all of this, aside from the hope that device manufacturers will actually implement the extended support updates, is that very few phones are likely to last the full eight years. But if you’re looking to reduce your e-waste and keep your Android phone repairable, at least you’ll have the option.
