Qualcomm, in partnership with Google, announced that starting with the Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile processor, the company will begin offering Android smartphone manufacturers the opportunity to release system and security updates for eight consecutive years.
The company further states in the statement that OEMs will not have to make significant changes or update platforms and OEM code on devices. Changes to the kernel will require driver updates, but the manufacturer's code can remain unchanged, providing up to eight years of updates.
Qualcomm also announced that the new program will include two updates to the Android Common Kernel (ACK) mobile platform, providing eight years of support. These Android kernel updates will allow manufacturers to provide longer-term support for smartphones.
"Whether an eligible smartphone or mobile phone receives all the software support being offered by Qualcomm Technologies is up to the OEM. But Qualcomm Technologies is already seeing commitments from OEMs to keep their devices available to consumers for longer," the company said in a statement.
The first smartphones to receive increased support will be devices with Snapdragon 8 Elite and Android 15. At the same time, Qualcomm adds that the duration of security and system updates will depend directly on manufacturers and whether they take advantage of the new program.