Google’s Pixel security patch for October is the last scheduled update for the company’s 2019 vintage phones. As a result, the Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL have ended their three years of guaranteed software support.
Google has unleashed this month’s Pixel security patch, and as Android Police points out, it’s the last one the Pixel 4 and 4 XL are planned to receive.
By no coincidence, the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are set to be revealed later this week. When one device’s software support window seals, another one opens.
The Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL pitched in 2019 with three years of guaranteed security updates, while the more contemporary Pixel 6, 6 Pro, and 6A all vowed five years of security updates.
It isn’t essentially the end of the road for the Pixel 4 since Google managed to issue one final security patch for end-of-life devices a bit after the official support window had closed. But, more than anything, it’s symbolic: closing one chapter for an earlier Pixel device as a new one anchors.
The Pixel 4 was the first in the series to proffer two rear cameras rather than one, which Google stuck with even after two or three rear cameras started to become the norm. It added a modest 2x telephoto camera paired with its Super Res Zoom technology to reach beyond that limited focal length. It wasn’t as good as optical zoom, but the Pixel 4’s overall camera capabilities were competitive with one of the best trustworthy point-and-shoot cameras of the time.
Aside from its importance for the Pixel 4, the October security patch is available today. It also provides minor bug fixes related to audio playback and controls, along with UI and connectivity hiccups.
The Google Pixel 4 and 4XL are a couple of Android smart mobiles designed, created, and sold by Google as part of the Pixel product line. They collectively act as the successors of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. They were officially revealed on October 15, 2019, at the Made by Google event and released in the U.S. on October 24, 2019. On September 30, 2020, they were thrived by the Pixel 5.
Google affirmed the device’s plan in June 2019 after renders of it were circulated online. In the United States, the Pixel 4 is the foremost Pixel phone sold by all major wireless carriers at launch. Earlier flagship Pixel models had launched as exclusives to Verizon and Google Fi; the midrange Pixel 3a was additionally available from Sprint and T-Mobile, but not AT&T, at its liftoff. In addition, Google suggests unlocked U.S. versions through its site, as with all other Pixel releases.
The phones were officially revealed on October 15, 2019, and released in the U.S. on October 24, 2019. On January 10, 2020, Pixel 4 price dropped below the Black Friday prices. They were discontinued in August 2020.