Here’s Why OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R Will Get 5 Years of Updates
The OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R recently launched in India as the latest flagship offerings from the brand. These devices bring better cameras, software, and hardware to the table. However, the company is still sticking to five years of software updates for its latest 12 series smartphones.
This is in contrast to Google and Samsung’s seven years of software update policy offered with the Pixel 8 and Samsung Galaxy S24 series. OnePlus COO and President, Kinder Liu has explained in an interview why the company is still sticking to five years of software updates, instead of seven by comparing smartphones to a sandwich. Let’s take a look at what the top executive meant by that analogy and the reason behind the less number of Android updates on OnePlus devices.
Here’s Why OnePlus Offers 5 Years of Software Support
“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.
According to Liu, the seven year software update cycle doesn’t matter since the user experience of the smartphone goes downhill after 3-4 years. Even the leading research platform Statista revealed that more than 61% of Indian smartphone users tend to upgrade their smartphones after two years of usage. The main reason behind the switch is that their current phone is not working as well as it used to, which aligns with Lius’ statement.
So, why is everyone talking about the seven year Android update cycle offered by the latest flagships by Google and Samsung? For years Apple has enjoyed great resale value compared to Android phones because of the longer software support. This allows used phone buyers to enjoy a few years of the latest software experience. With the assured 7 years of software updates, Samsung and Google are trying to compete with Apple in the resale aspect as well.
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However, Apple tends to limit the new features in the latest software updates for newer models. This strategy not only helps Apple to keep the older devices running smoothly, but also push users to upgrade to newer iPhones to experience the latest features. It remains to be seen whether Google and Samsung will take the same approach.
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