Google is leading by example by offering its Android OS 7 years of software updates for its Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, and Samsung matched it for the Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra. But why is OnePlus not doing the same?
OnePlus is only promising four major Android updates and five years of security patches for its flagships. The company’s COO Kinder Liu explained the situation with a sandwich analogy.
At an interview Liu argued that “Simply offering longer software update policies completely misses the point. It’s not just software update policies that are important to the user, it’s the fluency of your phone’s user experience too. Imagine your phone is a sandwich. Some manufacturers are now saying that the filling in their sandwich — their phone’s software — will still be good to eat in seven years’ time. But what they’re not telling you is that the bread in the sandwich — the user experience — might be moldy after four years. Suddenly a seven-year software update policy doesn’t matter, because the rest of your experience with the phone is terrible. When our competitors say their software policy will last seven years, remember that their phone’s battery may not.”
Liu went on to explain that OnePlus phones undergo stress testing with TÜV SUD to simulate years of use and ensure “fast and smooth” performance even after four years. The company’s reasoning is backed up by findings published by Counterpoint Research that showedthat Android users tend to upgrade their smartphone within four years.
Essentially OnePlus feels that supporting phones for more than 4 years makes no sense financially since most people will move onto other devices. Updates that come past the four to five year mark could worsen the user experience overall as reported by some users with older Pixel devices.