TL; DR
- Initially, the eight years of support will only be available for the Snapdragon 8 Elite (launched with Android 15).
- As part of the extended software support program, Qualcomm will provide OEMs with Android OS and kernel upgrades.
- Qualcomm has also launched the Snapdragon X (4nm) AI chipset in India.
In partnership with Google, Qualcomm has announced the extension of Android and security updates for up to eight years, starting with the handsets featuring the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC. The move targets device longevity and sustainability, both for manufacturers and end consumers.
Eight-Year Support For Android Flagships
During the eight years, Qualcomm will provide OEMs with access to the latest version of the Android operating system. End consumers will rest assured that their smartphones have the latest features and security updates.
Until now, Samsung and Google promised to provide seven years of Android and security updates along with their flagships. However, Qualcomm has raised the benchmark by another year.
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Benefits Of The Eight-Year Support Program
Initially, the eight years of support will only be available for the Snapdragon 8 Elite (launched with Android 15). However, smartphones launching with new Snapdragon 8 or 7-series mobile platforms will also be eligible for extended software support. “It is important to note that the decision over whether an eligible device will take advantage of the extended software support will fall to the OEM.”
- The software support lowers costs for OEMs that want to provide updates for longer.
- Further, it offers consumers a clear advantage when choosing a Snapdragon 8- or 7-series chip.
Also Read: Samsung Rolls Out First Galaxy S25 Update With Seamless Updates and Fixes
Manufacturers To Get Kernel Updates To Unlock The Extended Support
As part of the extended software support program, Qualcomm will provide OEMs with Android OS and kernel upgrades (manufacturers will still have to update kernel-mode drivers while the vendor code can remain unchanged). The company clarifies that the program will offer two upgrades to the mobile platform’s Android Common Kernel (ACK) to unlock the eight-year support window.
The company also mentions that the program will cover the next five generations of Qualcomm’s ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit, simply known as the chipset). From what we can gather, it will be the next five generations of the Qualcomm 8 series and the 7 series chipsets that will get the extended support window. However, legacy platforms (the ones released in the past) will not benefit from the program.
First Phones To Get The Eight-Year Support Window
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S25
- OnePlus 13
- iQOO 13 5G
- Realme GT 7 Pro
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Qualcomm Announces Its New Snapdragon X AI Chipset In India
Meanwhile, Qualcomm has launched the Snapdragon X (4nm) AI chipset in India. The chipset features a CPU with eight Oryon cores (3GHz maximum clock speed), an Adreno GPU that maxes out at 1.7 TFLOPS, and a Hexagon NPU (up to 45 TOPS). Besides, the chipset supports up to 64GB of LPDDR5X RAM (with 135GB/s bandwidth) and UFS 4.0 storage and runs Windows 11 out of the box.
Moreover, the Snapdragon X chipset will enable manufacturers to make affordable Copilot+ PCs for the Indian market. At Qualcomm’s launch event, Asus unveiled the Vivobook 16 and the Zenbook A14 Copilot+ PCs (the first in the country). Their price starts at Rs. 65,990.
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