The recently released OnePlus 10T, which will only get three major OS upgrades. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge
OnePlus is committing to a longer support period for some upcoming phones, with an announcement that āselect devices launched in 2023 and beyondā will receive four major Android updates and five years of security updates. But a company spokesperson declined to give an on-the-record answer about which of its phones will benefit from this extended support period, meaning itās unclear whether itāll just apply to OnePlusā flagship phones or also the midrange Nord lineup.
The length of support OnePlus has given to its phones has historically varied between devices but, in general, has started to lag behind whatās offered by other Android manufacturers. Both the OnePlus 10T and OnePlus 10 Pro are due to get three major OS version upgrades and four years of security updates, while the midrange OnePlus Nord 2T will get just two major Android updates and three years of security patches. Worst of all, the company has committed to just one OS upgrade for the affordable Nord N300 and two years of security updates.
In comparison, Samsung announced in February that its latest flagship phones would get four generations of Android OS upgrades, and its midrange Galaxy A53 launched with similarly lengthy support promises. Meanwhile, Google promises five years of security updates and three major Android OS updates for its flagship Pixel phones, while its midrange Pixel 6A also gets five years of security updates.
Regardless of what its competitors are offering, offering four years of OS upgrades and five years of security patches is a good thing for OnePlus buyers, especially given people are using their phones for longer and longer before replacing them. Keeping phones usable for longer should mean fewer devices need to be recycled or head to landfills prematurely, which is a win for the environment no matter how you slice it.