The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL originally launched in October 2018, at the time promising guaranteed Android version and security updates until October 2021.

With the recent release of the November security patch for Pixel devices, the 3 and 3 XL were dropped. Perhaps unsurprisingly, since we are now out of the guaranteed update period.

However, Google has said that one more update is coming for these devices, and it will be available in the first quarter of 2022.

Last year, we saw a similar situation with the Pixel 2. The device was excluded from the December feature launch, instead being given one final update a few days later. With the Pixel 3 and 3 XL, it seems Google is giving itself more time for the final update. Hopefully, this means more time for revisions, leaving legacy device users with a better overall experience.

It is expected that the final Pixel 3 update will be mostly bug fixes for Android 12, rather than adding any new features. The devices already received Dynamic Colour and Material You with the last update but missed out on some features requiring the new Google Assistant.

If you will be looking to upgrade your Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL, you might want to take a gander at our Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro reviews. Google has really stepped the game up with its recent releases.