Google may well have delivered its February security patch for Pixel smartphones on time (for a change), but this means nothing if the security patch (or lack thereof) renders your phone prematurely obsolete.
This is the situation Pixel 3 owners find themselves in, as Google has ended support for the 2018 handset.
Google Ends Support for Pixel 3 Smartphones
If you still use a Pixel 3, then you should be aware that Google is no longer supporting the handset with software updates. You can confirm this via the Google's Pixel phone update guide, which states that the Pixel 3, along with the Pixel 1 and 2, will no longer receive updates.
This news comes as Google has released the February 2022 security patch, which is excellent if you own a Pixel 4 or above; this tied up a number of issues around device privilege vulnerabilities. However, if you own a Pixel 3, then your phone is now at risk of exploitation from external sources.
Google Pixel 6 Updates Will Continue
To further rub salt in the Pixel 3's open wounds, Google will continue to support the remaining models, and will support the Pixel 6 until 2026. However, all is not as it seems, here. The same Pixel phone update guide linked above states:
Pixel 6 & Pixel 6 Pro phones will get Pixel updates for at least 5 years from when the device first became available on the Google Store in the US. Pixel updates include Pixel security updates, and may also include feature drops and other software updates.
So, while Google guarantees that the Pixel 6 will receive security updates until October 2026, it only guarantees that the Pixel 6 will receive Android updates until 2024.
This will raise eyebrows across the board. The Pixel 6 carries Google's proprietary Tensor chip. With this in mind, it makes sense to assume that Google could quite easily extend those dates if it so wished.
However, if you own a Pixel 6 now, you'll find—just like the Pixel 3—your smartphone will eventually become obsolete, too. Wasteful.
Wave Goodbye to the Google Pixel 3
As we wave farewell to the Pixel 3, we can't help thinking about how this premature obsolescence means many of us have devices, smartphones included, which work perfectly, yet thanks to the manufacturer, we can't use them.
Looking specifically at Google's somewhat lackluster impact on the smartphone market, you'd think it would do more to keep hold of the following it has somehow managed to amass since 2016.