Vivo X Phones Will Get Three Years Of Android Upgrades

Android has long been criticized for its fragmentation, especially when it comes to OS updates. New iOS versions are almost always installed within just weeks after its release while some Android phones are still left with versions two or three years old. Of course, part of the problem lies with manufacturers that updated slowly or even rarely. Recently, however, these companies have been stepping up their commitments and Vivo is the latest to promise three years of major Android OS upgrades, at least for its flagship phones.

There was a time when manufacturers only guaranteed two major Android releases but most couldn't even keep up with that. Others offer an extra year after that but only for monthly security updates. For the past months, however, some Android manufacturers have been promising three or even four years of updates, both OS and patches, almost outdoing Google's commitment to its own Pixel phones.

Chinese brands are also notorious for dropping the ball on such updates but Vivo is trying to change that perception. It has just proudly announcing that it is committing to providing three years of Android OS upgrades but, as always, there's an important catch to this seemingly generous promise.

That commitment only applies to its X series of flagship phones and even then only those that will be launched starting July 2021 onwards. This definitely makes its phones more attractive for long-term use but it sadly doesn't say anything about its other phones already in the market. It doesn't even include the Vivo X60 Pro+ pictured above that it just launched last March.

To be fair, it's still a big leap for a company that may not have the best track record when it comes to Android updates. OPPO has also been reported to make a similar new promise but that applies to an even narrower range of phones, only the Find X3 series this year.