OnePlus committed to faster and more stable software updates when it announced the merger with Oppo last month. Now, the Never Settle brand has announced a more concrete software commitment.
How many Android updates will your OnePlus phone receive?
Moving forward, all OnePlus flagship smartphones will receive three Android OS upgrades and four years’ worth of security updates from the time of launch. This commitment has been backdated to include the OnePlus 8 series and newer.The mid-range OnePlus Nord and Nord CE 5G will receive two Android OS upgrades and three years of security updates. This applies to future Nord products too, meaning the upcoming OnePlus Nord 2 will receive the same benefits.
OnePlus’ budget Nord N-series are limited to one major Android OS upgrade, though the security update commitment remains at three years. This policy applies to the recently announced Nord N200 5G, as well as the Nord N10 5G and Nord N100.
In summary:
- Flagships (OnePlus 8 series and newer): 3 Android OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates
- OnePlus Nord: 2 Android OS upgrades and 3 years of security updates
- Nord N-series: 1 Android OS upgrade and 3 years of security updates
OnePlus is integrating the codebase of OxygenOS and ColorOS
To make these new software commitments possible, OnePlus says it has come up with a “solid plan” to leverage its shared resources with Oppo. The plan consists of “integrating the codebase of OxygenOS and ColorOS.”
OnePlus says the change is something that most customers “will likely not even notice” since it’s happening behind the scenes. But to summarize, it seems to mean that moving forward OnePlus’ OxygenOS and Oppo’s ColorOS will essentially be the same software, the differentiating factor being the UI skin that’s applied.
Aside from enabling better and longer software support, OnePlus says OxygenOS should be more stable because it’ll be built on a “stronger platform.” The codebase switch will happen via an OTA update alongside Android 12 on existing devices. Future smartphones will ship with the merged software platform pre-installed.
