Earlier today, I wondered whether Telstra would make its Pixel Android OS updates available at the same time as Google, and they will.
This morning, I wrote an article entitled ‘Will Telstra allow Google Pixel phones to be updated immediately?’.
I also noted that I had contacted Telstra for clarification, given the news that Verizon had announced it would be making Google Pixel Android OS updates available at the same time as Google released them for Pixel phones purchased directly from Google.
Previously, the word was that Verizon customers would have to wait, prompting a wave of advice from tech news sites to avoid buying from Verizon, and to purchase directly from Google instead.
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When Verizon explicitly announced this was not going to be the case, and that its customers would get updates as per Google customers, it naturally made me wonder what Telstra’s position would be.
So, it was great to hear from a Telstra spokesperson who kindly replied to me today, stating: “We test software updates as soon as they become available to ensure they meet our performance standards. Once this is complete our partners release software updates to devices.”
But what did this really mean?
Would Telstra sit on Android OS updates for Pixel phones for days or weeks before finally allowing its Pixel-owning customers to update, or would updates be tested prior to Android OS updates so they could, in fact, allow Telstra customers to update at the same time as Google and Verizon customers?
After further investigation, my understanding now is that Telstra will be able to test any Google Android OS updates prior to Google officially releasing them to its customers, so that when Google releases them, Telstra customers will be able to immediately update too, which is fantastic news.
It brings clarity to Telstra's statement above which concludes by saying: "Once this is complete out partners release software updates to devices."
So - no need to bypass Telstra when purchasing a Pixel or Pixel XL smartphone, you can purchase from Telstra with confidence that you will get any Android OS updates at the same time as every other Pixel owner.
Finally, Telstra is not pre-loading any apps on either Google Pixel device, so if you want the Telstra 24x7 app or any other Telstra apps, you will need to download them yourself from the Google Play store.
