Having good software support is important, and Qualcomm is aware of that. As a response to this need, Qualcomm will extend software support for phones using the Snapdragon 8 Elite for up to eight Android updates and eight years of security updates. While Qualcomm’s press release only focused primarily on the Snapdragon 8 Elite, it added that new Snapdragon 7 and 8 series processors that are running Android 15 will enjoy the same level of software support.
“The longer window promotes both device longevity and sustainability, while ensuring that device manufacturers have access to the latest version of Android during those eight years,” Qualcomm said in its press release.
With chips being the most expensive component in devices–on top of being more expensive–it’s important for them to have long software support so that brands can commit to longer update timelines. So far, Samsung and Google are the leaders in terms of Android software updates, providing up to 7 Android updates and 7 years of security updates.
On paper, this should give Qualcomm an edge over MediaTek: even if Snapdragon chips are more expensive, they can be cost-efficient in the long run since users can afford to use their phones longer before needing to buy a new one because of the lack of updates.
