Seven-year software update policy of Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8 smartphones "misses the point," says OnePlus president

Samsung and Google are two brands with the longest software update promise for their flagships. Specifically, the Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8 devices (128 GB Pixel 8 curr. $549 on Amazon) are set to receive seven years of OS and security updates. The OnePlus 12, on the other hand, will get four years of major Android updates and five years of security updates.

In an interview with Tom’s Guide, OnePlus president and COO Kinder Liu discussed why the company chose not to match the longer software update promises of Google and Samsung. According to Liu, an extended software update policy “completely misses the point.”

OnePlus president explains that the fluency of the phone is also important for the users. Liu basically wanted to say that longer software updates wouldn’t be valuable for the users if the hardware can’t match up.

To further explain this, Liu uses a good metaphor, saying to think of a smartphone as “a sandwich,” with the bread being the user experience and the filling being the software. He says while some manufacturers are claiming that their filling “will still be good to eat in seven years’ time,” the “bread in the sandwich” might get “moldy after four years.”

Liu also pointed to the TÜV SUD testing, which the OnePlus 12 and 12R have gone through. It stress tests the devices to simulate years of use, quickly estimating how long a phone can deliver smooth performance. Based on the results, the company guarantees 48 months of fluent performance. For those wondering, Google Pixel 8 and Samsung Galaxy S24 smartphones (available on Amazon) don’t have TÜV SUD certifications.

Furthermore, the OnePlus president cited the findings of Counterpoint Research on how often users tend to upgrade their Android phones. Counterpoint Research claimed that it’s four years, which is in line with the software support of the OnePlus 12 and 12R.