The latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite will get eight years of software and security updates. Previous Snapdragon 8 and 7 series models also get this longer support term. This should extend the lifespan of Android smartphones and allow users to benefit from their devices for longer.
Until now, Android smartphones received up to seven years of updates for the operating system and security. After that, the support cycle was considered complete.
However, Qualcomm has reached an agreement with Google to guarantee these updates for up to eight years from now on. Qualcomm’s smartphone processors are going to support this from now on.
According to Qualcomm, this will allow users to get the most out of their Android smartphones for longer and extend the life of their devices. This reduces the need to purchase a new device sooner, allowing them to get more out of their investment.
Snapdragon 8 Elite and other chipsets
The extended software and security support initially applies to Android smartphones with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and Android 15 as the operating system.
In addition, other Android devices running on Snapdragon 8- and 7-series chipsets will also benefit from this extension. During these eight years, manufacturers can not only provide updates, but also add new features of their own. Older Snapdragon processors from Qualcomm are excluded from this arrangement.
Additional support
As part of the partnership with Google, the next five generations of Qualcomm’s ASIC chips will be supported.
In addition, the new arrangement also includes two upgrades to the Android Common Kernel (ACK) for the Snapdragon chipsets. According to Qualcomm, this is crucial because ACK upgrades allow Android devices to have strong security for longer.
This extended support aligns with laws and regulations around enhanced security standards for hardware and software, both in the U.S. and the EU.
Which devices ultimately benefit from this extended support depends on the manufacturer.
Also read: Qualcomm presents Snapdragon 8 Elite with Oryon CPU cores