The Pixel 9 Series Launch: A Step Back In Google’s Update Promise?

August 13 was a great day for Google and Pixel fans globally as the curtains were finally open on the Pixel 9 series. While the new Pixels bring pretty decent improvements and new AI features over the previous-gen Pixels, one of the odd things about this launch is that unlike Pixel launches each year, the Pixel 9 series doesn’t come with the latest Android version – Android 15. Does this mean Google is already backtracking on its 7-year update promise? Let’s shed some light on it.

Update: added an Editor’s Note explaining how I see the situation and how Google breaks the promise of the number of OS updates.

Pixel 9: Did Google Just Break Its Own Update Promise?

Google’s 7-year update announcement came during the launch of the Pixel 8 series, and it took the Android community by storm. Beating Apple in the updates game was a huge deal, after all. While most people were happy with the announcement, some questioned if Google would actually adhere to its promise. That’s because the firm isn’t exactly known for keeping and fulfilling them.

Fast-forward a year, and Google might have started backtracking on its promise. The Pixel 9 series comes with Android 14 out of the box instead of Android 15, which was extremely shocking for a new Pixel device. Now, before we get ahead of ourselves, there might’ve been many factors at play in the firm internally. These could be reasons why Android 15 didn’t release alongside the Pixel 9 series.

However, our counter question to this is that Android 15 Beta 4 rolled out a month ago and had already reached platform stability. While the release timeline on the official website doesn’t mention stable Android 15’s release date, new Pixels have always received the latest Android update a month or two after the final beta. Hence, had Google willed, they could’ve released Android 15 alongside Pixel 9. But again, it is possible that they wanted to do it, but the stable builds weren’t ready.

Understanding the Implications of Android Versioning

The absence of Android 15 at launch raises questions about the implications for users and the brand's credibility. Google’s promise of a 7-year update cycle relies heavily on the operating system's versioning. While the Pixel 9 series is still set to receive a variety of updates, launching with an older version could reflect more than just a missed opportunity.

For instance, when a new phone launches without the latest software, it can lead to user dissatisfaction and skepticism about future updates. Users expect their new devices to be at the forefront of technology, and anything less could diminish their trust in Google's commitments.

Moreover, the Pixel 9 series technically still gets 7 years of updates, but it’s actually only 6 Android updates after Android 15 and feature drops till August 2031. This means that while they will receive updates, those updates may not be as frequent or as significant as expected.

Pixel 9 and 8 Series Get The Same Number of Android Updates

The last reason could be that Google deliberately wanted to deduct an update early from the 7-year update quota because they just don’t want to support the Pixel 9 series till Android 22. This means the Pixel 9 technically still gets 7 years of updates, but it’s actually only 6 Android updates after Android 15 and feature drops till August 2031.

Editor’s Note: I have read all the comments and discussions around this post online and would like to add another piece of evidence to justify the title. Pixel phones usually launch with the latest Android versions. The Pixel 9 series didn’t, which is a shame. After the announcement, it made me question the “7 years of OS updates” promise too, so I went looking for the Pixel 9 update support page, which validates our statement.

As per the Google support page, the Pixel 9 series will receive ‘guaranteed Android version updates’ until at least August 2031. That means if Google doesn’t change the timeline for the release of new Android updates then the Pixel 9 series will only get up to the Android 21 update; while all phones should’ve gotten up to Android 22 if it followed the usual release cycle.

This breaks the 7-year OS update promise in my mind as new Pixels should launch with the new Android version. Pixel 9 series launching with Android 14 (and not Android 15) essentially discounts one year of OS updates from that promise. So, that’s my two cents on this topic.

Backtracking on Updates or Free Update Compensation?

For those wondering if Android 15 will be a free update and won’t count in the quota, the Made by Google event, like the Google I/O, barely mentioned Android 15, and that makes us believe that Google will count the upcoming Android 15 update for the Pixel 9 series in the 7-year quota.

This means that by the end of 2031, both the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 series will have received the same number of Android updates and will be on the same Android version, i.e., Android 21. The latter however will receive one extra year of feature drops.

What are your thoughts on Google launching the Pixel 9 series early with Android 14 instead of Android 15? Do you think this was a deliberate move from Google to make achieving the 7-year update promise a bit easier? Let us know in the comments.