The Pixel 6 would have 5 years of Android updates
Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are revealed a little more today with their respective technical sheet. There would also be talk of five years of software updates. Both smartphones are expected for fall 2021.
Here is the Pixel 6 datasheet
- 6.4 inch AMOLED display
- Google GS101 chip (codenamed Whitechapel)
- 8 GB RAM
- 128 or 256 GB of storage space
- 4,614 mAh battery
- 50-megapixel wide-angle photo sensor and 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle photo sensor
- 8 megapixel front photo sensor
- Runs on Android 12
And the Pixel 6 Pro data sheet:
- 6.71 inch POLED screen
- Google GS101 chip (codenamed Whitechapel)
- 12 GB RAM
- 128, 256 or 512 GB of storage space
- 5000 mAh battery
- 50-megapixel wide-angle photo sensor, 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle photo sensor and 48-megapixel telephoto lens
- 12-megapixel front photo sensor
- Runs on Android 12
Some details have already been leaked on Google’s GS101 chip. It would have two Cortex-A78 cores, two Cortex-A76 cores, and four Cortex-A55 cores. We must expect a mid-range chip (which nevertheless flirts with the high-end). Also, Samsung is somehow involved in this chip, since Google uses its SLSI (system large-scale integration).
5 years of updates for the Pixel 6?
Another interesting element concerns software updates. Apple is a very good student at this level by offering iOS updates for many years on its iPhones. As proof, the iPhone 6s, which was released in 2015, is eligible for iOS 15 which will be released in September.
It’s more complicated on the Android side where few manufacturers offer long-term updates. Google (obviously) is doing relatively well, as is Samsung. At Google, there are currently three years of Android updates. That would go up to five years with the Pixel 6. We feel that the presence of a homemade chip rather than a Qualcomm chip helps to better control. This is very good news for users, since Google will also be able to make various optimizations specific to its two phones.
