Still worth getting Pixel 6?

WildNullberry

I’m considering getting the pixel seven since there are two years left of support however I may not need those for two years and I’m wondering if saving $50 is worth getting the pixel six instead. This is not my primary phone, but any advice will be helpful. Thank you.

DeletedUser64

I just did a quick internet search and found Graphene OS documentation. It stated Pixle6 and Pixle6 pro until October 2026
Pixle 6a (my daily driver) until July 2027. Take your pick.

WildNullberry

DeletedUser64

I really need to stop listening to the google AI search results! Thank you for confirming this - it seems I’ll save the money and get the 6! Appreciate it!

kopolee11

Look at it as a cost per month for the guaranteed support period. The Pixel 6 has 22 months of guaranteed support, while the 7 has 34 months.

So if for example the Pixel 6 is $100 and the Pixel 7 is $150, that means the Pixel 6 has a monthly cost of $4.55 ($100/22 months), while the Pixel 7 has a monthly cost of $4.41 ($150/34 months). That means the Pixel 7 is the more valuable buy, assuming you have the extra $50 available.

Of course, the Pixel 8/9 series is significantly more secure, has more features, and has a longer support period. So it may be worth considering those too, again assuming you have the extra cash available.

WildNullberry

kopolee11
Wow I really appreciate the cost breakdown and insight - that’s really helpful! I might just go with what’s cheap right now since I need it as a second phone for a startup business. With that said I’ll probably go cheaper and upgrade to the more secure models later. Ty!

iii

https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/17612 indicated that the Pixel 6 will move to the Linux kernel's 6.1 LTS branch to match 9th generation Pixel devices. Does that mean that the Pixel 6 will continue getting OS updates and security updates at least until the Pixel 9's EOL date (Aug. 2031)?

de0u

iii https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/17612 indicated that the Pixel 6 will move to the Linux kernel's 6.1 LTS branch to match 9th generation Pixel devices. Does that mean that the Pixel 6 will continue getting OS updates and security updates at least until the Pixel 9's EOL date (Aug. 2031)?

The Linux kernel is only one component of an Android system. On top of the kernel there are various user-space parts of Linux and various user-space parts of Android (e.g., the window system). Below the kernel there are various pieces of firmware: bootloader, GPU, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular-modem ("baseband").

For the Pixel 6 Google has committed to firmware support through 2026-10-01 (source). When Google ends firmware support, the platform will begin to accumulate un-patched and un-tracked security vulnerabilities. Given recent practice, soon after that point the GrapheneOS project will declare the device to be end-of-life. For example, since 2024-10-12 the 4a (5G), Pixel 5 and Pixel 5a have been EOL and described by the GrapheneOS project as "shouldn't be used anymore".

Please note that I don't speak for the GrapheneOS project.

GrapheneOS

iii That's definitely not happening and there's no reason to expect longer support based on it moving to a newer kernel branch. It wouldn't make much sense for the Pixel 7 to move to 6.1 without the Pixel 6 also moving to it since they're so similar. There's also no official end-of-life date for Pixels and that's a misconception about the support commitments which are made.