Google will stock Pixel 8 spare parts for seven years

Google isn’t just promising seven years of upgrades for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro — the company says it’ll also stock spare parts for seven years as well.

“Parts will be available for seven years. That’s part of our commitment,” Soniya Jobanputra, director of product management at Google, told Android Authority. “[W]e need to make our parts available so you can keep your hardware alive for that long.”

We’re currently on the precipice of California signing its right-to-repair bill into law. That law would require companies to offer spare parts (and tools, and documentation) for at least seven years “after the last date a product model or type was manufactured.” The law likely wouldn’t go into effect until July 1, 2024 — but Google appears to be getting out ahead of it anyhow. The current text of the bill suggests it would cover devices sold since July 1st, 2021.

Google’s seven-year upgrade promise also includes “OS, security, and Feature Drop updates” through 2030. I have a few questions about what that promise actually means for you.