TechPhonesAndroid PhonesOnePlus won’t match Samsung and Google on 7-year updates because the hardware can’t keep upThe filling might be okay but the “bread could get moldy"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

TechPhonesAndroid PhonesOnePlus won’t match Samsung and Google on 7-year updates because the hardware can’t keep upThe filling might be okay but the “bread could get moldy"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

The filling might be okay but the “bread could get moldy”

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)

The OnePlus 12 next to a OnePlus anniversary mascot on a pink and grey background

(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)

QUICK SUMMARYOnePlus doesn’t believe it can commit to seven-years of updates for the OnePlus 12 and 12R as the hardware (experience) will struggle past a certain point.The company’s COO also explained that battery degradation can be a factor.

OnePlus doesn’t believe it can commit to seven-years of updates for the OnePlus 12 and 12R as the hardware (experience) will struggle past a certain point.The company’s COO also explained that battery degradation can be a factor.

OnePlus doesn’t believe it can commit to seven-years of updates for the OnePlus 12 and 12R as the hardware (experience) will struggle past a certain point.The company’s COO also explained that battery degradation can be a factor.

OnePlus doesn’t believe it can commit to seven-years of updates for the OnePlus 12 and 12R as the hardware (experience) will struggle past a certain point.

The company’s COO also explained that battery degradation can be a factor.

The recent trend of longer software update guarantees for thebest flagship phonesis undeniably a step in the right direction.

BothGoogleandSamsunghave launched new handsets in the last few months, each promising seven years of updates for their respective devices. This will keep them feeling like they get the newest software features, and ensure they are secure for a lengthy period of use.

But, with the impressiveOnePlus 12out for purchase globally as of today,OnePlushas opened up on why it has only stretched to a five-year guarantee on the software front.

In fact, it’s more like four years since the final year is only promised to include security updates, and OnePlus' COO and president Kinder Liu was quite candid about this whentalking to Tom’s Guidethis week.

He effectively explained that while software update promises are well and good, they’re a slight smokescreen when considering that the phone in question will likely struggle to handle them at a certain point. The hardware will start to lag too far behind, he claimed.

“The bread… might be moldy”

Going metaphorical, Liu said: “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.”

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Now, that might be a slightly stretched metaphor, but it gets the point across well. OnePlus doesn’t believe its customers would necessarily benefit from updates beyond a certain point.

When you consider battery degradation as an additional factor, the fact is that plenty of people won’t be aiming or able to use the same phone in seven years' time, without major repair or replacement parts available (which is another topic entirely).

So, it doesn’t look like we can expect any change on this front from OnePlus particularly soon.

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