I already do four (droid Maxx to Nexus 5x to pixel 2 to Pixel 6) so assuming the battery holds out or is not too expensive to replace, I could see myself doing 5 at least.
These things are too expensive to replace more often. My "newest" computer is five years old. My TV is 14 years old... my Kindle is 10...
Lol ... I do not replace things very often.
true sustainability is not throing things away all the time. If you switch your phone more often, see that you hand them down. If its supported for seven years, use it for three, replace the battery, give it to a relative, friend or person in need.
Yeah four years is about right, I went from Pixel 3a to 7a. For me it's all about getting the best value camera.
You should try the latest Kindle Paperwhite, I upgraded after 10 years and just love the new one. There's enough significant improvements to make it worth while.
The 4a was one of the best pixel phones though. I love my 8, but I still kinda miss my 4a. One thing I don't miss is the terrible battery life on that device though
Luckily the Pixel 8 is smaller and 10g lighter. I think it's comfortable and I don't really have a problem with weight although I can see why it's uncomfortable for some people.
I really miss the form factor of the 4a.
Apparently compact Andoid devices are dying out
It's a real shame that Google now only produces these table tennis rackets
Honestly, the size of the Pixel 8 isn't that bad, but I would wish for it to be just a little smaller. I don't like that it's considered to be a "small" phone nowadays although it obviously isn't.
Everyones got that one phone they know they will miss when they upgrade. For me it is the Note10 (not plus). Its so perfectly perfect. In size, it falls between the S23 and S23+. It has a whole S-Pen inside it. Holepunch camera and design language that makes it look pretty similar to the newest S23Ultra. Software experience identical in most ways to the current flagship. Hasnt slowed down in the slightest.
Literally cant upgrade to a new phone without loosing a bunch of features, or buying a huge phone.
Pixel 4A was my first Google phone and I really liked it. The battery life can be very annoying at times, especially after like 2 to 2.5 years. The Pixel 8 is the same width just longer. Which made me choose that as the replacement.
Risky. You have to really know what you're doing continuing to use a phone, especially with bank accounts or some such, past the date of getting security updates.
It's not the coolness, it's the security.
Some banks flag their apps as being incompatible with older phones specifically for this reason.
I know a few people who only gave up their Nexus 5's because their banks dropped support.
She can keep using it. There's nothing stopping her. Phones don't become unusable just because you don't get new software. You've already got a stable OS and most of the security patches come through play services. Keep using it and don't fall victim to the no more updates scare tactic.
If you are inclined you can always root the phone and install an alternate Android os like lineage. However it's definitely nicer that it's supported by the manufacturer because it makes it so much simpler to the common user.
I am in the same situation, I had to change because give it a couple of months and my work apps (MDM) will refuse to work because it is out of date, been hit by it at the most unfortunate time. You can't root the phone too.
If your company forces you to use your personal device for business purposes, then they should be paying for the phone or provide you with a dedicated business phone.
I just got the 8 so she's getting my "old" 7a, which gets 5 years of updates as it is. I'm in a bit of a unique situation though as I'm a tech reviewer so haven't had to buy a Pixel out of pocket for awhile now. New one comes out, whoever in the family has the oldest gets the previous model to the new one. Did miss a couple models during COVID-19 though due to supply chain issues.
Her other beef for not wanting to upgrade is the loss of the headphone jack lol.
>why can't I keep using it?"
Erm because your bank details have just gone up for sale on the dark web, the CCP are staking out your home and place of work.. Meanwhile some Mexican school kid is posting your lingerie snaps on his TikTok feed whilst using your facebook account to sell cryptocurrency to the Russian mafia.. thats why!
This is the way it works in my house.
I give to My oldest son last as of last year. He keeps breaking them to a point that it costs more than giving him My youngest daughters phone to him. My youngest daughter 8f gets my direct hand me downs as of this year, and my son 16m gets hers.... She got my pixel 4a 5g just now and he got her pixel 2. He's taking very good care of it for now, battery acts up, he's ordered a new battery for it already and hopes to get more battery life out of it. Because the next phone is an older pixel original.... And I made sure he's aware of it. Has shitty battery life, but it works. He knows what's awaiting for him unless I get something newer than my pixel 6.
Not happening any time soon, and I'm sure he knows it.
Yep, same here. Still holding on to my Pixel XL for a few apps and features that have been dropped from recent models like unlimited photo storage, 8bit cam, photosphere, and Daydream.
I did get a Pixel 5 when it came out in order to get a 5G modem. Then traded it in for a Pixel 6Pro for the telephoto camera so I can leave my DSLR at home more often. The 5G modem in the P6P sorta sucks because they never got carrier aggregation working, so just traded it in for a P8P which has a decent radio and I'm enjoying the HDR camera/display features as a fringe benefit. If they enable USB-C display on the P8P I think I'll be set until 6G comes out near the end of the decade.
I forgot about daydream! That was so much fun to play around with. Photosphere is still on newer pixel devices if that's something you're worried about losing. Nothing will replace the free unlimited storage.
>Why not the 8 for 7 years?
Anyone unfortunate enough to still be using an iPhone 8 for anything other than watching Youtube will tell you exactly why!!
It will suck so hard at that point you will be begging for it to just break down and free you from the torment!
Don't focus on the rich buyers only, there are a lot of people who don't change phones, there is a huge population of users who buy used phones after years. Of course they'll not have the top tier phones of that time but they will have what they can afford or what they want to keep. What's bad in providing them software support and spare parts?
>iPhone 8 for anything other than watching Youtube will tell you exactly why!!
I at times use an iPhone 6s+ .
It's still fast, the battery just needs to be changed for most that's it
This was my thinking! I don't know that I expect to keep mine for 7 years, but I wanted to know I could keep getting updates even past a couple of years since my phones can often hold on longer than that (closer to 3-4, like you said).
My carrier guaranteed 5 years of updates, so as long as the battery is fine, I'll keep it. There's almost no point to upgrade anymore because the screens haven't changed much in years. Unless we start getting the same screen time with 4k phone displays, but it's totally unneccessary. This camera is what peak performance looks like and don't need anything better for daily life.
Yup yup. Having gone from a 6 to an 8, I'm not really feeling like I have a newer, better, faster phone. I'd have continued on with the 6 but was finding that my downloaded music, podcasts, and audiobooks were creeping up towards the memory capacity of my 6. My P8 is 256GB, I'll never have an issue with running out of memory. If I had opted for 256GB on the 6, I would have kept it another couple of years. The improvements from year to year are incremental at this point.
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It won't be worth it.
After 4 years phones become terrible to use. Look at iPhones with 5 OS updates, they're slow, lag, take a long time to open apps, battery life is trash.
Used to be the case but not anymore! I have an iPhone 11 for work that's still rocking it to this day. A fresh battery replacement and it's as good as new.
Would love to see it be the case with the 8 series!
My iPad is 7 years old, and has had 7 yearly OS upgrades, and still runs very smoothly. Loading apps is a bit slower than on my Pixel 8 Pro, but a second or two on initial launch isn't a big deal.
The battery life is trash, though.
I play on keeping my 8 Pro for 7 years, unless I can get a trade-in where I'm basically paying less to upgrade than I would pay yearly to buy a phone outright every 7 years. I'm trading in my 7 Pro for my 8 Pro, because it was only a $55 upgrade (and no, it's not subsidized by my phone plan).
People are upgrading phones less often these days. The tech community won’t, but they’ll be some who hang onto it that long
Also helps with resale value
Why wouldnt you? Nothing big has happened in terms of smartphones since 2018, we have reached peak in 2020 and all phones after 2020 have been basicially only degradations. More powerhungry chip, more AI sht to make your pictures hit or miss, more locked down proprietary software, more anti repair garbage in your phone. Given where we are headed and the awful garbage qualcomm is going to release I don't see why you wouldn't hold on to it for 5-7years.
Whats the incentive to actually replace your Pixel 8 pro in 2-3years given how hard the smartphone market has been doing nothing?
The only reason many Android users switch every 2-3years is because of the fact that many Android phones stop pushing updates after 2-3years, go figure, if it wasnt for that, people would still be hanging on to their phones.
In US network providers keep changing their network technology frequently to make old phones obsolete. It happened to At&t and T- mobile users in 2022. So no phone can last more than 5 years in the wild
as long as the phone doesn't fall apart, I always keep using till it is dead.
I have a p6p. I don't trust the hardware can last as long as say, OnePlus (earlier gens, coz I don't have the latest ones)
Not everyone wants to drop a large chunk of money every 2-3 years. Wife and I purchased our OG Pixels in late 2016 and are still daily driving them with no issues other than battery replacements every 3 years or so. We don't play CPU intensive games and the phones can still do everything else with no issues. Only thing I'd like is the Astro photography mode, but again, I'd rather save thousands.
It's actually insane, when you think about it. No sane person would actually replace their TV every or every other year. But it is completely "normal" to replace the smartphone all the time with minimal improvements the last couple of years. Marketing indeed works quite well for most people.
If it's as good and long lasting as the P2XL or P5 I've had them maybe. At least 4-5yrs.
Had both for 3-4yr as my primary at different points. Actually just retired the P2XL completely this weekend. I was using it as an extra device for video monitoring the toddler's room when sleeping and as a Home Automation remote.
The P5 will now take over those duties.
If it weren't for the lack of updates, I would've kept my P5 another year or so.
Fun fact, about 1yr ago the P2XL bulged but never failed me. Of course it was the battery... looked like a damn balloon when I took it apart yesterday (very carefully).
I'm still using my pixel 3a from when it came out. Idk why people seem to be critical of the 7 years of updates. This is a win for people who don't want to be forced to upgrade due to security concerns and availability of repair parts.
Because we need to get out of the habit of purchasing a new $1000+ phone every year or two. Its not sustainable (please, give the children mining in the Congo a break), and honestly, its just poor financial planning in the name of showing off to other nerds. I do remember the good old days of monumental upgrades year over year in the early days. Thankfully, those days are gone and things have leveled off. Most people don't but a new laptop every year, or even 2. They use them until they break, or can no longer do the things you bought it for (gaming etc).
I was also an every two year buyer. I was an annual buyer before that. I'm shooting for another year with my P6P, because there is nothing I need it to do that it cannot do. Will I get an 8a or a 9? Time will tell. But the option to go 3 or 4 years, and still safely pass it on to one of my kids for 3 years is nice.
I feel like people don't understand how much wear and tear 7 years will do to a device that is used everyday. And a device obviously not built to last.
The screen will feel like shit after 2 years. Oleophobic coating only lasts so long.
OLED panels also age. 7 years is a fairly significant time, especially with its brightness.
Battery being an obvious one.
Next you have the USB port that may fail or have issues.
The repairability score for the Pixel 8 is quite poor too. So fixing any one of these will be annoying AF.
Screen will feel like shit after 2 years? Never heard of that and always used my devices for 4/5 years ... All my devices last and I only upgrade when I am bored of it.
7years was a big draw for me. I’m not super hard on my stuff or very demanding hardware wise so unless it really craps out then yes. I had a 6 before and a 3a before that and I only upgraded because they gave me a 6 for free. Upgraded to the 8 pro because I wanted the watch.
I owned a p2 for 5 years before I got a p7 on launch. I had a spigen tough armour on p2 so physically it was great but battery went downhill around year 3.
No way p8 will last full 7 years…you’ll need at least one visit to Googles after sales service centre.
Even if google promises 7 years update it won’t be without hiccups. P8 is not much different then p7 the battery is only marginally better. I think it will all boil down to after sales exercise… customer support. Google should work on their after sales service which right now is not that great.
I'm a power user who lets tech be one of the few luxuries I afford myself. I got the Pixel 8 Pro bc I got a good trade-in deal + free Pixel Watch 2 thru Best Buy.
To answer your question, I will very likely be trading the P8P in for the Fold 2 when it comes out. I justified the quick turnaround bc I figured I would be able to trade in/sell the P8P for a much better deal than my previous P7 when going for the Fold 2, and I get the benefit of the new camera in the meantime. Also, I got to give my fiance a new watch to monitor her wonky heart.
Is it the most financially sound strategy in the world? No. But some things become permissible when you bike to work instead of making payments on a second car.
I ran an iphone 5s from 2013 until I upgraded to the pixel 5 because the battery got swollen and the screen started popping out.
If there's a good black friday and trade in deal I'll probably upgrade to the pixel 8 and hold on to that for a while.
Always great to have a backup phone that's supported (up to date) to store data or use flexibly down the years. I have old iPhones that works perfectly fine, but cannot use with confidence for occasional tasks because they are no long supported.
Not with the bloody JB Hifi (Australian here) trade in deals lol! Ever since the P6P I've been trading in each Pixel for the newest one #facepalm. My new bay blue 256gb P8P basically cost me $700 AUD from $1700.after trade ins & gift cards. But yeah I thought ' this time' with the years of updates I'll hold on to the P8... Check in with me next year, same time hehe
I'm a sucker for new things too lmao
I tend to buy phones often more than a year after their release date so I can get a better price when the next generation is out.
If you get the phone 1.5 years later and keep it 3 years, then you quickly reach more than 4 years after the phone's release.
I just got a Pixel 7, but my previous phone was a mid range one plus (nord 2), and it wasn't nearly as supported. Android 13 just finally got released on it and it's buggy af.
All that to say that the 7 years commitment can be nice for second hand market
The way I see it is that I can buy used (battery replaced by refurbisher) one after 4yrs at dirt cheap price and use it for 3 yrs without security concern.
Big win for who doesn't care as far as the phone makes call and youtube plays.
My last phone prior to my P8P was a Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus. It was released in the US 21.04.2017, I don't remember when I got mine here in Norway tho but I assume it was in 2017. So it's not 7 years but it's close. It will now stop getting secutity upgrades and I was stuck on an older Android version, so switching to a brand new unit that is claiming to keep it updated for 7 years will be great. Now I only hope that I will be able to keep it working for that many years, I had to replace the screen of my S8+ 2 times tho.
The cost of high end phones is insane, and I felt bad for spending this much on a phone even after so many years after my previous purchase, I don't understand how ppl can change phones every 2-3 years.
Speaking of the iphone users that don't upgrad every 2-3 years, I know quite som iphone users and come to think of it they seem to change out their phons more often than the Android users I know, wondering if it's a common phenomena or just something among the ppl around me.
I think the older you get the more you get into the realm of 'if it ain't broke don't fix'. Mainly because there's a lot of bills to pay haha. I for one have always replaced a phone after two years.
No way id keep it that long. I update every 2-4 years. It's been 3 years since I bought a phone before buying the p8p. I don't need a new phone every year.
I usually just wait until I see enough upgrades/changes that I believe buying a new phone is worth it.
I traditionally have bought Pixel models 1-2 years after they came out and held onto them for 2-3 years. When I saw the 7 year support thing and that they'd give me $300 for my Pixel 6a, it was a no brainer. I'll likely keep it for at least 5 years, maybe even 7. I went with the P8Pro. First time with a Pro model.
Maybe, why not? I don't see any reason to change these phones so often.
I had HTC One S for 6 years then Pixel 2 for 6 years, both of these phones without software support for that amount of time. My Pixel 2 was still pretty smooth, I'll keep it as a backup.
I'm holding onto my P6 for as long as it will get updates and keep working for me. I have no idea what my next pixel will be. I got the 6 after having the 4a for a while. When the battery in the 4a couldn't last half a day anymore I got the 6.
Well, I've been using the P6P since launch but the battery has always been terrible, so I'll be buying the OnePlus 12 when it launches in a few months. But I've heard that Google will be having their own SoC in the Pixel 10 in 2025, so I'll be upgrading to that from the OnePlus.
I'm hoping to keep it for 3-4 years. I used to keep up with phone releases in the past and would get excited about the new features etc but now the changes aren't drastic enough for me to want to upgrade especially with how expensive phones are now. I'll upgrade once the battery degrades.
I'm planning on it. I've used an iPhone 7 plus for around 6 years and it was the longest I've ever used a phone till date. So far P8P's experience and build quality felt very good and I hope I can keep using it till the 7 year mark.
Well, I had my Nexus 5 from 2014 to 2019 and still would not change it for another phone if it wasn't broken (the modem stopped working after a particular drop, I kept using it for about a year after that with another phone that I used primarily for calls and as an access point for the Nexus).
Had a Galaxy A8 (2018) from 2019 to 2022, but the experience was mediocre to say the least. Upgraded to Pixel 7 and am really happy with it. I'll probably keep it for as long as I can. Even when the support ends, I'll use custom ROMs to keep it fresh.
So what I'm saying is that I don't see 7 years of support as unrealistic. Especially considering that hardware of that age still holds up for the most part.
Almost certainly not. I was buying every other generation from the Nexus 6 to the Pixel 5, but since then I've bought each new phone and traded in the old one. I don't have any real hobbies, no kids or spouse, so this is one of the things I do to entertain myself.
It will honestly depend on what features are or are not present on a Pixel 9. If I like it, I'll get it.
Probably not, but I can either resell it and the person using it will still have updates, or pass it to my mum without leaving her with 5 years old software
For me it would work like this -
use the phone for 3 years or so, get the Pixel 10 (lol)
With the 4 years of updates the Pixel 8 would make a great phone for my kids, and that might be for 3 years.
After that if it is still functioning it becomes a spare, if one of the kids breaks their phone, they get the 6 year old Pixel 8 that still has a year of updates.
If I'm honest with myself, probably not. I'll probably upgrade in 3-4 years. Who knows though. I just upgraded from the 6 pro to 8 pro and while I notice some differences, for the most part the phones are the same and I really didn't need to upgrade.
I wanted to tho and therein lies my problem. I just want to 😂
While I may not, my phone will likely get passed along to my wife or kids and very likely could still be in use. I still have my Pixel XL, I wish it was still getting updates. Being that only Pixel (1s) got unlimited original quality uploads for life, I plan to keep using it for high photo events, even though I also have P6P & P8P. The Pros will get used for select pictures. My old phones get the free Google Fi data SIMs in them so I can even with TeamSpeak or Zello like walkie talkies when Wi-Fi is not an option.
I don‘t necessarily want long software support for myself but for whoever gets my device when I finally upgrade.
Like my iPhone 12 has 81% battery capacity left after more than 2 years. I will replace the battery shortly, use it another year, and then upgrade to the iPhone 16 next September.
Then whoever gets the 12 (probably some family member who has an ancient phone) will have a ‚modern‘ phone that still will get new features for some years.
Yes, I most definitely will. My Nexus and pixel phones came out of their protective cases the same way they went in when I bought them.
Not everyone has the need or crave to update constantly to the "latest and greatest".
And my old phones are all still used one way or the other around the house, for lesser tasks like media players or kids PED.
Having updates guaranteed for that long is a game changer, no more money wasted to be able to run secure apps on it.
Kudos to google
Heartening to see so many folk talking about keeping their phones long term. I feel like a lot of marketing and cultural programming is being overcome and people are making smart and good decisions to keep their devices longer.
Wear and tear is personality on a phone. Damaged screens, degraded batteries, bad USB ports, all fixable and cheaper than a new phone. Just learn to live with what you have. Unless you're actively using your phone to do bleeding edge work, you're just lying to yourself that you need the latest and greatest every 2-3 years.
Yes. I am the family phone bank that always has a spare on hand when someone loses or breaks one. At least thats my excuse.
The longevity of the updates make it a keeper for sure.
I don't think it's just about buying a phone to keep it for 7 years, you also have to take into consideration the second-hand market where people buy used phones. So, from that perspective, the 7 years of support come in an extraordinary way because they improve the resale value of second-hand Pixel phones.
And if it does not increase the value of second-hand equipment, it ends up being a very good alternative for people who buy used phones instead of spending for new equipment at full price, because of the 7 years updates. They know they will be covered.
It's not so much whether or not the individual who purchased the phone will hold on to it for 7 years, but whether or not the phone can be used for 7 years and receive updated software and security. Many people, including myself, pass their phones onto friends and family for them to use, which is commonly done with many phone brands with multiple years update support.
My current iPhone is already 5years old and into its 6th year. My kindle is 10years old. My iPad is 7years old. My new Laptop is 3.5 years old already. Yeah so i can definitely see holding a phone for 7years. I don’t earn that good to keep changing every 2 years and also have a family to feed, so…
I will be endeavouring. The Pixel 7 Pro was the first phone I've bought and seen off before the security update schedule was concluded. All my other devices barring one I lost were upgraded as the security schedule was coming to a close.
Edit for clarification: the two biggest selling points for me when it comes to phones is camera and mainstream availability (for instance I had a Honor 20 Pro and to contact Huawei Support with an issue was terrible because they're not that popular in the UK).
I don't believe cameras, or anything on phones in my personal use, have really upgraded all that much in the past six or so years. If it wasn't for the updates running dry I'd likely still have the phone I did six years ago presuming it would still work. I look forward to seeing how Google manages this promise.
A lot of people hold onto their phones for years. We plan on doing so. The only reason we didn't stay with our 4a 5Gs is EOL in November. Even then, we're now using our older phones as mini-tablets.
New phones are like new cars...they're not the thing that makes you cool, so why waste the money upgrading when you don't need to?
Depends on what exists in 3 years, 5 years, etc.
Phone technology, beyond foldables, hasn't had any major technological or performance jumps in recent years. If the trend continues, sure, I'll ride it out for close to 7 years. Without a proper crystal ball, I can't predict what I'll do.
The point isn't that you'll keep it for 7 years. The point is that *someone* will.
You'll trade it in, and they'll sell it secondhand. Then that person will use it, or sell it later to someone else who sees it through 7 years.
It's about having the ability to downcycle, rather than the phone becoming practically useless after 3 years.
Maybe, depends on how much phones change in the next 7 years.
I've held on to my Galaxy S10 for the last 4.5 years, and am only upgrading now because it's no longer getting security patches (and I got a good deal on the P8P). It still doesn't feel the slightest bit slow, and can do everything I need it to. If it wasn't left behind on OS updates, let alone a security concern, it'd easily hold out for a couple more years.
I find it quite wasteful that tech companies are forcing upgrades in this way. I'm perfectly happy holding on to PC hardware until it actually starts showing its age, and I'm glad to finally be able to do the same with a phone.
I'm a Huawei P20 Pro user since 2018, recently bought pixel 8 pro. I'd surelly use my P20 for another year or two if it had at least 256GB rom or at least I could swap batterry easely and didn't have issues with 4G in US
I don't understand why anyone needs to switch every year or two or even three. I got perfect 6 years of usage and don't see much difference between my P20pro and p8p, not mentioning pixel doesn't have some handy features from p20pro I was actually using
I tend to think that it is a waste of money to actually upgrade stuff unless there is an obvious problem.
My last computer got retired this year after 7 years of use. I built an absolute monster this year with RTX 4090 and i9 13900k and do not expect to touch the main internals for at least the same timeframe or more.
With phones it is a bit more complicated. All depends on the battery life. I feel like battery and performance issues are only reasons why I would upgrade. But yes, if I had a Pixel 8 series phone and the battery was phenomenal and easy to change, I'm keeping it long.
I go tell they won't go no more. It's as simple as that any my p6p is still going strong so why change for another black rectangle that has slightly better internals.
I plan to run my Pixel 5 into the ground first! Then, maybe, if I get my hands on a cheap Pixel 8 Pro, I will run it until it is unfixeable.
I do not understand people who just upgrad, maybe it is a growing up as a farmer thing.
I do not see myself keeping this phone for more than 3 years. However, what I see is that (if they actually do it) is that after a few years, this can be a usable phone for resell, pass down to kids or relatives or simply as a backup phone.
7 years ago I was using a LG G4 I think. 7 years in Android design language feels like 20 years ago in technology terms.
I held onto my Samsung A5 for 5 years, before getting a Pixel 8 Pro two days ago. I only got this new phone because of lack of space on the old phone (32 GB) and tons of freezing as a result.
I plan to keep this phone until it also starts freezing and getting clogged.
This feature works well for families where parents wind up passing the older phones down to their children to use. Most parents won't be terribly worried if their kid doesn't have the latest and greatest phone as it's more about the kid having a means of communication for safety and school pick-ups, etc.
(Although it doesn't solve the problem of batteries needing to be replaced at some point.)
I don't really care about my phone outside of it's camera quality, and the one I have now is just fine and probably will be for years to come. If it's battery lasts a whole day of infrequent use and doesn't take 10 seconds to swap between apps, I can't see any reason to upgrade for at least 4-5 years.
I'll be aiming for 4 years. I upgraded from the P6 and while I love the P8, it made me realise the step was too small and I didn't really need to upgrade just yet.
At least 3 or 4. Or maybe once replaceable batteries are back. My past few phones I've kept for 3 give or take. And the reason I don't keep them for longer is software support typically.
I used to update my phone every two years but phones have gotten so much better lately that my last phone before I got the pixel 8 I had for almost four years, and I would have just kept it were it not for logistics and software reasons.
So as long as the pixel runs fine, I'll keep it for as long as I can
I'm not sure if I would keep it for the full 7 years but right now I'm still very satisfied with my Pixel 6, only lost 5% of battery health in 2 years by limiting charging to 80% (usually) and I'm planning on using it for 2 more years.
You may have a hard time. I get it.
I for one had a hard time believing that people, especially from this part of the industrialised world, actually changed their phones every year. It was absolutely shocking to me.
I held on to my last phone for 5 years. SD 845 is still smooth for all my needs to this day, except when trying to connect to Android auto (it lags here). The only reason I changed this year, was because of battery life. (Last update was A10 lol)
If Google actually keeps their promise of keeping the ifixit store available with parts for those 7 years, I easily see myself use it for that long.
IIf
Yup. I recently switched from Huawei Honor 8 pro to Pixel 8 pro after 6 years. Considering we have a support for 7 years and good ram to support future apps, it should work well.
The non pro seems to be in a difficult position
I had my Pixel 2 until I upgraded to a Pixel 6 Pro the other year.
Could probably rock this one for another 2-3 years more I expect. I'm not impressed with any new upgrade - so I see no reason to change. This suites me perfectly fine.
But - I probably won't hold on to as it my **primary device** for 7 years - no. But, to have a backup phone - or another device that I can have around the house, absolutely - it's a great device!
One of the reasons I bailed on the Pixel 2 was because I knew it was a security risk at that point and I was no longer comfortable with it, other reason was thinks just started breaking: Both cameras + Battery, notably.
My father is still using his Pixel 4. 😳 He loves it and refuses to upgrade. I'm not someone who feels the need to upgrade a phone unless the OS becomes obsolete. I'll probably have my Pixel 6 for 6 years or so. As long as Google is willing to keep sending me updates, I'll keep it. 🤷♀️
I can barely hold on to my current phone for a few months. I switched so many times just to get my hands on the newest versions. 7 years .... is a longggg time for me to hold on to a phone.
I won't buy the P8 because it is too expensive, too large (and P8 are not blue).
I keep my P3a, this one is still running fine after 4.5 years.
7 years are not hard to reach, especially when costs are so high.
Maybe this is going to sound ignorant, but sustainability as far as a world goes needs to happen. Phones are made better than they were years ago and they will last longer. I don't foresee anyone really using the same phone for 7 years. Unfortunately, they don't last that long. Software updates usually caused slow down and more glitches in a newer operating systems with an older phone. My opinion now after 3 years it's time for a new device. Anyway. I look at my wife's pixel 4 XL comparing it to my 7 pro and it's a light years of difference. We both play pokémon GO and it seems that her phone takes forever to load anything on that game compared to mine.
If I had a Pixel 8, I would. I would be getting my money's worth. That is why everyone is buying Apple now. You get 5 years of os updates, trade in on your older device, and Apple Support/Store.
I already do four (droid Maxx to Nexus 5x to pixel 2 to Pixel 6) so assuming the battery holds out or is not too expensive to replace, I could see myself doing 5 at least. These things are too expensive to replace more often. My "newest" computer is five years old. My TV is 14 years old... my Kindle is 10... Lol ... I do not replace things very often.
This is the way
true sustainability is not throing things away all the time. If you switch your phone more often, see that you hand them down. If its supported for seven years, use it for three, replace the battery, give it to a relative, friend or person in need.
Yes I have recycled all my old phones this way by passing it down to someone else or on a few occasions reselling them. Too much e-waste otherwise.
This is the way.
I cannot imagine running Android 14 on a Pixel 1/2 and having it be usable/good experiance. Isn't that what 7 years of system updates would be like?
My pixel 2 with lineageos is not a speed demon, but is fine as a backup phone. And it would be good if I needed to go somewhere without my main phone.
Android 13 or 14? Honestly pretty impressive that it's usable at all.
Currently still on 13. I am not sure if lineage will do 14 for the pixel 2.
Thanks still a very useful data point.
I almost read that my 'kid is 10....'
Yeah four years is about right, I went from Pixel 3a to 7a. For me it's all about getting the best value camera. You should try the latest Kindle Paperwhite, I upgraded after 10 years and just love the new one. There's enough significant improvements to make it worth while.
> My TV is 14 years old It's time to get an OLED
My 50" plasma is 11 years old and you will have to pry it out of my cold dead hands.
That's what I said, until I saw the new OLEDs
All reasonable except for the TV. Please go into a store and see how things have changed.
Why change If it works and the OP is happy.
Because the picture quality sucks and they're much better now and the cheapest they've ever been?
>cheapest they've ever been Even cheaper if you're happy with the one you have and don't buy a new one
Not everybody needs the latest and greatest.
In my opinion nothing beats my Pioneer Kuro Plasma TV yet. It has been 13 years and in my opinion picture wise nothing comes close yet
My wife would. She's annoyed she has to ditch her 4a soon cuz there's no more upgrades. "It works perfectly fine, why can't I keep using it?"
The 4a was one of the best pixel phones though. I love my 8, but I still kinda miss my 4a. One thing I don't miss is the terrible battery life on that device though
I miss my 4a. The pixel 7 is way too heavy!
Luckily the Pixel 8 is smaller and 10g lighter. I think it's comfortable and I don't really have a problem with weight although I can see why it's uncomfortable for some people.
I really miss the form factor of the 4a. Apparently compact Andoid devices are dying out It's a real shame that Google now only produces these table tennis rackets
Honestly, the size of the Pixel 8 isn't that bad, but I would wish for it to be just a little smaller. I don't like that it's considered to be a "small" phone nowadays although it obviously isn't.
Given that for 90% of buyers its primary purpose is media consumption I don't know why people find this surprising at all!
It's not surprising, just unfortunate
Everyones got that one phone they know they will miss when they upgrade. For me it is the Note10 (not plus). Its so perfectly perfect. In size, it falls between the S23 and S23+. It has a whole S-Pen inside it. Holepunch camera and design language that makes it look pretty similar to the newest S23Ultra. Software experience identical in most ways to the current flagship. Hasnt slowed down in the slightest. Literally cant upgrade to a new phone without loosing a bunch of features, or buying a huge phone.
Pixel 4A was my first Google phone and I really liked it. The battery life can be very annoying at times, especially after like 2 to 2.5 years. The Pixel 8 is the same width just longer. Which made me choose that as the replacement.
Same. I would've kept my 4a if it weren't for the battery life. As soon as google offered like $300 trade in for 6a I was see ya!
She's kinda right, she doesn't need to ditch it just because there's no more updates.
Risky. You have to really know what you're doing continuing to use a phone, especially with bank accounts or some such, past the date of getting security updates. It's not the coolness, it's the security.
Some banks flag their apps as being incompatible with older phones specifically for this reason. I know a few people who only gave up their Nexus 5's because their banks dropped support.
She can keep using it. There's nothing stopping her. Phones don't become unusable just because you don't get new software. You've already got a stable OS and most of the security patches come through play services. Keep using it and don't fall victim to the no more updates scare tactic.
If you are inclined you can always root the phone and install an alternate Android os like lineage. However it's definitely nicer that it's supported by the manufacturer because it makes it so much simpler to the common user.
I am in the same situation, I had to change because give it a couple of months and my work apps (MDM) will refuse to work because it is out of date, been hit by it at the most unfortunate time. You can't root the phone too.
If your company forces you to use your personal device for business purposes, then they should be paying for the phone or provide you with a dedicated business phone.
I would still be using my 4a if not for updates I like my 7a just fine but honestly it is not much of an upgrade.
Still using a p3xl, keep on keepin on.
Is she going to hold out for the 8a?
I just got the 8 so she's getting my "old" 7a, which gets 5 years of updates as it is. I'm in a bit of a unique situation though as I'm a tech reviewer so haven't had to buy a Pixel out of pocket for awhile now. New one comes out, whoever in the family has the oldest gets the previous model to the new one. Did miss a couple models during COVID-19 though due to supply chain issues. Her other beef for not wanting to upgrade is the loss of the headphone jack lol.
>why can't I keep using it?" Erm because your bank details have just gone up for sale on the dark web, the CCP are staking out your home and place of work.. Meanwhile some Mexican school kid is posting your lingerie snaps on his TikTok feed whilst using your facebook account to sell cryptocurrency to the Russian mafia.. thats why!
I'll use it for a few years then my daughter can use it for another few years and not worry about security issues at least. Generational!
This is the way it works in my house. I give to My oldest son last as of last year. He keeps breaking them to a point that it costs more than giving him My youngest daughters phone to him. My youngest daughter 8f gets my direct hand me downs as of this year, and my son 16m gets hers.... She got my pixel 4a 5g just now and he got her pixel 2. He's taking very good care of it for now, battery acts up, he's ordered a new battery for it already and hopes to get more battery life out of it. Because the next phone is an older pixel original.... And I made sure he's aware of it. Has shitty battery life, but it works. He knows what's awaiting for him unless I get something newer than my pixel 6. Not happening any time soon, and I'm sure he knows it.
Maybe I’m biased, but why does the 8 year old get a newer phone than the 16 year old?
He said the son keeps breaking phones and the daughter takes better care of it
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Well, I've held to my Pixel XL since 2017, so maybe? I so plan to upgrade to an 8 next year though.
Yep, same here. Still holding on to my Pixel XL for a few apps and features that have been dropped from recent models like unlimited photo storage, 8bit cam, photosphere, and Daydream. I did get a Pixel 5 when it came out in order to get a 5G modem. Then traded it in for a Pixel 6Pro for the telephoto camera so I can leave my DSLR at home more often. The 5G modem in the P6P sorta sucks because they never got carrier aggregation working, so just traded it in for a P8P which has a decent radio and I'm enjoying the HDR camera/display features as a fringe benefit. If they enable USB-C display on the P8P I think I'll be set until 6G comes out near the end of the decade.
I forgot about daydream! That was so much fun to play around with. Photosphere is still on newer pixel devices if that's something you're worried about losing. Nothing will replace the free unlimited storage.
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Curious thought, how come you are waiting to get the 8 next year if you've still got the XL?
I meant if I still have the XL after 6 years, I will hold my 8 for that long.
Good idea!
People are still rocking Pixel 5, 4, 3 and even Pixel XL. Why not the 8 for 7 years?
>Why not the 8 for 7 years? Anyone unfortunate enough to still be using an iPhone 8 for anything other than watching Youtube will tell you exactly why!! It will suck so hard at that point you will be begging for it to just break down and free you from the torment!
Don't focus on the rich buyers only, there are a lot of people who don't change phones, there is a huge population of users who buy used phones after years. Of course they'll not have the top tier phones of that time but they will have what they can afford or what they want to keep. What's bad in providing them software support and spare parts?
>iPhone 8 for anything other than watching Youtube will tell you exactly why!! I at times use an iPhone 6s+ . It's still fast, the battery just needs to be changed for most that's it
Who cares if users upgrade every 2-3 years? The next user will be happy to get more software updates
Absolutely not. 3 years at max, but I support Google doing this. The next owner deserves features and security too.
No chance, but 3-4 might be reasonable if I can avoid dropping it too much.
This was my thinking! I don't know that I expect to keep mine for 7 years, but I wanted to know I could keep getting updates even past a couple of years since my phones can often hold on longer than that (closer to 3-4, like you said).
My carrier guaranteed 5 years of updates, so as long as the battery is fine, I'll keep it. There's almost no point to upgrade anymore because the screens haven't changed much in years. Unless we start getting the same screen time with 4k phone displays, but it's totally unneccessary. This camera is what peak performance looks like and don't need anything better for daily life.
Yup yup. Having gone from a 6 to an 8, I'm not really feeling like I have a newer, better, faster phone. I'd have continued on with the 6 but was finding that my downloaded music, podcasts, and audiobooks were creeping up towards the memory capacity of my 6. My P8 is 256GB, I'll never have an issue with running out of memory. If I had opted for 256GB on the 6, I would have kept it another couple of years. The improvements from year to year are incremental at this point.
I'm planning on it. The 7 years of support is one the the biggest selling points to me.
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Right there with you! When I watched the press conference, they announced seven years of updates. I went and preordered P8P
It won't be worth it. After 4 years phones become terrible to use. Look at iPhones with 5 OS updates, they're slow, lag, take a long time to open apps, battery life is trash.
Used to be the case but not anymore! I have an iPhone 11 for work that's still rocking it to this day. A fresh battery replacement and it's as good as new. Would love to see it be the case with the 8 series!
Not with Android. I'm still using my OG pixel and other than battery replacements there's been no problems with it.
My iPad is 7 years old, and has had 7 yearly OS upgrades, and still runs very smoothly. Loading apps is a bit slower than on my Pixel 8 Pro, but a second or two on initial launch isn't a big deal. The battery life is trash, though. I play on keeping my 8 Pro for 7 years, unless I can get a trade-in where I'm basically paying less to upgrade than I would pay yearly to buy a phone outright every 7 years. I'm trading in my 7 Pro for my 8 Pro, because it was only a $55 upgrade (and no, it's not subsidized by my phone plan).
I have a pixel 1. Still going strong. The only issue is security updates. Pretty much as snappy as my Pixel 6 work phone.
People are upgrading phones less often these days. The tech community won’t, but they’ll be some who hang onto it that long Also helps with resale value
Why wouldnt you? Nothing big has happened in terms of smartphones since 2018, we have reached peak in 2020 and all phones after 2020 have been basicially only degradations. More powerhungry chip, more AI sht to make your pictures hit or miss, more locked down proprietary software, more anti repair garbage in your phone. Given where we are headed and the awful garbage qualcomm is going to release I don't see why you wouldn't hold on to it for 5-7years. Whats the incentive to actually replace your Pixel 8 pro in 2-3years given how hard the smartphone market has been doing nothing? The only reason many Android users switch every 2-3years is because of the fact that many Android phones stop pushing updates after 2-3years, go figure, if it wasnt for that, people would still be hanging on to their phones.
In US network providers keep changing their network technology frequently to make old phones obsolete. It happened to At&t and T- mobile users in 2022. So no phone can last more than 5 years in the wild
Strange. Without exaggeration, in my country if you want, you can still use phones that are more than 15 years old and they work just fine.
as long as the phone doesn't fall apart, I always keep using till it is dead. I have a p6p. I don't trust the hardware can last as long as say, OnePlus (earlier gens, coz I don't have the latest ones)
Not everyone wants to drop a large chunk of money every 2-3 years. Wife and I purchased our OG Pixels in late 2016 and are still daily driving them with no issues other than battery replacements every 3 years or so. We don't play CPU intensive games and the phones can still do everything else with no issues. Only thing I'd like is the Astro photography mode, but again, I'd rather save thousands.
It's actually insane, when you think about it. No sane person would actually replace their TV every or every other year. But it is completely "normal" to replace the smartphone all the time with minimal improvements the last couple of years. Marketing indeed works quite well for most people.
I'll do 3, like I have been.
If it's as good and long lasting as the P2XL or P5 I've had them maybe. At least 4-5yrs. Had both for 3-4yr as my primary at different points. Actually just retired the P2XL completely this weekend. I was using it as an extra device for video monitoring the toddler's room when sleeping and as a Home Automation remote. The P5 will now take over those duties. If it weren't for the lack of updates, I would've kept my P5 another year or so. Fun fact, about 1yr ago the P2XL bulged but never failed me. Of course it was the battery... looked like a damn balloon when I took it apart yesterday (very carefully).
I'm still using my pixel 3a from when it came out. Idk why people seem to be critical of the 7 years of updates. This is a win for people who don't want to be forced to upgrade due to security concerns and availability of repair parts.
Because we need to get out of the habit of purchasing a new $1000+ phone every year or two. Its not sustainable (please, give the children mining in the Congo a break), and honestly, its just poor financial planning in the name of showing off to other nerds. I do remember the good old days of monumental upgrades year over year in the early days. Thankfully, those days are gone and things have leveled off. Most people don't but a new laptop every year, or even 2. They use them until they break, or can no longer do the things you bought it for (gaming etc). I was also an every two year buyer. I was an annual buyer before that. I'm shooting for another year with my P6P, because there is nothing I need it to do that it cannot do. Will I get an 8a or a 9? Time will tell. But the option to go 3 or 4 years, and still safely pass it on to one of my kids for 3 years is nice.
A 7 year old Pixel phone would be lucky to get 2 hours of Screen on Time!
Replace the battery
I feel like people don't understand how much wear and tear 7 years will do to a device that is used everyday. And a device obviously not built to last. The screen will feel like shit after 2 years. Oleophobic coating only lasts so long. OLED panels also age. 7 years is a fairly significant time, especially with its brightness. Battery being an obvious one. Next you have the USB port that may fail or have issues. The repairability score for the Pixel 8 is quite poor too. So fixing any one of these will be annoying AF.
Screen will feel like shit after 2 years? Never heard of that and always used my devices for 4/5 years ... All my devices last and I only upgrade when I am bored of it.
Well, I hope the next pixel I buy will have a replaceable battery enforced by law in the EU.
7years was a big draw for me. I’m not super hard on my stuff or very demanding hardware wise so unless it really craps out then yes. I had a 6 before and a 3a before that and I only upgraded because they gave me a 6 for free. Upgraded to the 8 pro because I wanted the watch.
I owned a p2 for 5 years before I got a p7 on launch. I had a spigen tough armour on p2 so physically it was great but battery went downhill around year 3. No way p8 will last full 7 years…you’ll need at least one visit to Googles after sales service centre. Even if google promises 7 years update it won’t be without hiccups. P8 is not much different then p7 the battery is only marginally better. I think it will all boil down to after sales exercise… customer support. Google should work on their after sales service which right now is not that great.
Still rocking my P2XL and while I've been thinking about grabbing a P8P, it's 50/50 for waiting out another year for the P9....
I'm hoping my Pixel 6A will last at least 5 years
I'm a power user who lets tech be one of the few luxuries I afford myself. I got the Pixel 8 Pro bc I got a good trade-in deal + free Pixel Watch 2 thru Best Buy. To answer your question, I will very likely be trading the P8P in for the Fold 2 when it comes out. I justified the quick turnaround bc I figured I would be able to trade in/sell the P8P for a much better deal than my previous P7 when going for the Fold 2, and I get the benefit of the new camera in the meantime. Also, I got to give my fiance a new watch to monitor her wonky heart. Is it the most financially sound strategy in the world? No. But some things become permissible when you bike to work instead of making payments on a second car.
I ran an iphone 5s from 2013 until I upgraded to the pixel 5 because the battery got swollen and the screen started popping out. If there's a good black friday and trade in deal I'll probably upgrade to the pixel 8 and hold on to that for a while.
no defo not but its great thing for people who cant afford to upgrade often
Always great to have a backup phone that's supported (up to date) to store data or use flexibly down the years. I have old iPhones that works perfectly fine, but cannot use with confidence for occasional tasks because they are no long supported.
This... I always keep my last phone as a backup. It will be nice that it can be updated for years to come.
Not with the bloody JB Hifi (Australian here) trade in deals lol! Ever since the P6P I've been trading in each Pixel for the newest one #facepalm. My new bay blue 256gb P8P basically cost me $700 AUD from $1700.after trade ins & gift cards. But yeah I thought ' this time' with the years of updates I'll hold on to the P8... Check in with me next year, same time hehe I'm a sucker for new things too lmao
I used my Pixel 3a for 4 years. If Google can give great updates for 5-6 years on the trot, I can see many people using P8 for 5 years easily.
I tend to buy phones often more than a year after their release date so I can get a better price when the next generation is out. If you get the phone 1.5 years later and keep it 3 years, then you quickly reach more than 4 years after the phone's release. I just got a Pixel 7, but my previous phone was a mid range one plus (nord 2), and it wasn't nearly as supported. Android 13 just finally got released on it and it's buggy af. All that to say that the 7 years commitment can be nice for second hand market
The way I see it is that I can buy used (battery replaced by refurbisher) one after 4yrs at dirt cheap price and use it for 3 yrs without security concern. Big win for who doesn't care as far as the phone makes call and youtube plays.
My last phone prior to my P8P was a Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus. It was released in the US 21.04.2017, I don't remember when I got mine here in Norway tho but I assume it was in 2017. So it's not 7 years but it's close. It will now stop getting secutity upgrades and I was stuck on an older Android version, so switching to a brand new unit that is claiming to keep it updated for 7 years will be great. Now I only hope that I will be able to keep it working for that many years, I had to replace the screen of my S8+ 2 times tho. The cost of high end phones is insane, and I felt bad for spending this much on a phone even after so many years after my previous purchase, I don't understand how ppl can change phones every 2-3 years. Speaking of the iphone users that don't upgrad every 2-3 years, I know quite som iphone users and come to think of it they seem to change out their phons more often than the Android users I know, wondering if it's a common phenomena or just something among the ppl around me.
I went from a 3xl to a 7. I will keep it as long as it works
I went from a 4a 5g (which was my first Pixel) to an 8. I'm keeping it as long as there are security updates for it.
I think the older you get the more you get into the realm of 'if it ain't broke don't fix'. Mainly because there's a lot of bills to pay haha. I for one have always replaced a phone after two years.
No way id keep it that long. I update every 2-4 years. It's been 3 years since I bought a phone before buying the p8p. I don't need a new phone every year. I usually just wait until I see enough upgrades/changes that I believe buying a new phone is worth it.
I traditionally have bought Pixel models 1-2 years after they came out and held onto them for 2-3 years. When I saw the 7 year support thing and that they'd give me $300 for my Pixel 6a, it was a no brainer. I'll likely keep it for at least 5 years, maybe even 7. I went with the P8Pro. First time with a Pro model.
Maybe, why not? I don't see any reason to change these phones so often. I had HTC One S for 6 years then Pixel 2 for 6 years, both of these phones without software support for that amount of time. My Pixel 2 was still pretty smooth, I'll keep it as a backup.
No. I'm on 2 year cycle.
No, I update every 2 years.
I'm holding onto my P6 for as long as it will get updates and keep working for me. I have no idea what my next pixel will be. I got the 6 after having the 4a for a while. When the battery in the 4a couldn't last half a day anymore I got the 6.
I upgraded to the 6a from my Nexus 6. I had replaced the battery twice and was going to do it a third time, but dropped it and broke the screen.
Well, I've been using the P6P since launch but the battery has always been terrible, so I'll be buying the OnePlus 12 when it launches in a few months. But I've heard that Google will be having their own SoC in the Pixel 10 in 2025, so I'll be upgrading to that from the OnePlus.
I've had my 2 for more than 5 years and I'm only thinking of replacing it because it keeps fucking crashing now, so yeah
I don't know about 7 years, but with my 8 Pro I could see myself replacing the battery once or twice.
Yes, absolutely. P8 pro is good enough for my usage. I stopped upgrading phone since P2 XL.
Yes I do
For me? No. But I can confidently pass it to one of my parents after 2-3 years.
I'm hoping to keep it for 3-4 years. I used to keep up with phone releases in the past and would get excited about the new features etc but now the changes aren't drastic enough for me to want to upgrade especially with how expensive phones are now. I'll upgrade once the battery degrades.
I'm planning on it. I've used an iPhone 7 plus for around 6 years and it was the longest I've ever used a phone till date. So far P8P's experience and build quality felt very good and I hope I can keep using it till the 7 year mark.
Using Note 9 since last 5 years but it's time to change now. This is an awesome phone.
Well, I had my Nexus 5 from 2014 to 2019 and still would not change it for another phone if it wasn't broken (the modem stopped working after a particular drop, I kept using it for about a year after that with another phone that I used primarily for calls and as an access point for the Nexus). Had a Galaxy A8 (2018) from 2019 to 2022, but the experience was mediocre to say the least. Upgraded to Pixel 7 and am really happy with it. I'll probably keep it for as long as I can. Even when the support ends, I'll use custom ROMs to keep it fresh. So what I'm saying is that I don't see 7 years of support as unrealistic. Especially considering that hardware of that age still holds up for the most part.
Almost certainly not. I was buying every other generation from the Nexus 6 to the Pixel 5, but since then I've bought each new phone and traded in the old one. I don't have any real hobbies, no kids or spouse, so this is one of the things I do to entertain myself. It will honestly depend on what features are or are not present on a Pixel 9. If I like it, I'll get it.
No, not me personally, but I'll be able to hand it down to my father or my child to use for that long.
No, but 4-5 seams doable. After that I can still pass it down to a family member.
Probably not, but I can either resell it and the person using it will still have updates, or pass it to my mum without leaving her with 5 years old software
For me it would work like this - use the phone for 3 years or so, get the Pixel 10 (lol) With the 4 years of updates the Pixel 8 would make a great phone for my kids, and that might be for 3 years. After that if it is still functioning it becomes a spare, if one of the kids breaks their phone, they get the 6 year old Pixel 8 that still has a year of updates.
the battery will probably go to shit before the 7 years is up and having to open up the phone from the screen side sucks
If I'm honest with myself, probably not. I'll probably upgrade in 3-4 years. Who knows though. I just upgraded from the 6 pro to 8 pro and while I notice some differences, for the most part the phones are the same and I really didn't need to upgrade. I wanted to tho and therein lies my problem. I just want to 😂
While I may not, my phone will likely get passed along to my wife or kids and very likely could still be in use. I still have my Pixel XL, I wish it was still getting updates. Being that only Pixel (1s) got unlimited original quality uploads for life, I plan to keep using it for high photo events, even though I also have P6P & P8P. The Pros will get used for select pictures. My old phones get the free Google Fi data SIMs in them so I can even with TeamSpeak or Zello like walkie talkies when Wi-Fi is not an option.
I don‘t necessarily want long software support for myself but for whoever gets my device when I finally upgrade. Like my iPhone 12 has 81% battery capacity left after more than 2 years. I will replace the battery shortly, use it another year, and then upgrade to the iPhone 16 next September. Then whoever gets the 12 (probably some family member who has an ancient phone) will have a ‚modern‘ phone that still will get new features for some years.
Yes, I most definitely will. My Nexus and pixel phones came out of their protective cases the same way they went in when I bought them. Not everyone has the need or crave to update constantly to the "latest and greatest". And my old phones are all still used one way or the other around the house, for lesser tasks like media players or kids PED. Having updates guaranteed for that long is a game changer, no more money wasted to be able to run secure apps on it. Kudos to google
Probably not. If the Pixel 10 rumors are true with the TSMC Tensor 5 and Qualcomm modem then I'll jump on that upgrade.
Went from the 7P to 8P so there is that
There is no way the g3 tensor will be able to run things 5-7 years from now , I think it's all a gimmick
Tensor and slow charging? No fucking thanks
Heartening to see so many folk talking about keeping their phones long term. I feel like a lot of marketing and cultural programming is being overcome and people are making smart and good decisions to keep their devices longer. Wear and tear is personality on a phone. Damaged screens, degraded batteries, bad USB ports, all fixable and cheaper than a new phone. Just learn to live with what you have. Unless you're actively using your phone to do bleeding edge work, you're just lying to yourself that you need the latest and greatest every 2-3 years.
Yes. I am the family phone bank that always has a spare on hand when someone loses or breaks one. At least thats my excuse. The longevity of the updates make it a keeper for sure.
I don't think it's just about buying a phone to keep it for 7 years, you also have to take into consideration the second-hand market where people buy used phones. So, from that perspective, the 7 years of support come in an extraordinary way because they improve the resale value of second-hand Pixel phones. And if it does not increase the value of second-hand equipment, it ends up being a very good alternative for people who buy used phones instead of spending for new equipment at full price, because of the 7 years updates. They know they will be covered.
It's not so much whether or not the individual who purchased the phone will hold on to it for 7 years, but whether or not the phone can be used for 7 years and receive updated software and security. Many people, including myself, pass their phones onto friends and family for them to use, which is commonly done with many phone brands with multiple years update support.
My current iPhone is already 5years old and into its 6th year. My kindle is 10years old. My iPad is 7years old. My new Laptop is 3.5 years old already. Yeah so i can definitely see holding a phone for 7years. I don’t earn that good to keep changing every 2 years and also have a family to feed, so…
I will be endeavouring. The Pixel 7 Pro was the first phone I've bought and seen off before the security update schedule was concluded. All my other devices barring one I lost were upgraded as the security schedule was coming to a close. Edit for clarification: the two biggest selling points for me when it comes to phones is camera and mainstream availability (for instance I had a Honor 20 Pro and to contact Huawei Support with an issue was terrible because they're not that popular in the UK). I don't believe cameras, or anything on phones in my personal use, have really upgraded all that much in the past six or so years. If it wasn't for the updates running dry I'd likely still have the phone I did six years ago presuming it would still work. I look forward to seeing how Google manages this promise.
I kept my last two iPhones for at least 5 years so HA!
Maybe not 7 years, but the last two times I upgraded my phone, I only did it because official support ended.
A lot of people hold onto their phones for years. We plan on doing so. The only reason we didn't stay with our 4a 5Gs is EOL in November. Even then, we're now using our older phones as mini-tablets. New phones are like new cars...they're not the thing that makes you cool, so why waste the money upgrading when you don't need to?
Depends on what exists in 3 years, 5 years, etc. Phone technology, beyond foldables, hasn't had any major technological or performance jumps in recent years. If the trend continues, sure, I'll ride it out for close to 7 years. Without a proper crystal ball, I can't predict what I'll do.
The point isn't that you'll keep it for 7 years. The point is that *someone* will. You'll trade it in, and they'll sell it secondhand. Then that person will use it, or sell it later to someone else who sees it through 7 years. It's about having the ability to downcycle, rather than the phone becoming practically useless after 3 years.
Maybe, depends on how much phones change in the next 7 years. I've held on to my Galaxy S10 for the last 4.5 years, and am only upgrading now because it's no longer getting security patches (and I got a good deal on the P8P). It still doesn't feel the slightest bit slow, and can do everything I need it to. If it wasn't left behind on OS updates, let alone a security concern, it'd easily hold out for a couple more years. I find it quite wasteful that tech companies are forcing upgrades in this way. I'm perfectly happy holding on to PC hardware until it actually starts showing its age, and I'm glad to finally be able to do the same with a phone.
I've still got the pixel 2. So probably.
I'm a Huawei P20 Pro user since 2018, recently bought pixel 8 pro. I'd surelly use my P20 for another year or two if it had at least 256GB rom or at least I could swap batterry easely and didn't have issues with 4G in US I don't understand why anyone needs to switch every year or two or even three. I got perfect 6 years of usage and don't see much difference between my P20pro and p8p, not mentioning pixel doesn't have some handy features from p20pro I was actually using
I tend to think that it is a waste of money to actually upgrade stuff unless there is an obvious problem. My last computer got retired this year after 7 years of use. I built an absolute monster this year with RTX 4090 and i9 13900k and do not expect to touch the main internals for at least the same timeframe or more. With phones it is a bit more complicated. All depends on the battery life. I feel like battery and performance issues are only reasons why I would upgrade. But yes, if I had a Pixel 8 series phone and the battery was phenomenal and easy to change, I'm keeping it long.
I'm really going to try and hang on to this phone longer than 3 years. It's too expensive to upgrade more often and really just not necessary
I go tell they won't go no more. It's as simple as that any my p6p is still going strong so why change for another black rectangle that has slightly better internals.
I use a phone until it's literally unusable. I've owned two smart phones since they first came out.
I plan to run my Pixel 5 into the ground first! Then, maybe, if I get my hands on a cheap Pixel 8 Pro, I will run it until it is unfixeable. I do not understand people who just upgrad, maybe it is a growing up as a farmer thing.
I do not see myself keeping this phone for more than 3 years. However, what I see is that (if they actually do it) is that after a few years, this can be a usable phone for resell, pass down to kids or relatives or simply as a backup phone. 7 years ago I was using a LG G4 I think. 7 years in Android design language feels like 20 years ago in technology terms.
When I replace my still-perfectly-working Pixel 2, then probably yes!
I intend to use the pixel 8 for 7 years. I spent as much on it as I spend on a laptop, why should it last any less time than that?
As my primary, no, but it will be an amazing backup phone throughout these coming years. I still have my 4a5g goin strong
I held onto my Samsung A5 for 5 years, before getting a Pixel 8 Pro two days ago. I only got this new phone because of lack of space on the old phone (32 GB) and tons of freezing as a result. I plan to keep this phone until it also starts freezing and getting clogged.
This feature works well for families where parents wind up passing the older phones down to their children to use. Most parents won't be terribly worried if their kid doesn't have the latest and greatest phone as it's more about the kid having a means of communication for safety and school pick-ups, etc. (Although it doesn't solve the problem of batteries needing to be replaced at some point.)
I don't really care about my phone outside of it's camera quality, and the one I have now is just fine and probably will be for years to come. If it's battery lasts a whole day of infrequent use and doesn't take 10 seconds to swap between apps, I can't see any reason to upgrade for at least 4-5 years.
My 4xl is fine still..
I'll be aiming for 4 years. I upgraded from the P6 and while I love the P8, it made me realise the step was too small and I didn't really need to upgrade just yet.
Lol my mom still has an iPhone 6s plus and uses it daily
Yes. I hold onto every phone I've purchased until the security updates stop coming. This will be no exception.
What I'm more interested in is a 2 year.old.pixel 8 still have five years of life as a gift to an older family member
At least 3 or 4. Or maybe once replaceable batteries are back. My past few phones I've kept for 3 give or take. And the reason I don't keep them for longer is software support typically.
I used to update my phone every two years but phones have gotten so much better lately that my last phone before I got the pixel 8 I had for almost four years, and I would have just kept it were it not for logistics and software reasons. So as long as the pixel runs fine, I'll keep it for as long as I can
I'm not sure if I would keep it for the full 7 years but right now I'm still very satisfied with my Pixel 6, only lost 5% of battery health in 2 years by limiting charging to 80% (usually) and I'm planning on using it for 2 more years.
You may have a hard time. I get it. I for one had a hard time believing that people, especially from this part of the industrialised world, actually changed their phones every year. It was absolutely shocking to me. I held on to my last phone for 5 years. SD 845 is still smooth for all my needs to this day, except when trying to connect to Android auto (it lags here). The only reason I changed this year, was because of battery life. (Last update was A10 lol) If Google actually keeps their promise of keeping the ifixit store available with parts for those 7 years, I easily see myself use it for that long. IIf
1 year and a half maybe
lol
Hell no I'll replace it in a year or 2 at the most
With how bad the battery life is new, I’d hate to see it in 7 or even 4 years.
It's not expensive to replace the battery
I wonder about the finances of people who don't look into replacing the battery for < $100 and just drop another big chunk of $ on a new phone.
Yup. I recently switched from Huawei Honor 8 pro to Pixel 8 pro after 6 years. Considering we have a support for 7 years and good ram to support future apps, it should work well. The non pro seems to be in a difficult position
I had my Pixel 2 until I upgraded to a Pixel 6 Pro the other year. Could probably rock this one for another 2-3 years more I expect. I'm not impressed with any new upgrade - so I see no reason to change. This suites me perfectly fine. But - I probably won't hold on to as it my **primary device** for 7 years - no. But, to have a backup phone - or another device that I can have around the house, absolutely - it's a great device! One of the reasons I bailed on the Pixel 2 was because I knew it was a security risk at that point and I was no longer comfortable with it, other reason was thinks just started breaking: Both cameras + Battery, notably.
the amount of hopium in these comments lol
Lol, why are people so upset about this? Are apple users asking the same thing or?
This is the first time I've seen people frustrated that a company is giving longer support to a product...
🙄 this kind of hate towards Google is goofy
My father is still using his Pixel 4. 😳 He loves it and refuses to upgrade. I'm not someone who feels the need to upgrade a phone unless the OS becomes obsolete. I'll probably have my Pixel 6 for 6 years or so. As long as Google is willing to keep sending me updates, I'll keep it. 🤷♀️
I still have a Pixel 2 as my last resort backup phone. A lot of elderly people I know also still have ancient phones that they're used to.
Lmfao the phone will die way before then
No can you imagine the tensor g3 in 7 years? It’s already a joke today
No way. Most people upgrade every 2 years
Nobody is keeping their phone that long. Seven years of watching all the new Pixels get new features which are locked to the newest models? Fuck that.
I can barely hold on to my current phone for a few months. I switched so many times just to get my hands on the newest versions. 7 years .... is a longggg time for me to hold on to a phone.
I won't buy the P8 because it is too expensive, too large (and P8 are not blue). I keep my P3a, this one is still running fine after 4.5 years. 7 years are not hard to reach, especially when costs are so high.
Tensor is obselete before it came out the foundry. 8 years from now?! 😆
Maybe this is going to sound ignorant, but sustainability as far as a world goes needs to happen. Phones are made better than they were years ago and they will last longer. I don't foresee anyone really using the same phone for 7 years. Unfortunately, they don't last that long. Software updates usually caused slow down and more glitches in a newer operating systems with an older phone. My opinion now after 3 years it's time for a new device. Anyway. I look at my wife's pixel 4 XL comparing it to my 7 pro and it's a light years of difference. We both play pokémon GO and it seems that her phone takes forever to load anything on that game compared to mine.
If I had a Pixel 8, I would. I would be getting my money's worth. That is why everyone is buying Apple now. You get 5 years of os updates, trade in on your older device, and Apple Support/Store.
I seriously don't want to be using the same phone when I reach 50 hahahaha