Qualcomm teases plan to make Android updates easier

While many Android smartphone makers have improved their update cadence and increased how many years of software support they offer, not everything has gotten better. There can still be plenty of friction with software updates, but Qualcomm wants to make things smoother.

Qualcomm’s SVP and general manager of handsets, Chris Patrick, told Android Authority in an interview that it’s “very expensive and very complicated” for manufacturers to get security updates and Android upgrades to customers. However, Patrick also said Qualcomm has been working to improve the situation for some time and teased upcoming announcements.

For example, Patrick highlighted how Qualcomm worked with Google to optimize code for updates to help minimize friction for manufacturers. But beyond that, Patrick didn’t say more about Qualcomm’s efforts, instead promising announcements “later this year.” Android Authority posits the announcements could come at Qualcomm’s annual Snapdragon Summit, but it could come earlier at IFA.

Regardless of when Qualcomm makes the announcement, changes to improve software updates will be welcomed by Android users. The complexity of software updates has historically hampered longer support windows for Android devices, with manufacturers promising only a few years of support. That said, things have improved in recent years with both Samsung and Google promising as many as seven years of software support on select devices.

It will be interesting to see what Qualcomm does to improve software updates for Android devices. Whatever it is, we’ll hopefully see more manufacturers joining Google and Samsung in offering longer support windows.

Distributed also on: Android Authority