Want 8 years of updates on your flagship phone? Qualcomm is making it possible (Update: Confirmed)

Update, October 23, 2024 (03:07 PM ET): Qualcomm has gotten to back to Android Authority regarding our inquiry into this extended software support, and points to SVP Chris Patrick’s comments during the conference’s keynote address:

I am thrilled to announce that starting with Snapdragon 8 Elite, we are now offering 8 years of software support as well as 8 versions of Android support. This is remarkable as it is the longest available in the market today. This support will not only promote device longevity and sustainability, but it also gives consumers confidence that the device they purchase today will have the most up-to-date software and security for nearly a decade.

Better take extra-good care of that Snapdragon 8 Elite-based phone if you plan on sticking with it for that long; perhaps a good case is in order?

Original article, October 22, 2024 (02:11 AM ET): Qualcomm has just announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, and it looks like a major step forward for flagship Android phones. Now, it sounds like the chipset comes with a major software update boost.

Qualcomm senior vice-president and general manager of handsets Chris Patrick told journalists during the Snapdragon Summit (h/t: Nicolas La Rocco and Mishaal Rahman) that the Snapdragon 8 Elite would be supported with eight years of Android OS updates. Rahman added that this support includes the current version, meaning you can effectively expect seven years of Android OS upgrades.

This is great news as it makes life easier for Android phone makers wanting to support their phones for as long as possible.  This news doesn’t mean that all Snapdragon 8 Elite phones will automatically get seven or eight years of Android OS updates, though. Manufacturers still need to do the legwork to customize Qualcomm’s Android board support package (BSP) with their own software skin and features. We’ve also seen plenty of Android makers (e.g. Sony, ZTE, Motorola) offering just one OS update and three years of security patches despite Qualcomm chips supporting at least four OS versions and four years of security updates since 2020.

The news also comes several months after Patrick first hinted at Qualcomm’s plans to make it easier for phone makers to keep updating their older products. So we hope the company has more to share for older devices.

We’ve contacted Qualcomm for more details and will update the article accordingly. Nevertheless, we’re glad to see this extended support policy and we hope rivals like MediaTek also adopt similarly lengthy policies.