[makeitdouble]

It's still more complicated than that.

Apple ships OS updates for longer, but not all features make it to the older devices, even when they're not bound to specific hardware. Also devices that don't get OS updates might as well be dead. Third party software support becomes non existent, Safari gets locked in time, the usability significantly decays.

In comparison Google decoupled their framework updates from OS updates a while ago now, and there will be enough third party options to keep the device useful long after the official support has ended. The Pixel 4a's support has ended, but it's still a useable device, where the iPhone 6S is already losing some apps that stopped supporting iOS15 completely.

At the end of the day, I don't think both approaches make that much of a difference.

[mpixel]

iphone 6s came out in 2015. pixel 4a came out in 2020.

[makeitdouble]

Let's take the Pixel 1 then.

You can still update the play services [0] or straight root it and install another OS

[0]: http://google-play-services.apk.watch/23.06.17%20(040400-511...

[yftsui]

Pixel 1 was released in 2016, you have to root to upgrade OS, but not able to upgrade Android major versions.