OnePlus has started the year off strong with the launch of its signature flagship, the OnePlus 12. It packs in the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, at least 12GB RAM, a powerful triple-lens camera system, and a gorgeous high-resolution AMOLED display that gets up to 120Hz refresh rates and reaches a whopping 4,500 nits of peak brightness. Plus, it’s an absolutely beautiful phone.
The OnePlus 12 really does offer a lot of bang for your buck. It’s a flagship packed with a ton of great features and actually costs less than the competition. But how long will it get software updates for? That’s what we’re here to determine.
In 2022, OnePlus confirmed that it would commit to four years of major Android/OxygenOS updates and five years of security updates, beginning with its 2023 lineup. This commitment applies to the OnePlus 12, meaning it will receive four years of major Android updates and five years of security patches.
Prior to that announcement, OnePlus was only doing three years of major updates and four years of security updates. At the time, this new policy matched Samsung’s and was actually better than Google’s old software update policy.
When Google launched the Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 8 Pro, it also announced that it was improving its software update policy. The Pixel 8 lineup will receive seven years of major software updates and security patches.
Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 series (Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and Galaxy S24 Ultra) shortly after the OnePlus 12. Samsung also revealed that it would support seven years of major updates and security patches for the S24, which puts it in line with Google’s Pixel 8.
On the flip side, Apple has never made any guarantees on how long it supports older iPhones. However, based on Apple’s track record, iPhones get around five full years of major iOS updates and Apple issues security updates regularly for older devices. Apple’s longevity with the iPhone has set a standard that Android makers are also trying to follow.
Though OnePlus’ five-year update policy for the OnePlus 12 may seem worse than what Google and Samsung are offering, there’s a reason behind it: the hardware likely won’t last seven years.
Of course, the first thing that may come to mind is that, yes, brands want to sell new hardware down the road rather than support old devices (that’s what businesses do). But also keep in mind that as new software features come along, it becomes harder to support it on older devices.
And let’s also consider the hardware itself. Battery capacities degrade over time — the more you use and charge it, the less charge it will hold down the road. At some point, you may even want to replace the battery once it gets bad enough. And there are other components to the phone that aren’t guaranteed to still work. At some point, it would just be easier to replace the phone with a new one rather than continuing to buy replacement parts.
While not everyone upgrades annually, most people tend to upgrade their phone every few years. A four-year policy makes the most sense logistically with that in mind, rather than seven. But who knows — OnePlus could offer a longer update policy later to rival its competition.
In the end, the consumer wins either way, as five years is still a solid length of time.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.