How many software updates will the Google Pixel 7a get?

The Pixel 7a is Google’s mid-range Pixel offering in 2023. With a slightly higher price tag than before, the Pixel 7a continues to provide one of the best mid-range Android experiences, all thanks to Google’s software magic and Pixel UI. People who buy the Pixel 7a care about longevity and support, and it’s important to know how many Pixel 7a software updates are in the works. Thankfully, the Pixel 7a is promised to receive a whole bunch of updates over its lifecycle.

Pixel 7a Android updates explained

The Pixel 7a launched on May 10, 2023, at Google I/O with Android 13 out of the box. Google has promised to provide at least three Android platform updates for the Pixel 7a. Thus, the Pixel 7a is promised to receive updates for Android 14, Android 15, and Android 16 at least.

Google does not promise pixel 7a updates beyond Android 16, but that doesn’t necessarily rule them out. It just means that Google is not promising them at the time of sale. Things could change, and you could get lucky with another update.

Since the Pixel 7a is part of the Pixel lineup, it is also one of the first devices to receive an Android platform update. If you care about being on the latest Android version as soon as it launches in stable or even in developer betas, the Pixel 7a is a great phone to purchase.

How many security updates will the Pixel 7a get?

Google is promising five years of security updates for the Pixel 7a. Since the Pixel 7a launched in May 2023, it will be supported with security patches up until May 2028 at least.

Security updates beyond May 2028 are not promised at the time of sale. But Google has rolled out critical security patches to past devices beyond their initial support promise.

How frequently will it get updated?

For the Pixel 7a, Google promises a monthly cadence for security updates, but no frequency is specified for other feature updates and Android platform updates.

Usually, Google promptly releases the monthly security patches on the first working Monday of the month. However, in some instances, the monthly security patches have arrived later than expected.

As for Android platform updates, Google rolls out the major Android version update for Pixels once a year, usually between August-October. Developer betas for the same are rolled out months in advance, but they are not recommended for average users. Google also rolls out feature updates for Pixels from time to time.

The Pixel 7a received its first major update in June 2023. The Pixel feature drop of that month included upgrades to Crash Detection and emergency sharing via Assistant, a nifty new Pixel Recorder app update, and a palm-activated timer feature for selfie lovers.

How does Pixel 7a’s software update promise compare to the competition?

The Pixel 7a software updates promise matches the flagship Pixels. This means it boasts one of the best Android update policies in the market.

However, the flagship Pixels often launch alongside the latest Android version and are thus able to take proper advantage of three additional platform updates. The Pixel A-series launches just a few months before a new Android version is launched, so it spends one of its promised platform updates rather early when the new version rolls out.

Samsung has the best software update promise among Android OEMs, with a wide lead in the mid-range. For mid-range devices like the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G, Samsung promises four OS upgrades and five years of security patches. This means the Galaxy A54 5G will receive Android 17 and security patches up to 2028. That’s one Android version better than what you get on the Pixel 7a.

On the other hand, Apple makes no definite software update promises for its lineup but consistently keeps some of its oldest devices up to date with features and security patches. For example, the original iPhone SE was launched in March 2016 with iOS 9 and was updated all the way to iOS 16 in 2023.

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