Phone maker Honor will now offer seven years of Android OS and security updates for its flagship phone series, up from five, the company told CNET ahead of its MWC keynote in Barcelona on Sunday. It's a commitment that puts Honor in the same software league as Samsung and Google, which are the only two companies to offer this level of support.
Two extra years of Android support will extend the lifecycle of Honor phones, starting with the Honor Magic 7 Pro, allowing people to keep their expensive flagship devices for longer or pass them on to others. Crucially, they'll be able to do this safe in the knowledge that they're secure, while still offering superior performance and the latest features.
"This commitment addresses a core demand of today's consumers -- devices that are not only powerful but also reliable, secure and durable," said Fei Fang, Honor's president of products. "Updates allow devices to evolve alongside user needs."
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In Europe, where the commitment will first go into effect, an EU Ecodesign Directive comes into effect this summer that will require phone makers to provide at least five years of OS updates to devices in a bid to reduce electronic waste. Honor's pledge to provide seven years of support not only goes far beyond what's required but also shows a commitment to providing phone owners with value.
There are many challenges that go into guaranteeing seven years of Android updates, Fang said. Older hardware isn't necessarily built to support the latest systems and features and sometimes struggles to maintain its smooth performance after updates. The solution, she added, is "collaborative coordination with chip manufacturers and ecosystem partners like Google, requiring deep partnerships that extend beyond traditional support cycles."
You might assume that the rapid proliferation of demanding AI features on phones, like Gemini, might only make these updates harder to guarantee, but Fang said that's not the case. "Google's continuous rollout of AI feature updates is primarily application-based rather than OS-level," she said. "The complexity of AI features presents not a challenge or difficulty, but a touchstone for Honor's vision of building a leading global AI device ecosystem."
It's a "big step" for Honor that puts it on a par with market leaders Samsung and Google, said Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight. "It is no small undertaking given the costs and engineering resources associated with extensive multi-year support," he added. "It will be interesting if the other Chinese smartphone makers feel compelled to follow."