This month is the final month of guaranteed major and security updates, and we already know Android 14 won’t land in the Pixel 4a (though it will in the Pixel 4a 5G as it has guaranteed updates until November).
So for those of you who own that phone, what do you plan to do with it? Are you going to keep using it for a couple more years without the updates? Install a custom ROM (which one?)? Or are you maybe planning to get a new phone (a Pixel?)?
If you still own an older Pixel phone, how are you keeping it alive?
You don’t need to be at the mercy of Google to keep your phone updated!
The whole point of having a Google phone is that you can easily flash it after its planned obsolescence date.
It’s such a shame that Google will no longer support a phone that is only 3 years old.
Planned obsolescence. It’s how you sell more product without innovation and move people into a eco system without completely bricking their phone, and innovation lol.
Lineage OS
Are you supposed to stop using your phone once it stops getting updates?
Mine is on Android 9 and idgaf.
I replace my phone when it stops working well enough for day to day use.
It depends on whether you do sensitive stuff with your phone that’s going to risk getting exposed if your phone stops getting security updates and a malware gets made specifically for it. But I guess like on PC with careful vetting of apps and avoiding sketchy websites the risk should IMO be minimal.
I’d say for most users, this is the case. But you’re not in a thread of “most users” 😂. There’s definitely a niche here that would like to stay on the most recent system software as it probably brings them functionality they need or will want to use.
Yes, when the security patches stops it’s time to switch. But since these are usually a separate deploy chain from regular Android updates its hard to figure out when these patches stops coming. I’ve tried to find out out when the security patches for my Samsung S20+ stops, no idea still.
If you’re smart with your phone, you technically don’t need to update. You can also prolong life with custom rims and their own monthly patches.
I’m still on the default pacific rim - where can i find those custom rims?
I still use my pixel 2 regularly. There really isn’t a reason to not use it that I can think of.
Try Lineage. I ran it on my Pixel 3 for about two years when Google stopped updating it. Then when I decided to sell it, just reflashed the Google OS back on it
Running lineage on pixel 3 still.
Has it gotten easier to pass SafetyNet with ROMs? I still want to use my banking apps, but want to use a custom ROM for more safety now.
I’ve stopped using lineage as i changed the pixel3 for a 6a, so stock android. Although at the time I could get PayPal to work my banking app was a no no
I’ll use this phone until the battery won’t hold without being plugged in all the time. Then I’m not sure. I’d like another pixel, but there isn’t a pixel anymore that isn’t massive. It used to be that the main phone with all the features was larger and the sub phone with less features was a bit smaller. I usually opt for the smaller phone because I like a phone that suits my small hands and can also fit in my pocket. Now I’m worried my next phone will be too big to fit in my pants and I won’t be able to reach the other end of the screen with my thumb. Not to mention they don’t have a physical fingerprint reader anymore. My husband has a 6 and he stopped using the fingerprint function because it just didn’t work 80% of the time. And don’t get me started on the headphones jack. I have a Bluetooth headset, but you know those run out of battery sometimes and some cars are a pain to connect to. That’s the least of my worries, but it’ll be a bandaid I have to rip off for sure. Anyway, thanks for coming to my Ted talk. I’ll probably buy the stupid new Google tablet because I’m a hypocrite 🙂
I plan to make the jump to an 8 this year. I was holding out on the headphone jack but it’s time. The 8 should be a decent jump and the rumors about docking are really appealing to me for light office work.
Docking also means video out. The community for the Pixel 8 will be huge. I bet even Postmarket OS and Pure OS wik make ports for it. I just wish Waydroid gets good enough by then, to use WhatsApp, Google Maps, and my Banking app.
Tbh I know tons of people who use older phones that are way past any updates but work fine.
Not ideal but doesn’t make the phone unusable
