The exact length of time that Google will support their Nexus devices for has long been a mystery, but Google has updated the support page for Nexus updates with a new table showing exactly when your Nexus device will stop receiving updates.
Owners of Nexus devices mainly love them for the access to the latest version of Android that comes along with owning what is the closest you will come to Google’s hardware vision of what Android can be. The updates for Nexus devices continue for a fair while, but as of today you can see exactly when your Nexus will stop receiving updates.
The support page advises that Nexus devices will receive Android version updates for at least 2 years from when the device launched on the Google store, but will receive security patches for an additional year beyond that or for ’18 months from when the Google Store last sold the device’.
To put it in easier to view terms for the devices most people care about Google has provided an easy to view table:
|
Device |
No guaranteed Android version updates after |
|---|---|
|
Nexus 6P |
September 2017 |
|
Nexus 5X |
September 2017 |
|
Nexus 9 |
October 2016 |
|
Nexus 6 |
October 2016 |
|
Nexus 5 |
October 2015 |
|
Nexus 7 (2013) |
July 2015 |
|
Nexus 10 |
November 2014 |
As you can see the much maligned Nexus 9 is due to stop receiving updates this year. The observant among you will note a missing Nexus – the Nexus 6 – which is not listed in the table for some reason, though it should be getting updates until this year also according to the 2 year limit.
Update:
Google has added the Nexus 6 to the table, and as expected, support for the device will end in October this year.
Unfortunately for Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 2013 owners, the possibility of an update for an Android N update is pretty much sunk with this table.
With new Nexus phones – likely built by HTC – only a few months away, if you own a Nexus 5 or Nexus 6 it may be time to look at an update.
