MediaTek surpasses Snapdragon in 2023 support duration

In the smartphone landscape of the 2010s, MediaTek-powered Android devices earned a reputation for having shorter software support compared to their Snapdragon-powered counterparts. This discrepancy was often attributed to the more open nature of Snapdragon chipsets, which facilitated developer access and contributed to longer software support for Snapdragon-based Android phones. Typically, Snapdragon devices received up to 2 or 3 years of software support, while MediaTek devices were limited to 1 or 2 years during that era.

MediaTek surpasses Snapdragon in 2023 support duration

However, in the year 2023, there appears to be a notable shift in this trend. MediaTek-powered Android flagships are now competing with, and in some cases surpassing, Snapdragon-powered flagships in terms of software support. This shift is exemplified by one smartphone manufacturer, Xiaomi, and its recent release of two flagship models: the Xiaomi 13T and Xiaomi 13T Pro.

Both the Xiaomi 13T and 13T Pro were launched on September 26, 2023, with Xiaomi promising an impressive 4 years of major Android OS updates and 5 years of Android security updates for both models. Notably, this extended support commitment applies exclusively to the Xiaomi 13T series and does not extend to the earlier Xiaomi 13 series, which featured the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor.

To provide context, the Xiaomi 13T and 13T Pro are powered by MediaTek's latest processors: the Dimensity 8200 Ultra and Dimensity 9200+, respectively. These Dimensity processors are manufactured using TSMC's cutting-edge 4nm process, known for its excellent power efficiency and high yields—similar to the process used in Apple's A16 Bionic processor for the iPhone 15.

Conversely, the Xiaomi 13, Xiaomi 13 Pro, and Xiaomi 13 Ultra are equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile processor, Qualcomm's flagship offering for that year. However, despite the Snapdragon pedigree, all three of these flagship models are only promised 3 years of major Android updates and 5 years of Android security updates.

In summary, this development signifies that the earlier-released Xiaomi 13 series, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, will receive one year less of major Android OS updates compared to the MediaTek-powered Xiaomi 13T and Xiaomi 13T Pro. This shift challenges the conventional belief that MediaTek devices historically received shorter software support compared to their Snapdragon counterparts, highlighting the evolving dynamics in the smartphone industry.

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