In a recent post on its forums, OnePlus isn't breaking new ground with this latest policy, it's a notable step forward in an area where the company has started to degrade in recent years.
In the days of the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2, software updates used to be a highlight for OnePlus. Bugs were fixed quickly, new features were regularly added, and OnePlus made it a point to release new new Android OS upgrades. Thankfully, better days appear to be on the way.
On July 2, OxygenOS Product Lead, Gary C., provided an encouraging update on this topic. As part of OnePlus's merger with sister brand Oppo, the company is able to provide longer-term software than it has in years. For flagship OnePlus devices (including T and R variants), OnePlus is now promising 3 'major Android updates' and 4 years of security patches. This promise extends to the OnePlus 8 Series, OnePlus 9 Series, and any future mainline releases from the company.
OnePlus Update Plans For Nord & Nord N Series Phones
For OnePlus's more affordable smartphones, that policy changes a bit. Any OnePlus Nord/Nord CE handsets (including the original OnePlus Nord) will get 2 major Android updates and 3 years of security patches. As for smartphones in the OnePlus Nord N Series (such as the Nord N200 5G), OnePlus promises just 1 major Android update and 3 years of security patches.
This updated policy isn't perfect, but it is a step in the right direction for OnePlus. Flagship OnePlus smartphones are now treated to a similar level of seen by Samsung handsets, making phones like the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro more competitive with the Galaxy S21 lineup. The problem, however, is that top-tier software is limited to OnePlus's more expensive products. Samsung and Google both promise three major Android updates for mid-range releases in addition to their flagship ones, and that's clearly something OnePlus is not doing.
It also remains unclear if OnePlus is improving the rate at which updates are released. With security patches, for example, OnePlus tends to only offer these every other month. By comparison, Samsung smartphones get these every single month they're released — often at the same time Google's Pixel devices do. Any change on this front is still good change, but if OnePlus ever decides it wants to improve even more, there's room left to do so.
Source: OnePlus