Nexus 6, Nexus 9 Will Not Get Android 7.1.2 Update

Progress is not always a bad thing, and should be for the benefit of everyone. But in the age of mobile devices, especially with regards to software updates, it is all but inevitable that some smartphone models will be left behind in getting the latest versions of operating systems. Take Google’s Android 7.0 Nougat for instance -- the newest version, Android 7.1.2, was just announced by the tech giant, and it appears that some Nexus devices, specifically the Nexus 6 smartphone (made by Motorola) and the Nexus 9 tablet, will not be getting this latest iteration of Nougat.

When Google made its announcement regarding Android 7.1.2, it also urged Android mobile users to sign up for its Android Beta Program, which specified that the Pixel, the Nexus 5X (made by LG), and the Nexus 6P (made by Huawei) are eligible for the update, while older models such as the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9 will no longer be. Moreover, Google has confirmed that the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9 will not have support for the public beta of Android 7.1.2, nor be getting update over the air (OTA).

2016 saw Google shift its focus from making Nexus devices to releasing its own flagship smartphones under the Pixel brand name. Before this, Nexus devices used to be the embodiments of the purest form of the tech giant’s Android mobile operating system. But now that the Pixel devices are here, it makes sense for Google to funnel all of its attention, including its newest software updates, to Pixel branded handsets.

Owners of Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 devices might find this piece of news discouraging. But on closer inspection, it is worth noting that both of these devices are already a couple of years old, and thus, will no longer be covered under Google’s two year guarantee for software updates. This is something that can be expected, especially in mobile, an industry where changes happen so fast that models from two years ago now feel like ancient devices. Next year, owners of the Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P will probably feel the same way. As for those users affected directly by this, perhaps they can take some comfort in the fact that Google will still be continuing to provide security patches for the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9. For sure, that may not be enough for some, which means that they will have to evolve, too (by getting the upcoming Pixel devices, perhaps).