The Google Pixel 6 tipped to receive four OS upgrades… to Android 16

Four years is a lot of OS upgrades!

What you need to know

• The Google Pixel 6 is tipped to receive four OS upgrades.
• This follows rumors that the device will receive five years of updates, which will likely be security patches.
• Google will announce full details of its flagships on October 19.

The Google Pixel 6 series is less than a week from launch, and while we seem to know just about everything there is to know about the smartphones, the latest tidbit hints at a pretty impressive update policy.

Previously, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were rumored to receive five years of updates, which were corroborated in recent leaks. However, it was unclear if that meant OS upgrades or security patches. Now we might have a better idea of what that means as per known leaker Snoopy, who says we should expect four years of OS upgrades and five years of security updates.

Pixel 6 gets 4 OS Upgrades and 5 Years of Security Patches

— Snoopy (@_snoopytech_) October 13, 2021

While getting five years of OS upgrades would be impressive, four years is still nothing to sneeze at, especially for Android. Since the Pixel 6 is expected to run Android 12 at launch, that would mean it would get updated all the way up to Android 16, and who can even imagine what that’ll be like?

Even many of the best Android phones from manufacturers like Samsung and Xiaomi are only promised four years of security updates, with some devices only getting three OS upgrades.

Google’s in-house Tensor chip no doubt plays a role in this, making it all the more impressive. And thanks to Google’s excellent update cadence for its Pixel phones, we can be sure they’ll come quickly and regularly.

If this turns out to be accurate, it could significantly extend the lifespan of the phones, making it well worth it for buyers who would rather not shell out for a new phone every year. Even the Fairphone 4 is only slated to receive Android 15 whenever it’s available in the coming years.