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Google Drops Software Support for Pixel 4a Just 3 Years After Its Release

36 points by grecy 3y ago

forbiddenlake 3y ago
This is exactly as advertised since release, and Google has already (two years ago) changed to promising 5 years of security updates for Pixel phones. https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/4457705 https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/4457705
- nightshadetrie 3y ago
  iOS in comparison gets both security and OS updates for 5
  - daveoc64 3y ago
    Apple makes no claims about how long devices are supported for. Some devices get more than others.
    - GeekyBear 3y ago
      Every flagship iPhone since 2011 has gotten at least five years of OS updates and security updates after that.
irq-1 3y ago
So is there an F-Droid like service to update the OS? Can it be done manually?
- mdaniel 3y ago
  I'm guessing the answer is mostly no, since GrapheneOS was the most Pixel-friendly AOSP project I knew of, and they're also "buy a new phone, n00b" https://grapheneos.org/faq#legacy-devices https://grapheneos.org/faq#legacy-devices https://doc.e.foundation/devices https://doc.e.foundation/devices and https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/#google https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/#google both list quite a few of them, but unknown if it's that they are currently available but once the blobs get locked it'll be the same story: unsupported And, of course, going with "community" distros also nuke Play services and thus almost certainly will not allow Google Pay or other niceties
  - msm_ 3y ago
    >and they're also "buy a new phone, n00b" That's uncharitable wording. They're more like "Our main goal is providing a secure OS for your device. We can't promise that, if your device no longer receives firmware updates." GrapheneOS is quite principled in not compromising the device security, and I think it should be respected (maybe it's not the OS for you, but it's OK, because there are alternatives).
  - realusername 3y ago
    Due to the goal of the project, GrapheneOS can only support relatively new devices. That's not the same thing for eos or lineageos.
    - Mochsner 3y ago
      Yeah wouldn't lineageOS be a great option for those on pixel 4a? I'm on 4xl, so I'll need to start exploring this soon :D have wanted to do so anyways...
      - sach1 3y ago
        I don't have the XL, just the 4a, but CalyxOS has been working great for a little over 10 months now.
stringtoint 3y ago
Unfortunate - I didn't know till today. I had been wondering why I hadn't receive an update for September yet.
- sach1 3y ago
  CalyxOS has decent Pixel 4a support, in my experience. I bought my 4a last December specifically because it was supported (and the right price on Ebay). Install was pretty straightforward, and they don't have as stringent a support cycle as GrapheneOS, although I did not try installing that one.

36 points by grecy 3y ago

This is exactly as advertised since release, and Google has already (two years ago) changed to promising 5 years of security updates for Pixel phones. https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/4457705 https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/4457705

nightshadetrie 3y ago
iOS in comparison gets both security and OS updates for 5
- daveoc64 3y ago
  Apple makes no claims about how long devices are supported for. Some devices get more than others.
  - GeekyBear 3y ago
    Every flagship iPhone since 2011 has gotten at least five years of OS updates and security updates after that.

irq-1 3y ago

So is there an F-Droid like service to update the OS? Can it be done manually?

mdaniel 3y ago
I'm guessing the answer is mostly no, since GrapheneOS was the most Pixel-friendly AOSP project I knew of, and they're also "buy a new phone, n00b" https://grapheneos.org/faq#legacy-devices https://grapheneos.org/faq#legacy-devices https://doc.e.foundation/devices https://doc.e.foundation/devices and https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/#google https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/#google both list quite a few of them, but unknown if it's that they are currently available but once the blobs get locked it'll be the same story: unsupported And, of course, going with "community" distros also nuke Play services and thus almost certainly will not allow Google Pay or other niceties
- msm_ 3y ago
  >and they're also "buy a new phone, n00b" That's uncharitable wording. They're more like "Our main goal is providing a secure OS for your device. We can't promise that, if your device no longer receives firmware updates." GrapheneOS is quite principled in not compromising the device security, and I think it should be respected (maybe it's not the OS for you, but it's OK, because there are alternatives).
- realusername 3y ago
  Due to the goal of the project, GrapheneOS can only support relatively new devices. That's not the same thing for eos or lineageos.
  - Mochsner 3y ago
    Yeah wouldn't lineageOS be a great option for those on pixel 4a? I'm on 4xl, so I'll need to start exploring this soon :D have wanted to do so anyways...
    - sach1 3y ago
      I don't have the XL, just the 4a, but CalyxOS has been working great for a little over 10 months now.

stringtoint 3y ago

Unfortunate - I didn't know till today. I had been wondering why I hadn't receive an update for September yet.

sach1 3y ago
CalyxOS has decent Pixel 4a support, in my experience. I bought my 4a last December specifically because it was supported (and the right price on Ebay). Install was pretty straightforward, and they don't have as stringent a support cycle as GrapheneOS, although I did not try installing that one.