For years, Android OEMs have neglected updates to their users even in the flagship segment. We used to get only two major Android updates, and in some drastic cases, just one major update. However, this has been changing, thanks in part to Samsung. The Korean firm started to offer four major updates to its flagships. This is the level of support that only Google phones used to get. After Samsung, we saw other brands joining this tendency like Xiaomi. Now, OnePlus is committed to offering at least four major updates to its devices. But there is a catch.
2023 OnePlus flagships will get four major Android updates
OnePlus is committed to offering up to four major updates to its devices. However, that is only for “some” of its 2023 phones. So, anything below the OnePlus 10 series won’t get the same treatment. The company will also offer up to five years of security patches. We are not so surprised, and most Android OEMs had a starting point for the same commitment. However, being a 2023 phone is not the only requirement. The company will offer the update just for a few phones, and that means the flagship ones.
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The upcoming OnePlus 11 will be part of this software support. The phone will certainly arrive with OxygenOS 13 and Android 13. That means that the device will get updates to Android 14, Android 15, and Android 16, whenever it comes. The security patches will arrive in a bi-monthly manner. But monthly security patches never were one of Samsung’s strongest points.
OnePlus has been gradually evolving to this point. The OnePlus 8, for example, was eligible for three OS versions. It also got four years of security patches. The OnePlus 7 and the Nord series get two OS updates and three years of security patches. The OnePlus N-series phones get a single OS update and three years of security patches. Unfortunately, the treatment for mid-range OnePlus phones is poor. Especially when we compare it to what Samsung is offering, and Korea has a plethora of phones.
OnePlus was once one of the best companies in terms of updates. But that was at a time when most of the other companies were bad. The Chinese brand started to fall behind the competition when it started to expand its lineups. It’s good to see that it is trying to get back on track.
