In terms of choosing 7 years of updates after doing 5 (3 OS + 2 security), Google looked at active user data and how long a Pixel device was in use for, including if its resold, given to family members, etc.
“So when we look at the trajectory of where the original Pixel that we launched in 2016 landed and how many people were still using the first Pixel, we saw that actually, there’s quite a good active user base until probably about the seven-year mark. So if we think about, okay, we want to be able to support Pixel for as long as people are using the device, then seven years is about that right number.”
Weird. This almost sounds they’re not trying to profit maximize on Pixel sales.
I bet google doesn’t have to. They can still mine your data and sell it for profit. They’re a data company first after all.
I think these pricier manufacturers are also waking up to the fact that “upgrading” to a newer model every 1 - 3 years is no longer financially viable for a lot of their customers. They’ve started incorporating new revenue streams (subscriptions for additional features and services) while extending software support to ensure people remain loyal to the product or brand. This is also part of the reason why there are fewer aesthetic design differences from generation-to-generation at the moment, since the reason many of those changes are made is to manipulate people into feeling like their phone is “old” and “outdated” to the extent that they buy the newest model instead.
