Google I/O 2011: Android phones will receive updates for 18 months

An agreement with the most importante manufacturers and carriers guarantees updates to all Android devices.

There are new Android phones announced every other day, and with several variants depending by the country and operator they are going to, so it often happens that some device is “forgotten” by either the OEM or the carrier and won’t receive firmware updates, or it will receive them only for a limited amount of time. But this is going to end soon, thanks to an agreement that Google has made with the five main manufacturers (HTC, Samsung, LG, Motorola and Sony Ericsson) and with five mobile operators (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Vodafone) and that has just been announced at the Google I/O in San Francisco.

Thanks to this agreement, all devices (both smartphones and tablets) will be set to receive firmware updates for minimum 18 months from their release date, unless there are obvious hardware limitations. So far it was up to the OEM and/or carrier to decide which devices were going to be updated and which not, now it’s Google to set the rules. And this is not just limited to the mentioned ten partners, as Google said “others are welcome to join“.

We are definitely pleased about this new guideline and look forward to fast upgrade times on our favorite devices.