There are many reasons to want to buy the Pixel 5, but one you may not have considered is the security aspect Not all Android is created equal, and the differences can cause problems behind the scenes

While there is a concerted effort to improve Android security across the board, Google's latest idea is to point out security flaws in other companies' software This is where the Android Partner Vulnerability Initiative comes in

Pixel devices do not have this problem because both hardware and software are handled in-house Third parties do not have that luxury, as there is no such universal compatibility between the different varieties of Android

So we have a new initiative aimed at finding problems, alerting users, and "encouraging improvements" In other words, to get third-party security patches released earlier

Although not named in the announcement post, the linked bug tracker listed various vulnerabilities in software developed by Huawei, OPPO, ZTE, MediaTek, and others These vulnerabilities include issues with sideloading, backups, exposed system services, etc

Thankfully, these flaws have been reported to the respective companies and most of them seem to have been fixed

The Pixel 5 comes pre-installed with Android 11 and will soon receive the latest security updates This is something that is often overlooked in other phones that tout flashy hardware that draws the limelight away from more practical issues

Take Samsung phones for example, they offer very impressive feats of hardware engineering, especially the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra However, in our experience, there is often a reasonably long wait to get the latest version of Android

These phone manufacturers update Android with their own security patches, but not having the latest version of Google's operating system leaves you vulnerable to exploits that may have slipped under the radar The argument is that Even if such fixes are available in third-party software, waiting for the latest version of Android could leave you without access to the best features Google has to offer

Therefore, this effort may help other Android phone manufacturers get their software in order However, it also highlights why buying a Pixel 5 may be your best bet if you want to be safe in the knowledge that your phone is at the front of the line when it comes to getting the latest and most secure updates

Overall, this initiative is also good for those who prefer to purchase non-Pixel devices from other Android vendors Not only does this mean that Google will be able to more easily detect security issues, but the fact that Google is putting pressure on Android phone manufacturers means that they have more incentive to fix problems as quickly as possible

Of course, the update will not be rolled out any faster than the Pixel, but the time savings is beneficial to everyone That said, if you are really concerned about keeping everything as up-to-date as possible, the Pixel series is worth considering

But whatever phone you have, be sure to keep its software up to date If you don't care, all this work will be for naught