OnePlus has announced four years of OxygenOS updates for selected phones slated to launch next year. Besides that, the smartphone maker will also be offering five years of security updates to these phones. Although the names of the smartphones getting additional OS updates have not been confirmed, it is most likely to be applicable to its flagships coming in 2023. This is a big promise made by an Android OEM as many of the popular smartphone companies offer up to three years of OS updates.
Gary Chen, head of software products, stated in an official OnePlus community post that the company will provide four years of OxygenOS and five years of security updates. He also stated that OnePlus wants its users to keep their devices for longer and hence, this new update policy will provide access to the latest security and functional features of the phone.
“As a user-oriented company, we do everything we can to enhance our user experience. With more users keeping their devices for longer, we want to make sure we can offer that possibility. This new update policy will give you access to the latest security and newest features required to power OnePlus’ signature fast-and-smooth experience throughout the lifetime of the phone”, the post stated.
This is good news for OnePlus users. As of now, the company offers three major OxygenOS updates and four years of security updates to its expensive phones like the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 9, and OnePlus 10 series. However, less expensive phones like the OnePlus 7, OnePlus Nord, and OnePlus Nord 2 only get two major OS updates.
Recently, OnePlus rolled out the Android 13-based OxygenOS 13 update for its OnePlus 8 series, comprising the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, and OnePlus 8T. The Android 13-based update was rolled out for the OnePlus 10 Pro in September, and for the OnePlus 9 lineup in November. The update comes with the company’s Quantum Animation Engine 4.0 with a new behaviour recognition feature, real-world physical motions in animations, and optimised fonts, amongst other aesthetic, connectivity, personalisation, security and privacy, health and digital wellbeing, performance optimisation, and gaming experience related upgrades.
Meanwhile, Samsung offers four years of major Android upgrades for Samsung Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy A53, Galaxy A33, Galaxy Fold 3 and Galaxy Fold 4 phones. Having said that, Google is offering three years of OS and five years of security updates for its recently launched flagship Pixel 7 series.