Google has confirmed to us that the Pixel 2 and 2 XL will get their last update this December. While the October update released today was the last guaranteed by the company's original calendar commitment, we are told that Google is promising one last update that includes a final set of critical fixes, following a trend it set last year with the original 2016 Pixels.

The Pixel 2 and 2 XL will not get a November update, we're told. Instead, device owners will have to wait an extra month for this final December release. Past that, no other updates are planned, and Google confirms to us that will be the final update for both phones. The December release will include critical fixes from both monthly updates together in one.

October was the last month promised, though we'll get one last December update.

While I'm sad to see both phones retired, technically, they got the "full" extended update treatment that Google committed to at launch. Previously, Google only promised two years of OS updates, but the Pixel 2 debuted that change, and the phone did get updated all the way to Android 11. Still, when iPhones can get five years of updates or more, I'm a bit salty to be paying the same sort of money for less software longevity. I can't help but feel like the hardware in the Pixel 2 and 2 XL is still capable enough to handle another few years of updates, and both Android as a whole and Google can do better for customers here.

While there's nothing preventing Pixel 2 and 2 XL owners from continuing to use the phones they have once updates stop, they'll be less secure with each passing month, and I honestly don't recommend it given how important our digital lives are these days.

Pixel 2 and 2 XL owners hoping to keep up to date will have to either ROM their phones or pick up new devices. (Lineage picked up support for a ton of Pixels including the 2 and 2 XL this year if you want to go the ROM route.)