New Chromebooks to get lifespan boost to 2028
OS update support will now last eight years, but Google says it comes with a price hike.
The Auto Update Expiration date for the Acer Chromebook 714 (pictured here) is June 2025, Google says.
Chromebooks released this year will get eight years of software support and automatic updates compared to the previous average of six years, Google said Tuesday. The company said the move is intended to extend the lifespan of 40 million devices used by students and teachers -- and at the same time it has increased the list price of the Chrome Education Upgrade from $30 to $38.
Some Chromebook models have been the subject of criticism in recent years based on their operating system support limitations, and the subsequent security vulnerabilities inherent in using an outdated OS.
"When we first launched Chromebooks, devices only received three years of automatic updates. Over the years, we've been able to increase that to over six. Last fall, we extended [Automatic Update Policy] on many devices currently for sale, in many cases adding an extra year or more before they expire," Google said in a blog post.
Google said the new Lenovo 10e Chromebook Tablet and Acer Chromebook 712 will both receive automatic updates until June 2028.
Read more: Best Chromebooks to consider for 2020
