Qualcomm and Google have announced extended support for Snapdragon 8 and 7-series chipsets, potentially offering up to 8 years of software and security updates for supported devices. This surpasses the current industry standard of 7 years set by Samsung and Google. Qualcomm’s commitment to providing value to products powered by their chipsets is highlighted in this move, aiming to promote device longevity and sustainability.
Key points to note:
– This extended support is available for Android devices launching on new Snapdragon 8 and 7-series chipsets.
– The goal is to enhance device longevity and sustainability, allowing OEMs to update their devices for longer-lasting Android experiences on Snapdragon-powered devices.
– This marks the longest software support period provided by Qualcomm for smartphone platforms accessible to device manufacturers.
It will ultimately be up to the OEMs utilizing Snapdragon silicon to deliver these updates and utilize the program. While there is no guarantee that all phones will receive updates for the full 8-year period, it is likely that companies like Samsung and Google will take advantage of this opportunity, given their focus on sustainability.
Qualcomm has specified that smartphones powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite launching with Android 15 will be the first to fall under this extended support program. Additionally, the collaboration with Google will cover the next five generations of Qualcomm Technologies ASICs.
This announcement is promising news, even though many users may not keep their phones for such a long period of time.