Launched in May 2019, the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL completed three years in the market in May 2022. As per Google’s software support policy, the May security patch is the last update for the phones. The devices are only eligible for three years of Android OS updates and security updates. However, as with past Pixel phones, the Pixel 3a duo will also get one last software update before fading into oblivion. “In May 2019, at the launch of the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, we announced that the devices would receive three years of software updates and three years of security updates from when our devices first became available on the Google Store. The final update for Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL will roll out to users by July 2022,” Google said in a statement to 9to5Google. It’s unclear though what the Pixel 3a duo will get with this update. But don’t be hopeful of anything more than a cumulative software update combining the June and July 2022 patches. The 2019 mid-rangers aren’t eligible for the June Feature Drop (Android 12 QPR3 — third Android 12 Quarterly Platform Release). Of course, Android 13 is out of the equation here. As the new report notes, the two-month gap for the final update for the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL is on par with the original Pixel and Pixel 2. But Google kept a four-month gap for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. We will let you know when the last software update for the Pixel 3a duo rolls out.
Google needs to relook at its software policy
Google no longer offers the best software support in the Android space. Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone maker, promises four major Android OS updates and five years of security updates even to its mid-range smartphones. While Google does match the Korean brand when it comes to security updates (only for the Pixel 6 series), it still doesn’t provide more than three Android version upgrades. The company needs to relook at this policy. Hopefully, the Pixel 7 series later this year will bring about some changes. We will keep you posted.
