Android Phones Can Support Eight Years Of Updates Thanks To Qualcomm

Qualcomm is pushing the boundaries of software updates on Android phones and has now announced that future Android phones will be capable of supporting eight years of software updates. This goes beyond what Google and Samsung are offering with their most recent phones. Google initially started supporting seven years of updates with the Pixel 8. Samsung then followed with the Galaxy S24 series, and then again with Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6. Google also offers seven years of updates with the Pixel 9 series. The Galaxy S25 has seven years of support as well.

So far, this extended software support is limited to Google and Samsung’s latest devices. As no other OEMs have committed to it. That being said, Qualcomm is helping to advance this kind of extended support and make it more possible for other manufacturers to offer it. And it all comes down to Qualcomm’s latest mobile platform.

Eight years of updates on Android phones was made possible by the Snapdragon 8 Elite

You’re likely familiar with this chipset now if you’re even remotely tuned into the mobile computing world. The Snapdragon 8 Elite is Qualcomm’s most advanced, flagship mobile platform, and you can find it in devices like the Galaxy S25 series, the ROG Phone 9 series, and the Zenfone 12 Ultra. More phones are powered by this chipset too, and more will be on the way.

In a blog post today, Qualcomm details how it has worked with Google to make the eight years of updates possible. The Snapdragon 8 Elite is a big part of this. The company says “Qualcomm Technologies is excited to take this step forward, working closely with Google to facilitate the latest Android OS upgrades on devices with Snapdragon.”

While this is once again a major leap forward for the industry, it is a bit limited at first. That will change, however, and Qualcomm says it’s committed to continuing to make this kind of support possible. That being said, the company also confirms that this will begin with upcoming phones that run on the Snapdragon 8 Elite. It might also end up supporting things that run on the platform that are already available. That will depend on the manufacturers though.

It’s also worth noting that this program doesn’t guarantee support for eight years. Even on future devices. Qualcomm has enabled the support with the Snapdragon 8 Elite. It will be up to the manufacturers to utilize that capability.

Qualcomm will continue this extended support for the next five generations

It starts with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, but it won’t stop there. The company says that this extended support will cover the next five generations of Qualcomm’s ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits). In other words, the next five generations of Qualcomm mobile platforms will also have eight years of updates enabled. Again, though, it’ll be up to the OEMs to use this. And not all of them will.

It’s also worth noting that any devices which do end up launching on the Snapdragon 8 Elite, will need to be on Android 15. The two will likely go hand-in-hand though. Qualcomm also plans to extend this support to devices running on new Snapdragon 8 and Snapdragon 7 series mobile platforms coming later this year. So it won’t just be Snapdragon 8 Elite phones.

For consumers, this is a big deal. Because it sets the tone for even better longevity on Android phones. As opposed to forcing customers to buy a new phone or fall behind.