Guaranteed software updates are a big selling point in the smartphone world, and it's part of what makes devices like Google's Pixel phones attractive. Now another company has made a software update guarantee.
OnePlus today announced its Software Maintenance Schedule. This program guarantees two years of regular software updates from the release date of a phone as well as an additional year of Android security patch updates that'll be released every two months. That means two years of OS updates and three years of security updates for OnePlus phones.
The OnePlus 3 and 3T, OnePlus 5 and 5T, and OnePlus 6 are all eligible for the OnePlus Software Maintenance Schedule. OnePlus says that the OP3 and 3T will get regular OTA updates through November 2018 and another year of Android security patches. The company also explains that it'll release one final Open Beta build this week and then will push out a stable build in July for beta testers to get back to the stable version of OxygenOS.
The launch of the OnePlus Software Maintenance Schedule is a big deal. Some Android OEMs can be a bit hit or miss when it comes to updates and security patches, so having guaranteed updates for two years and security patches for three years can really help to make a device more enticing. Now consumers can purchase a OnePlus phone and rest easy knowing that they'll get new OS updates and features for two years and that their phone and personal data will be secure for the next three years.
When you're buying a new phone, do guaranteed software updates play a role in your decision of which device to purchase?
