Flagship smartphones from OnePlus, Xiaomi, and more could finally match and even exceed the extended software update promise of Google and Samsung.
Snapdragon chip maker Qualcomm has issued a blog post revealing that it has worked closely with Google to make it easier for third party manufacturers to offer extended software support.
From now on, devices running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and Android 15 (or later) will be able to offer up to eight years of Android software and security updates.
Why is this a big deal?
Qualcomm’s involvement should make it easier for manufacturers to “more seamlessly update the software and security on their devices”.
With both Android OS and kernel upgrades, smartphone makers will not be required to make significant changes or upgrades to code across this newly extended eight year period.
This new software update time frame goes beyond Google’s own seven year promise for recent Pixel phones including the Pixel 8a and Pixel 9. It also exceeds Samsung’s similar promise for the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and Samsung Galaxy S25.
Qualcomm has announced this, it says, to promote “device longevity and sustainability”. Longer software support means that you’ll technically be able to hold onto your phone longer without risking your security or missing out on key new features.
Qualcomm
What about future chip and phone support?
Qualcomm also mentions that “Smartphones launching on new Snapdragon 8 and 7-series mobile platforms will also be eligible to receive this extended support.”
It also mentions that this collaboration with Google will cover the next five generations of Qualcomm chips.
This suggests that for the foreseeable future, at least, phones running on Qualcomm’s flagship and mid-range chipsets will be able to offer extended update promises much more readily.
What this doesn’t mean
This doesn’t guarantee that current phones running on the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip will extend their software update promise.
Don’t expect OnePlus or Xiaomi to announced eight year update guarantees for the OnePlus 13 and Xiaomi 15 respectively. Presumably it’s quite possible, but such a move would still require extra work from said manufacturers, who have already laid out their update policies for their early-2025 devices.
Nor does this necessarily mean that every subsequent Snapdragon 8 Elite device will come with an eight year update promise.
As Qualcomm itself notes, it’s still incumbent on smartphone OEMs (aka manufacturers) to implement such extended updates. Qualcomm has just made it easier to do so.
