OnePlus introduces support page to show upcoming updates

OnePlus 8 Pro
(Image credit: Future)

OnePlus has introduced a new support page on its website that shows the upcoming update status of its smartphones and their cycles. Though the page does not show much now, we expect it would have more details soon. 

The page happens to show that the OnePlus Nord will be getting updates until mid-2023. This is a good thing for the owners as its longer than the Nord N10 and N100 which will apparently get only two years worth of updates. 

As for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro models, these are on a quarterly schedule according to the page. Besides these models, there is no mention of the OnePlus’ 2018 and 2019 models.

It was previously reported that the OnePlus Nord N10 5G that shipped with Android 10 will only get a single upgrade to Android 11 – as in, the OS update Google already released several months ago – cripples the N10 5G’s longevity.

OnePlus confirmed that the N10 5G will get ‘one major Android update’ and so will the even more budget OnePlus Nord N100 phone. And yes, while both will be secured with two years of security updates, neither will get whatever features come in next year’s Android 12. 

OnePlus is usually pretty quick on getting its devices upgraded to the next version of Android (relative to other phones, anyway) – the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro started upgrading to Android 11 in mid-October – so it’s disappointing to see the N10 5G won’t get upgraded beyond what’s already coming to the company’s other phones. Or, in the case of the OnePlus 8T which launched with Android 11, what’s already in the box.

The OnePlus Nord N10 5G update muddle

Mid-range phones are value buys, and it’s honestly a little shocking that OnePlus is effectively locking its new affordable phones into the current year’s software updates. That effectively matches Motorola’s practice of one update and two years of security software, an outlier among phone makers who typically offer two big Android updates and three years of security – which even included OnePlus as of 2018.

Which is even more surprising, given that the industry is moving toward extending their guarantees to three generations of Android upgrades. Samsung started by announcing that its flagship Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy S20 phones would get three years, and expanded that promise to its mid-range Galaxy A51 and top-tier Samsung Galaxy Z Fold soon after.

Microsoft even joined the movement by assuring its Surface Duo folding not-a-phone would get three years of Android upgrades. And, while Google never outright stated it, by cutting off the original Pixel phones from getting Android 11, it inadvertently set the bar at four years of updates. While the company doesn’t have to follow through with that precedent on its more recent Pixel phones, we’d be surprised if it didn’t.

Therefore, this OnePlus move doesn’t just feel like it’s undercutting N10 5G and N100 buyers – it’s going against the current vogue. Hopefully the phonemaker will change its tune.

OnePlus Nord on Amazon.

Get the <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=8428&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.in%2FOnePlus-Nord-Marble-128GB-Storage%2Fdp%2FB086977J3K%3Ftag%3Dtech0e7-21%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-21" data-link-merchant="Amazon IN"">OnePlus Nord on Amazon.

Bodhisatwa Ray

Hardcore gamer, gadget enthusiast & cinema buff | Gaming, tech correspondent & reviewer at TechRadar