Google Android 7.1.2 is coming soon to recent Nexus and Pixel devices, and this week Google released a beta version of the software for some of those products. But two older Nexus devices were notably absent.

It looks like the company has no current plans to offer Android 7.1.2 for the Google Nexus 6 smartphone or Nexus 9 tablet.

That’s not a huge surprise. Both devices were released in late 2014, which means Google has officially supported them for more than two years. And the company will probably continue to offer monthly security updates for some time to come. But any new features and bug fixes coming in Android 7.1.2 won’t roll out to Nexus 6 or Nexus 9 owners automatically.

Of course, one of the nice things about Nexus products is that they typically have unlockable bootloaders and good support from independent developers. So while Google may be abandoning older devices, I’d be shocked if we didn’t see custom ROMs based on Android 7.1.2 for these devices very soon after the software is released to the public.

There’s no shortage of Android 7.1-based ROMs for older hardware like the 2012 Google Nexus 4.

via Android Police

Support Liliputing

Liliputing's primary sources of revenue are advertising and affiliate links (if you click the "Shop" button at the top of the page and buy something on Amazon, for example, we'll get a small commission).

But there are several ways you can support the site directly even if you're using an ad blocker* and hate online shopping.

Contribute to our Patreon campaign

or...

Contribute via PayPal

* If you are using an ad blocker like uBlock Origin and seeing a pop-up message at the bottom of the screen, we have a guide that may help you disable it.

Subscribe to Liliputing via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 9,547 other subscribers

8 replies on “Google Android 7.1.1 may be last (official) update for Nexus 6, Nexus 9”

  1. Got tired of not getting long term updates for Android phones so I got an iPhone SE last December. Hopefully, Apple supports it for many years like their other iPhones and I won’t need to buy a new phone for several years.

    1. You do realize you don’t have to buy a new phone just because there are no more software updates, right? You chose to buy an iPhone SE, you didn’t need to.

      1. I do if I wanted continued security and software updates which I most definitely do… My Android phone stopped getting those a while ago.

  2. The Android One budget line guarantees upgrades for 2 years. Google could exceed their promise and bother to finish the maintenance releases on 7.1.x for their $650 superwhalephone after introducing bugs with the last release.

    Generally, wrong direction. Normal manufacturers ought to be guaranteeing updates for 2 years and Google ought to be up to 4 or 5 by now. The hardware can handle it easily. The price tags justify it big time. There’s no excuse for this.

    1. According to Brad (who appears to have a biased view) 2 years is perfectly acceptable. Considering Google largely pays the bills, this is the nature of opinion. Same can be said for Apple coverage. If something pays the bills, it’s very hard to have a clear view without considering consequences of taking a stand on something. Remember too it’s 2 years so long as you pre ordered it. If you bought it post release, enjoy that 1.5 years (if that) of updates. Selling point? LOL.

      Funny you mention bugs with the last release. So we are supposed to trust ROMS from a bunch of hobbyists when the greatest tech company on the planet can’t even get it right?

      1. Hehe. I didn’t say it was acceptable. I said it’s not surprising, which is 100% factual if you look at Google’s support for older Nexus devices in recent years.

        1. Not to nitpick, but “supported them for more than two years” sound a bit gushy. You don’t want to share how you feel about it which again is understandable based on what I mentioned. When I first read what you wrote, it appeared more like an apologist position. Excusing it. Factually speaking or reporting you would explain the release dates (shipping dates) for what markets and then the last updates those devices had. So if the last update was 2 months ago, would you characterize this a being “more than 2 years”. It’s a bit flagrant unless you excuse the practice of killing off devices prematurely. Wading into the waters of opinion is dangerous. I get that. Saying more than 2 years is a generalization. A best you might say it was two years for some markets or depending on how you view the 2 years. Now I’m nit picking.

Comments are closed.