Chromebooks are unique among their laptop peers in that they come with a built-in expiration date. More specifically, once a particular Chromebook model reaches end-of-life status, typically several years after its initial release, these devices will no longer receive OS updates. Just last week, Google extended the EOL timeframe for over one hundred Chromebook models. Now, Google is looking to improve transparency by making this information available directly through the settings app on Chrome OS devices.

The code commit for this feature was merged into Chromium's source code last month and should make its way to Chrome OS soon, starting with the Canary channel. A new "Update schedule" section will appear under "Additional details" in the "About Chrome OS" page of the settings app. Here, users will be able to see how much time is left before their Chromebook receives its last update.

While this may be a rather small change when compared to other Chrome OS updates, it signals that Google is working to improve transparency regarding the EOL system. However, many older Chromebooks remain on store shelves, even as they approach the end of their supported lifespans — with no obvious mention as to when updates will end. With Black Friday just around the corner, it is more important than ever that customers be made aware of just how long they'll be able to rely on their new device.

Source: Chromium Gerrit

Via: XDA Developers