Google Explains Why Pixel Devices Get 7 Years Of Updates

The tech giant has highlighted the collaborative effort required to achieve seven years of updates, involving coordination with suppliers, partners like the Android team and carriers.

Google has just not only revealed that the flagship Pixel 8 devices will feature Gemini Nano but also delved into the details of its 7-year update commitment during its latest announcement. In the recent episode of the Made by Google Podcast, Seang Chau, the Vice Precident of Devices & Services Software, discusses these developments.

Google Details Seven Years Of Pixel Updates

The tech giant has highlighted the collaborative effort required to achieve seven years of updates, involving coordination with suppliers, partners like the Android team and carriers. This includes ensuring testing labs are adequately equipped for continuous testing and standardising the in-house Tensor chip across generations, given its significant impact on software updates.

Additionally, the transition to year-round beta programs featuring Quarterly Platform Releases (QPRs) contributes to this effort.

In the most recent episode of the Made by Google Podcast, Google revealed that the Pixel 8 will now be equipped with Gemini Nano support, despite previously attributing its delay to "hardware limitations."

You can listen to the podcast embedded below:

Google further detailed its commitment to providing seven years of updates for Pixel devices, a feat accomplished through close collaboration with suppliers, partners, and the Android team. Quarterly updates' reliability is credited to year-round beta programs and extensive testing. The extension of software support to seven years stemmed from analysing active user data, taking into account device usage duration and resale considerations.

“…now that we have these beta programs year-round, we have much more confidence that we’ll have a reliable update for users on a quarterly basis because we have a lot of beta testers. …and ensure that features that we’re moving from the annual releases to these quarterly releases are going to work and work well for our users.”

Google's goal is to introduce software-only features towards the latter part of the seven-year cycle, eliminating the need for additional hardware, it noted.

Gemini Nano On Google Pixel 8

Regardint the integration of Gemini Nano into the Pixel 8, RAM limitations emerged as the central challenge, given the memory-intensive demands of LLM. Google conducted thorough testing to guarantee a seamless user experience, employing strategies such as lazy loading and retaining models for critical functions like Smart Reply.

As Google gears up for the impending Feature Drop, continuous system health validations are underway to ensure the smooth incorporation of new features into its devices.