OnePlus explains why it's only promising 5 years of Android updates, not more

06 February 2024
It all has to do with sandwiches.

Sort by:

I think 5 years is reasonable. I mean who's sticking with their phone for that long?

    • N
    • Notna
    • XS8
    • 07 Feb 2024

    The longevity of the device will depend on its usage. Know the word depreciation?

      • L
      • Luka
      • Ld5
      • 07 Feb 2024

      Oneplus is the only honest player on the market. Google and Samsung will never make as good phones as Oneplus'!

        I totally agree with this statement of OnePlus and I have made a similar remark in an article referring to Google's promise of such upgrade cycle and the real life feasibility. Even if your hardware would be able to accept larger and larger major upgrades as well as more and more demanding app's it doesn't mean that the rest of the package still holds on. Major things like the screen, the battery, the general state of the motherboard but also aesthetic aspects that are strictly personal which is what they refer to as the moldy bread. And besides that, the ease of repair where everything is glued tightly together resulting in expensive swaps of screens and batteries. In a Fairphone the latter is not an issue but the aspect of design and certainly also the capacity of the chosen chipset is valid as well. Even Apple with their very long software support is sometimes actually useless because the phone became so slow and/or sluggish making it useless except for basic stuff like calling and texting (and I know it as I had the issue wit my iPhone 6s, 7 and 8).

          • D
          • Dex
          • gyu
          • 07 Feb 2024

          I'm confused by amount of people blaming Oneplus for being greedy. Come on, the real greedy company is the OS vendor - Google.

          They can provide as much as possible updates for Pixels since they own them. As well as Samsung because they have very close collaboration - take a look at these AI features exclusive for Google and Samsung phones.

          Back into topic, they could simply refuse to support various Oneplus phones after 4 years, or charge an inadequate fee to do so.

          Remember how confusing was the fact that 2021's Windows 11 is unable to run on 2017's CPUs.

            • G
            • Gigi
            • Tmv
            • 07 Feb 2024

            Good so now OnePlus should increase software update to 7 years AND make batteries easier to replace .. and problem solved!

              But McDonalds burgers looks the same even after more than 5 years sir.there are plenty of experiments.

                • D
                • DashF
                • KAR
                • 07 Feb 2024

                rosesarerosie, 07 Feb 2024I don't really see any people using Galaxy S9, Pixel 2... moreWe just might see more people using S24 or newer pixels compared to older ones due to 7 year support now but yeah, 5 years is sufficient ample for software support. Hardware won't be able to match up after a time. And just like you said, your average Joe and Ben cares more about Camera, Display and other features rather than newer android version. It makes more sense to put efforts where more consumers give a shit about

                  Phone nerd, 06 Feb 2024He’s kinda right I mean look at iphone 8 It has ios 16 b... moreIp 12 software experience is already trash. Let alone older phones..

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • 8sc
                    • 07 Feb 2024

                    idkBg091, 06 Feb 2024I agree i mean after full use of 5 years the battery will b... moreSony XZ1 - the original battery still lasts on average five days after as many years of havy use, but no gaming 😊

                      Ran Diy, 07 Feb 2024Wow I am surprised that idiots like you exists. ARM SOC... moreDamn. Can't believe you called me an idiot and then made a bunch of braindead claims. Ofc SoCs are more powerful and power efficient now compared to the last decade, you'd hope so after TEN YEARS of development. And they will continue getting better and better so we can have this same conversation in ten years time and we would still correct. Also that has nothing to do with why they couldn't support them for a long amount of time, it's just that no one actually cared until now.

                      Secondly you don't need a phone receiving software updates for you to be able to get parts for your phone if it breaks lol. Companies will produce them long after the phone has been sold, and there's nothing wrong with trusted 3rd party companies for even longer support.

                      Thirdly resale value relies on demand rather than software support. Otherwise things like the fair phone would've dominated the used market. Things like older iphones and samsungs fetch higher prices since the average person doesn't care about 7 years of support.

                      And all of this ignores the fact that phones don't just magically stop working when they stop receiving updates. I used my previous phone for 4 years despite it only having 1 OS update and barely any security updates. If your phone is working and you don't want a new one, don't get one. THAT'S the best thing for the environment, not dumping a phone once updates run out lol. The people on this site live in a bubble istg

                        my 4-yo mi 9 se still going strong. if flagship getting shorter support, they should just close their door and shut their business down. its plain non-compromise greed they slap their own fan base

                          lewein, 07 Feb 2024bad analogy, you cannot compare phones from 6-7 years ago w... moreLook at unboxings and benchmarks from that time
                          People were already calling SoCs like the A11 Bionic more than powerful enough for a phone, yet here we are, saying the same things
                          Phones will continue to get significantly more powerful

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • nvu
                            • 07 Feb 2024

                            5 years is perfect. 7 years is pointless. People make it sound like devices stop working once they don't get full system updates anymore. I get it, some techy people think it's fun to check out new features on their old favourite devices. They would love 20 years of updates too, but there comes a point when it's completely unrealistic from a business perspective.

                              I usually buy a phone 1 year after it's released, and use it for more than 4 years.... so 5 years of software update would be enough for me... i ln 2017 got a p9 lite (released in 2016) used it until 2021.. it was on life support tho 😂, now i have s20 fe(snapdragon version) more than 2 years already, and so far not even a stutter.. might use it for another 2-3 years.( i do plan to root, and undervolt)

                                • C
                                • CongeeEnjoyer
                                • tZk
                                • 07 Feb 2024

                                terrible analogy and lame excuses. is Samsung/google can do it why can't they?
                                oh wait nevermind.

                                  Because offering faster charging is much easier than giving software update

                                  And this, coming from a company that insists IP certification is not important

                                  Regardless, BBK and Xiaomi fans change their phones every year anyway. So longevity might not matter to them

                                    • T
                                    • TechieGuy
                                    • CbF
                                    • 07 Feb 2024

                                    If any phone manufacturer is offering more than 5 years of update than people will compelled using it and will be very happy to extract the last juices before disposing off that means it's a win win for environment and consumer. OnePlus is looks like business centric company not consumer or environment friendly.

                                      Pure bs. Who made batteries difficult to replace in the first place huh? Which OEMs use Li-Po batteries (BBK Group) that don't last as long as Li-Ion batteries (Apple, Samsung) huh? Which brands combine that with Super fast charging to degrade batteries even faster huh? F*ck you OnePlus 🖕
                                      iPhone users use their phones for 6 years btw (especially after Apple was forced to sell battery replacement for 29$) which is just as long as Apple provides updates. Just a coincidence? 🤔

                                        lewein, 07 Feb 2024bad analogy, you cannot compare phones from 6-7 years ago w... moreYou're right. I have spare phone with 6 year old SD845 and it feels super smooth and responsive. Much better than Iphone 6 or 7 on latest. One of the reasons why old phones starts to work slower is Google apps. 130 Mb messaging app, serious? I have no google apps on my phone, using open source alternatives from f-droid and my phone with SD625 works OK. Not super fast, but at least usable.

                                          6 of 16