How many years of phone updates do you need?

Seven beats five. But the year count isn't the whole story, and you may never use the last two.

Google promises 7 years of updates on the Pixel 11, and Samsung gives the Galaxy S26 Ultra 7. Apple publishes no number for the iPhone 17. The 5 years I use for it is an estimate from Apple's track record, the same way Notebookcheck expects about five years for the iPhone 18 Pro. It is not a promise.

What the number covers

An update promise has two parts. One is security patches, which close holes. The other is new Android or iOS versions, which add features. A phone can get one for longer than the other, so read which one a maker promises before you count years.

The price side

The Pixel 11 is $899 at Google's store for 256GB, and the page showed a $200 promo through 11/08 (checked Nov 1, 2026). The iPhone 17 is $929 at Apple with 256GB and no carrier.

Both start at 256GB. Support is the clearest difference between them, besides the Pixel's 5x telephoto and the iPhone's lack of one.

Who needs seven

Buy for seven years if you keep phones until they die, or hand them down. A 2026 phone with patches until 2033 is a phone you can give to a teenager in 2031.

You probably don't need it if you upgrade every two or three years. Then the number is a resale line, and you'd pay for years you never use. It does help resale a little, because the next buyer sees more support left.

The weak link is the battery

A phone isn't done when updates stop. It's done when the battery can't last a day, and updates don't fix that. The Pixel 11 has a 4,985 mAh cell and scored 15 h 40 min in GSMArena's active-use test. The iPhone 17 has 3,692 mAh, and scored 14 h 59 min there. In year five, neither will measure that.

I can't give you a figure for how fast those cells wear. I haven't found a published test that I'd trust for it. Budget for a battery replacement if you plan to go past four years.

What I'd do

I'd want 5 years as the floor on anything I spent $900 on. If two phones cost about the same and one has 7 years, I'd take the 7. I wouldn't pay a premium for the extra two unless I knew I'd keep the phone.

Related reading: Qi2 and MagSafe wireless charging explained, best phones for photos in 2026 and best phones for battery life. Compare more models in the phone catalog.