While some Android fans have resorted to running cooked ROM of Android 5.0 Lollipop for their omitted hardware, Google is about to guarantee two years' worth of updates for its Nexus devices, according to reports.
Google is expected to announce the two-year-update scheme for Nexus devices ahead of the launch of Android M, according to report from Android Police. The outlet cites anonymous sources and rates the intel a 9 out of 10 on its "confidence scale."
"We've been told that Google will announce a new update guarantee for Nexus devices alongside Android M," states Android Police. "This is different than the failed Android update initiative from a few years ago. Updates on non-Nexus Android devices are still the wild west."
Qualifying Nexus devices will get major updates for two years and security patches for three years from release of the mobile operating system or 18 months after purchase from the Google Play store, whichever is longer, according to the report.
It seems the purchase date will be used to establish the two-year term for updates and even current Nexus devices, released last fall, could be eligible for the program. The 2012 Nexus 7 may be as far back as Google will go with the initiative and the tablet's companions, the 2012 Nexus 4 and 10, will be left out in the cold.
The report couldn't pin down a window in which Google will make the announcement, but the upcoming I/O 2015, Google's annual developers conference, may be as good a time as any to detail the two-year update scheme for Nexus devices.
Google's I/O 2015 runs from May 28 through May 29, where the company is expected to officially announce Android M and give developers a peek at what's under the OS' hood. A reference to Android M, rumored to be called "Macadamia Nut Cookie" internally, appeared on I/O 2015's schedule under the heading "Android for Work Update," before Google revised the text.
"Android M is bringing the power of Android to all kinds of workplaces," stated original text. "This opens huge new markets for hundreds of millions of devices to workers at small business, deskless workers, logistics and warehousing jobs; all be empowered by adoption of Android devices at work (sic)."
