The last Google Nexus smartphones, the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, were both due to continue receiving software patch updates until September 2018. However, Google has updated its support pages to give each handset an additional two months of patch support compared with the earlier date.

The last security updates these devices are guaranteed to receive will therefore be in November of 2018; after this, the devices are unlikely to receive security patch support. At the same time, Google has also extended telephone support for these two smartphones until November 2018. Google hasn’t explained why it decided to provide another two months of support, but we’ll come on to this later.

Both the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P are not going to receive any major platform updates after Android Oreo, which means for those customers still enjoying the last of the Google Nexus handsets, they will not benefit from the next iteration of Android. However, these handsets should be as secure as newer Google Pixel devices from a critical vulnerability perspective until almost the end of 2018 – so by keeping device security up to date, customers are given plenty of time before feeling the need to upgrade to a new device.

Why might Google extend support for the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P? Google has not given an explanation as to why this is the case. Google has been working hard with a number of projects directly related to smartphones, including the announcement of a new Android One device for the US market in the shape of the Motorola Moto X4. In the last few months, we’ve also seen Project Fi, Google’s mobile virtual network, being given some support by the company first offering a referral bonus scheme and more recently, by enabling Project Fi support for the Moto X4 Android One Edition. Google has also bought in HTC’s team of engineers responsible for the Google Pixel smartphones in a deal worth $1.1 billion. It’s possible that Google is realigning its smartphone interests with a common time-frame, which begs the question: what might be happening a little later this year?

Follow our Droid Updates Weekly Roundup series to learn when these devices are sent updates.

SOURCE [Google Support]