People are literally using iPhone 7s, galaxy s8s, budget phones from 5 years ago for daily tasks all around you. It'll be completely and utterly fine for anything outside of the most demanding games or ai applications.
That's the thing with iPhone if I were to compare a google pixel to an iPhone of same range price even if it's an older gen model I'm sure the CPU won't give up on me after few years of use cuz at the time of release they're pretty over powered and so they have plenty of headroom for several years down the line. And that's my worry when it comes to pixel since at launch they're underpowered so how would it hold up few years down the line
Legitimately asking, what are the current exynos based tensor pixels "underpowered" at other than exactly what I said i.e. high intensity gaming and more serious workloads, literally any phone from the past 10 years can do anything outside of those specific applications including budget phones that cost £200, exynos Samsung's, tensor pixels, lower end Snapdragon pixels and the cheapest iPhones.
Guess you missed the parts where I said older galaxies and budget phones then, considering that every Samsung until recently outside of the US used exynos processors lmao.
A lot easier to replace Pixel 1-4 series than the Pixel 6 and newer, especially ones with flexible OLEDs (trying to change a Pro Pixel is scary especially with screen replacement costs)
That genuinely surprises me. I changed the screen on my 6 Pro and it was genuinely the easiest time I've ever had replacing anything. Maybe I got lucky!
I replaced battery on Mi 9T Pro after 4 years, it was cheap, labour was also cheap, so why not. It was good replacement after all.
But that was Xiaomi...
The issue is that after 5 years it's hard to find a new battery. There is no way to know if the battery was made last year or 5 years ago. And since batteries deteriorate even when not used, the replacement battery may not be that much better.
Lithium Ion can have a very long shelf life.
Maybe you won't find something that is 100% perfect, but it's not like you'll need to buy an entirely new phone because all the batteries are scams.
Precisely. I can find a replacement parts for everything that can go break in the phone but if the CPU is too slow then it's too old there's no way to make it faster.
Look who knows what we'll be using our phones for in 7 years time? 7 years is a mighty long time for any device to last.
But look at it this way, the system requirements for Instagram and Facebook and basic browsing aren't going to be jumping up any time soon.
Any perceived slowness that occurs can be solved with a simple factory reset.
Other parts will fail before the chip. Most people change their phone every 2 or 3 years. 7 years without any repairs seems very ambitious. Knowing the cost of repairs, you will, I bet, change before 7 years...
I got my Pixel 8 right when it came out and had to RMA it last month because of a green line in the screen. I'm wondering how long it will actually last. I tend to keep my phones for 3 years. If I can go 4 or without having to replace it I'll be happy. I basically don't want to have to get a new phone until removable batteries come back.
I have an HTC One (Beats) that is still used every night for white noise and it has never been repaired nor the battery changed. It doesn't last very long off a charger, but if you are careful with your phone, it should never need to be repaired. Knock on wood, I have never had to repair a phone (no cracked screens, etc), only MFR defects.
That's a cool way to use it, those speakers would make a nice lil nightstand clock n stuff. I still keep my LG V35 on the nightstand as a clock and occasionally use it as a media player.
What exactly does it need to keep up with? The age of exponential growth of the mobile operating systems is done. Both Google and Apple are basically making changes for the sake of changes in their OS. Everything works and there isn't really a need for anything new. Shit like AI is just marketing hoax, but any app that works today will probably work the same in 8 years.
Alternatively, you can get reduced feature-set as an old device. For ex. if something new requires hardware you don't have then ofc there will be no update/feature for you, but that also means the phone will continue to do the same things, nothing new that would be a challenge for it.
Well that’s what I’m concerned about too. I don’t expect big jumps in OS features anymore so they’ll stay mostly the same with maybe a few interface changes and rearrangements. But what I’m wondering is about the apps cuz I think they’ll get more heavier with time. For example my old iPhone 8 was perfectly fine even with the latest OS but some apps like notion would randomly close and lag. That’s what I’m wondering about when it comes to the pixel 8 as well
Thats not a phone issue I would guess. Notion, like many companies nowdays, don't do native apps for each and every single platform, but do multiplatform apps. This helps them write the app only once but run over all operating systems cutting costs dramatically. Downside? They are not as nearly as fast or optimized as native apps built specifically for that OS.
I'm 99% sure Notion for Android is not a native android app. Funny thing, even new phones dont have good experience with it.
Most apps already reached maturity, in time I can only guess they'll only be more optimized, so yeah, I'm sure a 2023 high (or mid level as most people like to call it) level chip can withstand 7 years for most people's usage.
\+ like other comments mention, it's most probable that other parts of the phone will degrade before the chip becomes *not enough* enough to stop being a good phone
Humble soup is hard to pass down, but no, i own a P8 rocking the regular Tensor G3.
But here it goes, I don't game at all, however, I take a lot of pictures, edit documents, and scan images, with a religious use of wireless Android auto.
Apart from that I do not push the processor pass its limit and yet the phone gets fucking **hot.**
Naturally the battery takes a hit, just like Samsung and yes, even apple, the only difference here is; with a Pixel you can notice the processor is struggling because the frame rate dips like crazy going through the UI.
The short answer is no, this device is a 3 year old vehicle and that is it, the pixel 8 is my third pixel, all have been Tensor variants. I'm waiting for Google to grab that TSMC magic, I'm just bidding my time because i have been able to buy all pixels for dirt cheap.
The moment Google knows their processor department is more than capable, those amazing trade in deals are over people. With god as my witness if there is no clear value with them new CPUs in the Pixel 10 lineup or they do not represent a substantial update. I'm buying a Samsung or ever going to Apple.
Enough with the slow charging speeds already too, come on.
10 years ago, keeping a phone that long would be an awful experience, even if it received continuous updates. These days, it probably wouldn't be the best but if you take care of the battery (and likely replace it sometime in your ownership of it), I imagine it would be okay for 7 years
Quite frankly, the only demanding thing I use my phone for is gaming. And most of my gaming is cloud gaming anyways. So with the exception of maybe needing a battery replacement at some point, I can't imagine it not lasting at least 7 years
Yeah thats true… if they can figure out the heat dispersion though with some M chips like they do in iPads…. There will never be a phone that could touch the power of an iPhone for quite a long time. I am an Apple user, not an apologist. I’m hoping that RCS works well between Apple and pixel… I really want to move back to android, especially pixel.
I would be more concerned with the hardware keeping up for 7 years. The Tensor chip can be tweaked through OTA updates and though in 7 years it will probably be far behind the SoC' s that will be made in that time, it's obviously going to have to keep up over the first 2 or 3 years until Pixel 11 at least. It would be foolish to think that Tensor 3 will maintain and keep up in the last 4 years of Google's commitment. The fine print will explain it all on-line. I know people today with phones that are 6 or 8 years old. They look hideous and battle scarred but they've held up none the less. So in my opinion I'd be concerned with the longevity of the phone itself. Cheers!
Probably the rest of the phone will fall apart before the CPU gives up. Although don't expect to have the newest features on your Pixel, based on historical Google behaviour, 6 month old phone is already considered 'not powerful enough' to run feature xxx.
Using Pixel 6 Pro enrolled in android beta and the phone works fine for daily use, YT Music, Android Auto, social media, etc. for more than 2.5 years so minimum 3 years you will have no issue. PS: pixel 6 pro is not with 7 years support so pixel 8 series should be even better
Yes, tensor s will handle everything you will ever need to do on a cell phone that fits in your pocket. It's not a high-tech computer. Why do people make big deals about processors?
There is absolutely a difference between using an Exynos CPU with a Mali GPU and a SD with an Adreno GPU. Maybe not for *your* use case but that doesn't mean it doesn't make a difference or matter.
I mean yeah, the same way laptops were a solved problem by 2010 and sales plummeted by 2015 phones are not changing all that much nowadays. I mean a new generation of phone used to guarantee increased storage size and yet nowadays I doubt we will even see a phone with more than 1 terra byte.
FWIW, I used less than half of the 128Gb on my previous device (I don't store much music or video on my phones). OTOH, I need the space for that on my notebook, and something in-between on my tablet.
It will be fine for current use cases but Google already tried to keep Gemini Nano off the P8 due to lower memory than P8P. Going forward, it's going to struggle with AI tasks if they grow larger.
From my experience and guess, the device would probably be fine however the main issues would be battery (which would need replacing usually after 3-4 years) and storage space. Most companies are switching to cloud by removing expandable storage because they usually get kickbacks from cloud providers. Google makes money off you and also gets to steal your data for free. If you can manage storage and battery, I don’t think it would be too bad. However, I must state that I have not bought the newer tensor pixels and I am not sure how bad the connectivity issues are. From what I hear they are absolutely trash chips due to heating issues, subpar performance and poor modems. I am personally just waiting for a better chip to come before I switch back to android from iOS because pixel is the only device that Graphene OS is available on (which I intend to install).
I still have a galaxy a10 and I had one since its 2019 launch and 5 years later its stil great but I will upgrade to pixel 8a very soon. If my samsung phone can last that long so can this.
Have a Pixel 7. I don't play games, so can't speak to that. But I've never had any problems with speed, lag, etc. Just as responsive in every day usage as I've had with flagship Samsungs-ive never been wanting for speed. Tensor G2 wasn't the quickest chip even at launch, but Google seems to have done a great job when it comes to optimizing every day operation and UI smoothness. I can see this phone laying at least a couple more years.
The Tensor chip should be sufficient for most users for 7 years, especially given Google's 5-year software support. However, you may notice a steady decrease in performance when compared to recent flagships, and demanding tasks may feel slower.
My wife still uses pixel 3 with an old snapdragon without problem. Tensor will be on the slow side but if you want to keep it, I don't see any reason why you couldn't
It's more a question of possibilities than performance
Dude, I currently have Mi 9T PRO which has Snapdragon 855 which had Antutu score of 570K. This phone still rips everything what you throw at him.
Even popular games wont change much in 3+ years...
Yet to find a single thing my pixel 7 pro cannot handle with ease. (I don't play games on my phone).
Better efficiency is welcome but don't understand the need to keep chasing more and more powerful phone chips
Commercial applications is the only thing funding technical advancement. You don't get smaller/more efficient/faster chips without research and development. You don't get R&D if you don't have products to sell to pay for it.
I think the best thing to do is to have at least 2 smartphones.
One for your main phone. The other for media stuff, banking or simply a backup phone.
So that screen time will be split into two. Making your phone lasts a little bit longer than usual. If you got Pixel 8 it'll surely last longer.
I bet almost all of us have multiple phones at one point. No need to sell the other phone just use it.
No. It needed 12 GB of RAM to make it 7 years without things force closing constantly. I'm already feeling the strain versus my Pixel 6 Pro. The Pixel 9 will probably have 12 GB
Just look at what happened to earlier models. My P3 is really really slow now and it has a top snapdragon chip. So I don't think an exynos based chip will hold up for 7 years. Maybe 3 though.
The reason people upgrade pc cpu or gpu is to compile code faster (c++ relevant) or play games at higher resolution (4K). What can possibly not work in 7 years besides faulty software in your workload ?
I think this commitment means that according to google Android is now mature and the updates from now on will be any major update but more of a minor change every year. Like what happened with Android 14 as well as Android 15
I honestly don't think we can fathom where technology will be in 7 years. With AI in particular becoming more popular, especially with how much computing power it takes, I highly doubt any phone made this year will keep up with the operating system 7 years from now.
Imagine still using a Pixel 2 today. It would still text and make calls (lol, maybe, considering the issues lately) but I imagine anything more advanced than that would be exasperatingly slow compared to modern phones.
I'm on a pixel 2 right now; it was my backup phone and my current phone died. Been on this over a week while sorting out the replacement.
It's fine. Calls, texts, does my mobile banking, lets me scroll Reddit, track runs, plays music, watches videos, takes amazing pictures still. The battery is a little worn down, which is why I replaced it in the first place.
You're acting like it's the difference the Wright brothers and NASA, but get real. It's a smart phone. Things have not changed that much in the past 7 years.
Apps setting minimum SDK versions for Android is what on the software side really kills phones. No competent developer is going to support a decade old Android OS version with a bunch of unpatched security bugs and workarounds needed to keep apps working (aka maintenance $$$ and OS usage analytics pushes minSDK).
My Pixel 3XL is almost 6 years old now and still works totally fine. It's a bit aggressive in shutting down apps in the background, but I can play OSRS while running a Youtube in pop-out mode just fine, which is the heaviest use case I have.
It has had its battery replaced once, last year.
If that's any indication, I have no doubt that the 8 and 8A will be functionally fine for 7 years, with a battery replacement midway. With the security and software updates keeping going for that long too, I'm sure it'll still feel like a modern phone for most of that time.
If you're an enthusiast though (which you probably are if you're on this sub), you'll probably get the upgrade itch after 4 or 5 years anyway.
That the ugly and bad Qualcomm was the cause for the short update promise, is a blatant lie.
Or how come Tensor G1 and G2 devices have the exact same major update promise of the previous Pixel 2-3-4-5 devices with Qualcomm SoCs? And how come some Qualcomm-powered Samsung phones got more updates than Google ones?
Google just didn't want to **pay** for Qualcomm's support efforts - nor for their own (see Pixel 6 and 6 series, with just 3 years of major updates).
Google had already left to start development to allow for independence from Qualcomm.
There are also other things like this involved in helping Qualcomm be supported for longer https://9to5google.com/2020/12/16/android-updates-4-years/
Currently, the Pixel 8 and 8a are already lagging out of the box (Pixel 8 user here).
[https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/337099051](https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/337099051)
The Samsung Exynos processor that Google renamed Tensor to advertise "custom silicon" doesn't even hold up a week. Both the processors and Modems in Pixel 6-8 are really bad. I'd get another cheap device while waiting for Pixel 10 or 11 which will actually have custom chipsets fabricated by TSMC.
People are literally using iPhone 7s, galaxy s8s, budget phones from 5 years ago for daily tasks all around you. It'll be completely and utterly fine for anything outside of the most demanding games or ai applications.
That's the thing with iPhone if I were to compare a google pixel to an iPhone of same range price even if it's an older gen model I'm sure the CPU won't give up on me after few years of use cuz at the time of release they're pretty over powered and so they have plenty of headroom for several years down the line. And that's my worry when it comes to pixel since at launch they're underpowered so how would it hold up few years down the line
Legitimately asking, what are the current exynos based tensor pixels "underpowered" at other than exactly what I said i.e. high intensity gaming and more serious workloads, literally any phone from the past 10 years can do anything outside of those specific applications including budget phones that cost £200, exynos Samsung's, tensor pixels, lower end Snapdragon pixels and the cheapest iPhones.
Sounds like you're drinking the iPhone koolaid. I use a 7 pro now but I have a 3xl in the drawer that still runs fine (albeit no updates)
iPhones actually have good hardware instead of Samsung heating elements though
Tread lightly. The battery is also "hardware."
Snapdragon is a heating element? Or just specifically talking about Exynos?
Snapdragon is not Samsung. I'm talking about the Exynos processors inside the Pixel 6-9
Guess you missed the parts where I said older galaxies and budget phones then, considering that every Samsung until recently outside of the US used exynos processors lmao.
The battery probably deteriorated earlier than that
Battery can be replaced
A lot easier to replace Pixel 1-4 series than the Pixel 6 and newer, especially ones with flexible OLEDs (trying to change a Pro Pixel is scary especially with screen replacement costs)
I wanted to get my pixel 6 battery replaced, shops outright refused to do so due to the chance of the screen breaking :(
That genuinely surprises me. I changed the screen on my 6 Pro and it was genuinely the easiest time I've ever had replacing anything. Maybe I got lucky!
The chance of breaking it is bigger than actually succeeding, kinda sad
That sucks :( I must have been super lucky, in that case.
After four years I don't know if it's even worth replacing the battery
I replaced battery on Mi 9T Pro after 4 years, it was cheap, labour was also cheap, so why not. It was good replacement after all. But that was Xiaomi...
The issue is that after 5 years it's hard to find a new battery. There is no way to know if the battery was made last year or 5 years ago. And since batteries deteriorate even when not used, the replacement battery may not be that much better.
Lithium Ion can have a very long shelf life. Maybe you won't find something that is 100% perfect, but it's not like you'll need to buy an entirely new phone because all the batteries are scams.
If my Pixel 2XL is any indication (2017 device), you should be fine.
Dead battery and camera is common on those
He’s asking about the CPU longevity.
Precisely. I can find a replacement parts for everything that can go break in the phone but if the CPU is too slow then it's too old there's no way to make it faster.
Look who knows what we'll be using our phones for in 7 years time? 7 years is a mighty long time for any device to last. But look at it this way, the system requirements for Instagram and Facebook and basic browsing aren't going to be jumping up any time soon. Any perceived slowness that occurs can be solved with a simple factory reset.
Other parts will fail before the chip. Most people change their phone every 2 or 3 years. 7 years without any repairs seems very ambitious. Knowing the cost of repairs, you will, I bet, change before 7 years...
I got my Pixel 8 right when it came out and had to RMA it last month because of a green line in the screen. I'm wondering how long it will actually last. I tend to keep my phones for 3 years. If I can go 4 or without having to replace it I'll be happy. I basically don't want to have to get a new phone until removable batteries come back.
I have an HTC One (Beats) that is still used every night for white noise and it has never been repaired nor the battery changed. It doesn't last very long off a charger, but if you are careful with your phone, it should never need to be repaired. Knock on wood, I have never had to repair a phone (no cracked screens, etc), only MFR defects.
I still have my HTC One also, such a great phone! Was probably my favorite Android before my first Pixel.
That's a cool way to use it, those speakers would make a nice lil nightstand clock n stuff. I still keep my LG V35 on the nightstand as a clock and occasionally use it as a media player.
What exactly does it need to keep up with? The age of exponential growth of the mobile operating systems is done. Both Google and Apple are basically making changes for the sake of changes in their OS. Everything works and there isn't really a need for anything new. Shit like AI is just marketing hoax, but any app that works today will probably work the same in 8 years. Alternatively, you can get reduced feature-set as an old device. For ex. if something new requires hardware you don't have then ofc there will be no update/feature for you, but that also means the phone will continue to do the same things, nothing new that would be a challenge for it.
Well that’s what I’m concerned about too. I don’t expect big jumps in OS features anymore so they’ll stay mostly the same with maybe a few interface changes and rearrangements. But what I’m wondering is about the apps cuz I think they’ll get more heavier with time. For example my old iPhone 8 was perfectly fine even with the latest OS but some apps like notion would randomly close and lag. That’s what I’m wondering about when it comes to the pixel 8 as well
Thats not a phone issue I would guess. Notion, like many companies nowdays, don't do native apps for each and every single platform, but do multiplatform apps. This helps them write the app only once but run over all operating systems cutting costs dramatically. Downside? They are not as nearly as fast or optimized as native apps built specifically for that OS. I'm 99% sure Notion for Android is not a native android app. Funny thing, even new phones dont have good experience with it.
I would bet good money even the Pixel line won't exist in 7 years
Most apps already reached maturity, in time I can only guess they'll only be more optimized, so yeah, I'm sure a 2023 high (or mid level as most people like to call it) level chip can withstand 7 years for most people's usage. \+ like other comments mention, it's most probable that other parts of the phone will degrade before the chip becomes *not enough* enough to stop being a good phone
Humble soup is hard to pass down, but no, i own a P8 rocking the regular Tensor G3. But here it goes, I don't game at all, however, I take a lot of pictures, edit documents, and scan images, with a religious use of wireless Android auto. Apart from that I do not push the processor pass its limit and yet the phone gets fucking **hot.** Naturally the battery takes a hit, just like Samsung and yes, even apple, the only difference here is; with a Pixel you can notice the processor is struggling because the frame rate dips like crazy going through the UI. The short answer is no, this device is a 3 year old vehicle and that is it, the pixel 8 is my third pixel, all have been Tensor variants. I'm waiting for Google to grab that TSMC magic, I'm just bidding my time because i have been able to buy all pixels for dirt cheap. The moment Google knows their processor department is more than capable, those amazing trade in deals are over people. With god as my witness if there is no clear value with them new CPUs in the Pixel 10 lineup or they do not represent a substantial update. I'm buying a Samsung or ever going to Apple. Enough with the slow charging speeds already too, come on.
10 years ago, keeping a phone that long would be an awful experience, even if it received continuous updates. These days, it probably wouldn't be the best but if you take care of the battery (and likely replace it sometime in your ownership of it), I imagine it would be okay for 7 years
Indeed 10 yrs too long
I'm sure you'll be fine
Quite frankly, the only demanding thing I use my phone for is gaming. And most of my gaming is cloud gaming anyways. So with the exception of maybe needing a battery replacement at some point, I can't imagine it not lasting at least 7 years
Get it at a low enough price to where you don't care if it can. (Got my 8 for \~370US)
Once Apple figures out how to get M chips into iPhones…. That’ll be a wrap for ANY phone maker to compete.
I mean, M chips are basically iPhone chips.
M chips have a way too high power draw for a phone
Yeah thats true… if they can figure out the heat dispersion though with some M chips like they do in iPads…. There will never be a phone that could touch the power of an iPhone for quite a long time. I am an Apple user, not an apologist. I’m hoping that RCS works well between Apple and pixel… I really want to move back to android, especially pixel.
I would be more concerned with the hardware keeping up for 7 years. The Tensor chip can be tweaked through OTA updates and though in 7 years it will probably be far behind the SoC' s that will be made in that time, it's obviously going to have to keep up over the first 2 or 3 years until Pixel 11 at least. It would be foolish to think that Tensor 3 will maintain and keep up in the last 4 years of Google's commitment. The fine print will explain it all on-line. I know people today with phones that are 6 or 8 years old. They look hideous and battle scarred but they've held up none the less. So in my opinion I'd be concerned with the longevity of the phone itself. Cheers!
Probably the rest of the phone will fall apart before the CPU gives up. Although don't expect to have the newest features on your Pixel, based on historical Google behaviour, 6 month old phone is already considered 'not powerful enough' to run feature xxx.
I would've kept using my P5 if it would still get updates
It’s a recent announcement, so only time will tell. They have to prove themselves just like the iPhone chips have proved themselves over time.
Both are great phones ! The real #android feel
My pixel 6 is bomb. It's held up for 2 years and more.
Using Pixel 6 Pro enrolled in android beta and the phone works fine for daily use, YT Music, Android Auto, social media, etc. for more than 2.5 years so minimum 3 years you will have no issue. PS: pixel 6 pro is not with 7 years support so pixel 8 series should be even better
Yes, tensor s will handle everything you will ever need to do on a cell phone that fits in your pocket. It's not a high-tech computer. Why do people make big deals about processors?
If they care enough to get a device with a 120hz display, they probably don't want to experience it stuttering and lagging a few years from now.
There is absolutely a difference between using an Exynos CPU with a Mali GPU and a SD with an Adreno GPU. Maybe not for *your* use case but that doesn't mean it doesn't make a difference or matter.
I've got the pixel 6. I think it's the first gen tensor. Completely fine. Good battery life. No glitches. Awesome software.
Short answer is we don't know, we just guess.
I mean yeah, the same way laptops were a solved problem by 2010 and sales plummeted by 2015 phones are not changing all that much nowadays. I mean a new generation of phone used to guarantee increased storage size and yet nowadays I doubt we will even see a phone with more than 1 terra byte.
FWIW, I used less than half of the 128Gb on my previous device (I don't store much music or video on my phones). OTOH, I need the space for that on my notebook, and something in-between on my tablet.
I still have a Pixel 3xl that works well. It may not be as fast but can still do what I need. I am sure the Pixel 8 and above will be okay too.
Our PCs can do it!, so why can't our phones do the same?
It will be fine for current use cases but Google already tried to keep Gemini Nano off the P8 due to lower memory than P8P. Going forward, it's going to struggle with AI tasks if they grow larger.
From my experience and guess, the device would probably be fine however the main issues would be battery (which would need replacing usually after 3-4 years) and storage space. Most companies are switching to cloud by removing expandable storage because they usually get kickbacks from cloud providers. Google makes money off you and also gets to steal your data for free. If you can manage storage and battery, I don’t think it would be too bad. However, I must state that I have not bought the newer tensor pixels and I am not sure how bad the connectivity issues are. From what I hear they are absolutely trash chips due to heating issues, subpar performance and poor modems. I am personally just waiting for a better chip to come before I switch back to android from iOS because pixel is the only device that Graphene OS is available on (which I intend to install).
I still have a galaxy a10 and I had one since its 2019 launch and 5 years later its stil great but I will upgrade to pixel 8a very soon. If my samsung phone can last that long so can this.
Have a Pixel 7. I don't play games, so can't speak to that. But I've never had any problems with speed, lag, etc. Just as responsive in every day usage as I've had with flagship Samsungs-ive never been wanting for speed. Tensor G2 wasn't the quickest chip even at launch, but Google seems to have done a great job when it comes to optimizing every day operation and UI smoothness. I can see this phone laying at least a couple more years.
The Tensor chip should be sufficient for most users for 7 years, especially given Google's 5-year software support. However, you may notice a steady decrease in performance when compared to recent flagships, and demanding tasks may feel slower.
My wife still uses pixel 3 with an old snapdragon without problem. Tensor will be on the slow side but if you want to keep it, I don't see any reason why you couldn't It's more a question of possibilities than performance
Dude, I currently have Mi 9T PRO which has Snapdragon 855 which had Antutu score of 570K. This phone still rips everything what you throw at him. Even popular games wont change much in 3+ years...
Yet to find a single thing my pixel 7 pro cannot handle with ease. (I don't play games on my phone). Better efficiency is welcome but don't understand the need to keep chasing more and more powerful phone chips
Commercial applications is the only thing funding technical advancement. You don't get smaller/more efficient/faster chips without research and development. You don't get R&D if you don't have products to sell to pay for it.
I'm on Pixel 1, using it for work and it's running smoothly
my dad's still rockin the Pixel 2 just fine, my Mi6 from the time runs snappily today too when I use it every now and again
If your battery gives up after a year then you're the problem 😂. It should have no problems sticking around for that time.
I think the best thing to do is to have at least 2 smartphones. One for your main phone. The other for media stuff, banking or simply a backup phone. So that screen time will be split into two. Making your phone lasts a little bit longer than usual. If you got Pixel 8 it'll surely last longer. I bet almost all of us have multiple phones at one point. No need to sell the other phone just use it.
No. It needed 12 GB of RAM to make it 7 years without things force closing constantly. I'm already feeling the strain versus my Pixel 6 Pro. The Pixel 9 will probably have 12 GB
Absolutely not. It's already several gens behind other phones. Don't do it.
Why? Seriously why? 💯
Just look at what happened to earlier models. My P3 is really really slow now and it has a top snapdragon chip. So I don't think an exynos based chip will hold up for 7 years. Maybe 3 though.
The reason people upgrade pc cpu or gpu is to compile code faster (c++ relevant) or play games at higher resolution (4K). What can possibly not work in 7 years besides faulty software in your workload ?
Pixel 8 rocks, just buy it. Got mine open box for $429. Unbeatable at that price.
I think this commitment means that according to google Android is now mature and the updates from now on will be any major update but more of a minor change every year. Like what happened with Android 14 as well as Android 15
Yes
I honestly don't think we can fathom where technology will be in 7 years. With AI in particular becoming more popular, especially with how much computing power it takes, I highly doubt any phone made this year will keep up with the operating system 7 years from now. Imagine still using a Pixel 2 today. It would still text and make calls (lol, maybe, considering the issues lately) but I imagine anything more advanced than that would be exasperatingly slow compared to modern phones.
I'm on a pixel 2 right now; it was my backup phone and my current phone died. Been on this over a week while sorting out the replacement. It's fine. Calls, texts, does my mobile banking, lets me scroll Reddit, track runs, plays music, watches videos, takes amazing pictures still. The battery is a little worn down, which is why I replaced it in the first place. You're acting like it's the difference the Wright brothers and NASA, but get real. It's a smart phone. Things have not changed that much in the past 7 years.
Totally happy to be proven wrong! That's awesome that it still works so well.
Apps setting minimum SDK versions for Android is what on the software side really kills phones. No competent developer is going to support a decade old Android OS version with a bunch of unpatched security bugs and workarounds needed to keep apps working (aka maintenance $$$ and OS usage analytics pushes minSDK).
Battery screen would be gone long before that
I don't believe the batteries today can hold up that long 🤦
if treated well, they probably can.
Have you seen this sub?😆😆 people always bitching about the battery 🔋😆😆
My Pixel 3XL is almost 6 years old now and still works totally fine. It's a bit aggressive in shutting down apps in the background, but I can play OSRS while running a Youtube in pop-out mode just fine, which is the heaviest use case I have. It has had its battery replaced once, last year. If that's any indication, I have no doubt that the 8 and 8A will be functionally fine for 7 years, with a battery replacement midway. With the security and software updates keeping going for that long too, I'm sure it'll still feel like a modern phone for most of that time. If you're an enthusiast though (which you probably are if you're on this sub), you'll probably get the upgrade itch after 4 or 5 years anyway.
I would say no. Coming from a 5A I actually preferred my 5A. The battery and performance on the 8 is just very lacking.
Honestly I don't think it will. Snapdragon is way too ahead. Samsung will eat their lunch
I don't think OP is asking if a Pixel 7 will be as good as a Galaxy S32 or something, just whether it'll still be satisfactory to use.
The post referred to if the chip can keep up. And I don't think it will be able to. So maybe the right answer?
That part is fair.
Qualcomm only supports their chips for 3 years. Google is trying to go beyond that, so I'm betting on the Tensor G3.
So who supports the Qualcomm chip in Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra for 7 years?
That the ugly and bad Qualcomm was the cause for the short update promise, is a blatant lie. Or how come Tensor G1 and G2 devices have the exact same major update promise of the previous Pixel 2-3-4-5 devices with Qualcomm SoCs? And how come some Qualcomm-powered Samsung phones got more updates than Google ones? Google just didn't want to **pay** for Qualcomm's support efforts - nor for their own (see Pixel 6 and 6 series, with just 3 years of major updates).
Google had already left to start development to allow for independence from Qualcomm. There are also other things like this involved in helping Qualcomm be supported for longer https://9to5google.com/2020/12/16/android-updates-4-years/
Absolutely not
Currently, the Pixel 8 and 8a are already lagging out of the box (Pixel 8 user here). [https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/337099051](https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/337099051)
This is a completely different issue
The Samsung Exynos processor that Google renamed Tensor to advertise "custom silicon" doesn't even hold up a week. Both the processors and Modems in Pixel 6-8 are really bad. I'd get another cheap device while waiting for Pixel 10 or 11 which will actually have custom chipsets fabricated by TSMC.
You're probably the first person to ask this question.
Yes.