It may be easy to forget but Google hasn't always promised a ton of software support for its Pixel smartphones. As recently as three years ago the update promise was for three years of security updates. And guess what devices launched three years ago? The affordable Pixel 3a and 3a XL. So you know what that means, right?

The May software update that Google started rolling out yesterday should have been their last one, but as usual the company is giving out a bonus update to devices reaching end-of-life, software-wise. This last update will be delivered to the Pixel 3a and 3a XL "by July", in Google's own words. That doesn't necessarily mean that it will happen in July, or that it will go out in June when the monthly update hits the rest of the Pixels.

But by July if you own a Pixel 3a or 3a XL you will be receiving its last ever software update, so perhaps it's a good time to start looking for an alternative smartphone to buy and use - one that still gets updates, especially security ones, which sometimes can be extremely important.

Anyway, here's Google's full statement on the matter:

In May 2019 at the launch of the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, we announced that the devices would receive three years of software updates and three years of security updates from when our devices first became available on the Google Store. The final update for Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL will rollout to users by July 2022.

The 3a and 3a XL were the first Pixels to venture into mid-range territory, and now their story is almost coming to a close - but the "a" line (for "affordable"?) lives on.

Via