OnePlus wants to join the rather elite group of manufacturers who offer long-term support for users of their smartphones. Apple has long been famous for providing updates to devices that are even several years old, and this trend is also replicated by Korean Samsung. Will another company start offering such support for its flagship models?
Up to 4 years of updates from OnePlus
The manufacturer OnePlus announced that at the beginning of 2023 it will start delivering major OxygenOS updates for its devices in a cycle of 4 years from the premiere. What's more, the company will provide security updates for one year longer. Although the specific smartphones are not specified, such a declaration will most likely apply to flagships.
This means that after buying the latest flagship model from OnePlus, we can be confident that its functionality will last for 4 years and that the support for security issues will last for half a decade.
"As a user-centric company, we do everything we can to improve the user experience. As more and more users keep their devices for longer, we want to make sure we can offer this option." Gary Chen, head of software at OnePlus.
How is the competition doing?
For other manufacturers of Android devices, the situation is different. The largest manufacturer of smartphones based on the Google system in the USA, i.e. Samsung, guarantees support for its flagships for 4 years from the date of release. It's a bit different from Google.
The manufacturer of Pixel smartphones still maintains the current standard, which is to provide 3 years of support in the form of major updates, and 5 years of patching possible security holes in devices. It turns out, therefore, that the Chinese manufacturer has overtaken the American giant in this case.
In the end, the consumer wins
Google is expected to implement an additional year of support for its devices soon as well. Currently, OnePlus has taken a step forward, leaving the Americans a bit behind. One way or another, such actions motivate competition, and ultimately the customer will win.
It remains to be seen whether smartphone manufacturers will offer several years of support for their flagship products.s. After all, these are becoming more and more expensive, and advertising the phone as the best equipment from its offer commits to something. The customer does not only want numbers and megapixels - but he also pays for the certainty that a given model will serve him long and reliably.