Currently, only Samsung and Google offer the longest software support for their Android flagships, at seven years. The simple user interface of OnePlus mobile phones has always been praised, but it was questioned why it did not adopt the same product support cycle as the other two companies. In this regard, executives of the Chinese company gave an answer. He believes there's no point in rolling out software updates for seven years if the hardware doesn't deliver the same experience.
In an interview with Tom'sGuide, OnePlus head Kinder Liu (Liu Fengshuo) said that providing software updates for a longer period of time "completely makes no sense." While it's commendable for companies like Samsung and Google to work hard to bring out the latest version of Android on previous generation smartphones, it's hard to make a difference if the user experience isn't the same. The OnePlus executive said that in addition to software updates, the smoothness of smartphones is equally important.
OnePlus 12 owners won't get software updates for as long as owners of the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, or any of the Galaxy S24 models, even though the flagship ticks all the boxes, including a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, as well as plenty of RAM and internal storage. The question is whether the current hardware can still provide the same smooth UI experience after receiving two or three major software updates, because each new version release brings a large number of features and various cosmetic changes.
These changes put a lot of pressure on the current generation of hardware, and even if they weren't, battery life is an important consideration. Batteries age faster than any other smartphone component. Depending on how people use them, they may need to be replaced in as little as 12 months. Battery replacement is also a professional and expensive job, and users will soon find that even after replacing the battery, the running time of the smartphone will not be as good as before.
Hopefully, when battery technology ages less frequently and smartphone chips with superior performance become available, OnePlus might consider increasing the total duration of software support. At present, the company is still sticking to its consistent strategy. OnePlus 12 can provide users with high value for only $799.99, but only provides five years of software support.