There’s a new dark side to Pixel software updates, and we’re already seeing it

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It was quite a remarkable feat when Google announced a then-unmatched seven-year software support for its Pixel handsets. It proved to be a very important piece of the equation that finally challenged the iPhone’s dominance. And Google has so far stood true to its promise, delivering the latest Android updates and security patches to its Pixel handsets right on day one.

This way, Google addressed the long-standing Android issues where users would either not receive updates beyond the first couple of years or would have to wait so long that a new Android version would be out by the time they received the previous one. But in doing so, it created a new problem.

While Google fixed one update path, it parallelly created a new one with the same underlying issues that it set out to address. It’s like curing a disease while causing new symptoms.

Even though the annual Android release schedule remains with multi-year support, Google has stopped relying on it to deliver new features. Quarterly Pixel Drops and, more recently, Android Drops, have become the primary vehicle for shipping the trendiest updates throughout the year. This has directly resulted in the main Android OS updates taking a back seat. They haven’t become completely inconsequential, but they sure aren’t as relevant as they used to be. The recent Android 17 update is a solid example of how bland major OS upgrades have become.

So, what do you even call software support? An annual version update that brings along minor updates or the standout features that highlight the launch events but never reach your older phone?

This bifurcated update stream has ensured that the once-significant seven years of Android updates have lost their shimmer. Without a big bag of flashy features that you’ve waited a full year for, you won’t be frantically refreshing the updates page, would you? Sure, they have made version updates and crucial security patches the baseline now. But the fragmented (yep, that word isn’t easily leaving Android’s side), staggered, and oftentimes perplexing rollout of these Pixel/Android Drops simply makes you realize that the fundamental issue is still looking you straight in the eye.

Back in the day, we were dealing with major Android updates failing to reach older handsets — now the same is true for flashy new AI features.