Google has been making strides with the launch of Android 12, as several Find and Reno devices have already adopted the new operating system. This leaves 40% of Android devices worldwide with older versions that no longer receive security updates. Google has since increased the number of security updates for its Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones to five years, although these devices will only receive three years of updates to the Android operating system. Figuring out the limits of safe use for an Android phone can be more challenging than with iPhones, as Android phones are not as standardized.
Nokia has had a great track record with Android 10 updates, releasing the first one a month after the operating system was made available. Google has stated that devices from Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Tecno, Vivo and Xiaomi will have access to Android 12 this year. The update was released about three months after its official announcement, although it has only reached a few devices so far. OnePlus had planned to release its Android 12 update with OxygenOS 12 for the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro, but it seems to have encountered some issues.
Google has made sure that Android 12 is available on the new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones, which feature an on-screen fingerprint sensor, improved cameras and much more. If you have another type of Android phone (other than Pixel), you may have to wait a bit longer as each company must make sure that the latest update works with their existing phones. The OnePlus 8 and newer models receive three years of Android updates and four years of security updates. This year, OnePlus was even faster in releasing the first stable update just one month after Android 12 was released.
Samsung also began releasing the stable version of Android 12 in the Galaxy S21 series just one month after the operating system was launched. It appears that Google has developed both the phones and Android 12 together this time around, resulting in a version that will show more unification than previous versions on previous Pixel phones. In addition to those security updates, Samsung offers four Android updates for most of its devices.
