{"id":498932,"date":"2022-10-06T23:17:44","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T20:17:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/hey-google-longer-device-support-would-help-the-earth-too\/"},"modified":"2022-10-06T23:17:44","modified_gmt":"2022-10-06T20:17:44","slug":"hey-google-longer-device-support-would-help-the-earth-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/hey-google-longer-device-support-would-help-the-earth-too\/","title":{"rendered":"#Hey Google, Longer Device Support Would Help the Earth Too"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3bbf66424e9\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3bbf66424e9\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/hey-google-longer-device-support-would-help-the-earth-too\/#%E2%80%9CHey_Google_Longer_Device_Support_Would_Help_the_Earth_Too%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Hey Google, Longer Device Support Would Help the Earth Too&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/hey-google-longer-device-support-would-help-the-earth-too\/#Five_Or_Three_Years_Isnt_Enough\" >Five (Or Three) Years Isn\u2019t Enough<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/hey-google-longer-device-support-would-help-the-earth-too\/#The_Proprietary_Problem\" >The Proprietary Problem<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CHey_Google_Longer_Device_Support_Would_Help_the_Earth_Too%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Hey Google, Longer Device Support Would Help the Earth Too&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage wp-image-838723 size-full\" data-pagespeed-no-defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Google-Pixel-devices.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Google Pixel devices\" width=\"1200\" height=\"674\" data-credittext=\"Google\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\">Google<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Google\u2019s big October hardware event took place today, where the company fully revealed the Pixel 7 <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> and Pixel Watch. Google also highlighted how it takes sustainability and the environment seriously\u2026 but does it really?<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s seemingly mandatory for each major tech event these days to include a section with an explainer about how a company\u2019s products are made of recycled materials, or is built in factories using renewable energy, or some other indication that the company is thinking about its impact on the Earth. Today\u2019s event was no different, with a few lines about \u201cbeing thoughtful about environmental impact at every step.\u201d Google says it\u2019s still on track for a net zero carbon footprint for its entire company by 2030 (<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2020\/09\/14\/google-claims-net-zero-carbon-footprint-over-its-entire-lifetime-aims-to-only-use-carbon-free-energy-by-2030\/\">as announced in 2020<\/a>), all its hardware products use some amount of recycled materials, and the Pixel 7 series will receive five years of security updates.<\/p>\n<lite-youtube videoid=\"2NGjNQVbydc\" params=\"start=1365\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/2NGjNQVbydc\/hqdefault.jpg');\">\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"lty-playbtn\"><br \/>\n<span class=\"lyt-visually-hidden\">Play Video<\/span><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/lite-youtube>\n<p>To be clear, all of that is a <em>good thing<\/em>. Even though the obligatory environment speech might start to seem repetitive if you watch enough tech events, it\u2019s great that there is sufficient public pressure on large corporations to reduce their environmental impact. That\u2019s especially important in the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> industry, where the manufacturing process often involves <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hir.harvard.edu\/not-so-green-technology-the-complicated-legacy-of-rare-earth-mining\/\">the destructive processing of rare earth metals<\/a> and plenty of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere from factories and shipping.<\/p>\n<p>However, there is a degree of conflicting messaging with Google\u2019s products around sustainability that <em>isn\u2019t<\/em> acceptable.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Five_Or_Three_Years_Isnt_Enough\"><\/span>Five (Or Three) Years Isn\u2019t Enough<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The Pixel 7 series is guaranteed to receive five years of security patches, but major Android updates will end after three years, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/pixelphone\/answer\/4457705?hl=en#zippy=%2Cpixel-later-pixel-phones\">like every other recent Pixel phone<\/a>. That means any Pixel 7 device, no matter its physical condition, will gradually become more unsafe to use starting around October 2027. Most people don\u2019t keep their phones beyond two or three years, but that timer doesn\u2019t start when you buy the phone, it starts <em>right now<\/em>. If you buy it used or refurbished in a year or two, it has a much shorter usable lifespan.<\/p>\n<p>Google didn\u2019t mention the difference between OS updates and security updates in its presentation, and even <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/store.google.com\/product\/pixel_7_specs?hl=en-US\">the full specs page<\/a> doesn\u2019t mention how long the phone will receive major OS updates \u2014 we had to confirm that detail with a Google representative. Worse still, the presentation was discussing Pixel Feature Drops (which are OS updates that don\u2019t go past three years), then quickly switched to talking about 5 years of security updates, while <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/2NGjNQVbydc?t=1827\">leaving \u201cPixel Feature Drops\u201d on screen<\/a>. If you were watching the event and not listening closely, you might think the Feature Drops lasted five years, too.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-838731 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/screenshot-10-06-2022-102117.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"image from Google presentation that reads &quot;Pixel Feature Drops: 5 years of updates.&quot;\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-credittext=\"Google\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Contrary to what this slide indicates, the Pixel 7 will not receive 5 years of Pixel Feature Drops. <span class=\"imagecredit\">Google<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That\u2019s a problem for many reasons. The most direct impact is on the resale value of the phone, which is affected by how much software support is left, among many other factors. Google is shortchanging its buyers by not supporting its phones for a longer period, and the strategy conflicts with the company\u2019s messaging about the environment. The best way to improve sustainability is supporting the phone for as long as possible, because that keeps the device out of landfills.<\/p>\n<p>The Pixel 7 series is also being announced right on the heels of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/news\/google-pixel-4-is-getting-its-final-guaranteed-update-just-in-time-for-the-pixel-7\">Google releasing the final update for the Pixel 4 and 4 XL<\/a>, which were only released in 2019. There\u2019s no good excuse for such a short lifespan \u2014 the iPhone 11 was released around the same time, and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">App<\/a>le is still supporting the iPhone 8 and X from 2017.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Proprietary_Problem\"><\/span>The Proprietary Problem<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Google covered the Pixel Watch in detail during the same event, which also had an element that contrasted with the company\u2019s promise of environmental sustainability. The watch uses proprietary watchbands, rather than the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s?k=44mm+band&amp;tag=lsmedia-11324-20\">industry-standardized bands<\/a> used by the Galaxy Watch series, most Fossil Group watches, Mobvioi\u2019s TicWatch lineup, many other smartwatches, and most traditional watches.<\/p>\n<p>Google says the bands for the Pixel Watch are easier to swap than traditional bands (even though the quick-release mechanism on most bands isn\u2019t difficult), and the bands are flush with the watch. The Apple Watch and most Fitbit products use proprietary bands for the same reasons, but if Google is serious about sustainability, it\u2019s the wrong move.<br \/>\n<video controls=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/band_attach_H264_1.gif?format=mp4\" title=\"Attaching a band to the Pixel Watch\" width=\"650\" height=\"365.625\"\/><br \/> <span class=\"imagecredit\">Google<\/span><br \/>\nBands for the Pixel Watch will <em>only<\/em> work with that <em>one<\/em> watch, which is bad for the same reason that the technology industry has done away with proprietary chargers \u2014 they usually go in the trash along with the device they were made for. We don\u2019t even know yet if there will be more Pixel Watches, and whether they will be compatible with existing bands.<\/p>\n<p>Pixel devices have much longer software support than most other Android devices, and Google has been <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ifixit.com\/News\/55239\/pixel-6-pro-teardown-google-actually-did-something-right\">improving the repair process<\/a> and parts availability for its phones. Still, it\u2019s frustrating to see the company praise itself for environmental sustainability, while still contributing to wasteful product decisions like limited updates and proprietary accessories. Google \u2014 and nearly every other tech company, for that matter \u2014 needs to do better.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/838685\/hey-google-longer-device-support-would-help-the-earth-too\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Hey Google, Longer Device Support Would Help the Earth Too&#8221; Google Google\u2019s big October hardware event took place today, where the company fully revealed the Pixel 7 series and Pixel Watch. Google also highlighted how it takes sustainability and the environment seriously\u2026 but does it really? It\u2019s seemingly mandatory for each major tech event these&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":498933,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Google-Pixel-devices.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-498932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/498932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=498932"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/498932\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/498933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=498932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=498932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=498932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}