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For the first time, Google’s Pixel phones are poised to launch with a year-old version of Android.
Throughout the history of Pixel phones, Google has experimented with various personas for the phones. Perhaps the only constants were the company’s commitment to making superior cameras — in line with the name, and using these devices as the emblems of what Android experience should be like. The latter also included ensuring the Pixel phones were launched as platforms for the latest versions of Android.
The tradition may, however, come to an end with the Pixel 9 series, which launches on August 13. As reported by Android Headlines, the Pixel 9 phones will run on Android 14 from last year instead of Android 15. This applies to all four of the phones launching this month, including the Pixel 9, two size variants of the Pixel 9 Pro, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Android 15’s update timeline, courtesy: Google
This is a surprising development given Android 15 is in its final stages of beta preview and is expected to roll out around the same time as the launch. Google released the final beta (version 4) on Android 15 in mid-July, followed by a minor 4.1 update earlier this week. With no more beta updates expected, the decision to launch new devices with an older version of Android is puzzling.
While Google has not announced specific plans to delay Android 15’s roll-out, based on previous launches, it is possible there could be bugs or errors that may extend the launch timeline. Similar events unfolded with Android 14 last year, which was delayed into October 2023 instead of the regular release in August or September. However, this delay did not jeopardize the launch of the Pixel 8 series, which arrived with Android 14 out-of-box.
Confusion about Google’s Update Promises
In addition to not being privy to the exact cause, there is also confusion relating to Google’s promised seven years of Android updates. Counting Android 14 and not 15 as the base version may put the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 series on par in terms of software support. This may be yet another disappointment for anyone looking to buy the new Pixel 9 series — the first one being unexciting upgrades to the internal hardware.
The Google Tensor G4 chipset powering the Pixel 9 series was recently reported to offer only marginal performance upgrades over the previous generation. This is primarily because although the Tensor G4 adopts a newer Arm V9.2 design similar to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, it comes with one fewer CPU cores than the G3 while the rest are clocked at lower frequencies.
However, the Pixel 9 series is reported to pack major upgrades to the cameras and feature polarizing new designs.
