- Qualcomm has acknowledged that their latest Snapdragon 8 Elite processors supports up to 8 years of Android updates.
- The decision is the result of a collaboration between Qualcomm and Google to extend software support.
- Devices launching with flagship chips and Android 15 in 2025 will be eligible for this 8-year update policy.
Since 2023, Google and Samsung have been chaperoning seven years of Android updates for their flagship and even some midrange devices. This is something other phone makers have a hard time replicating as Qualcomm, the chipmaker for most Android devices, limits a certain number of updates. Well, that limit is now extending as Qualcomm will now allow up to 8 years of Android updates on their flagship processors.
Qualcomm has just announced that it’s extending support for Android updates on their latest Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. This means, devices shipping with this SOC will be eligible to receive 8 years of Android updates and security patches. The decision to offer this long of support is a result of the collaboration between Qualcomm and Google.
Qualcomm will also offer “two upgrades to the mobile platform’s Android Common Kernel (ACK) to support the eight-year window”. This won’t require any effort from the smartphone makers, thus allowing upgrades to be installed on devices without much friction. The company is promising 5 generations of Snapdragon CPUs to support this program.
Other Snapdragon 8 and 7 series processors could also receive the same treatment. Devices launching later this year and coming with Android 15 out-of-the-box will be eligible for 8 years of support. So don’t get your hopes too high if you just got yourself a new OnePlus 13, IQOO 13 or Samsung Galaxy S25.
I feel this will be a net benefit to the end consumer. We will only see this promise come to fruition on limited flagship devices. But even if Qualcomm has extended software support, it all comes down to the device manufacturers to offer said updates. If OnePlus or Samsung feel they cannot support a device for more than 4 or 6 years, then they won’t. However, I couldn’t disagree that it is a step in the right direction. Let us know your thoughts on the topic in the comments below.
