Thanks to OPPO merger, OnePlus will start updating its phones for three years or more

What you need to know

• OnePlus has announced updates to its OxygenOS codebase and maintenance schedule.
• The company's flagship phones will now receive three major Android updates and four years of security updates.
• OnePlus' mid-range Nord series devices will get two major Android updates and three years of security updates.

When OnePlus announced its "deeper integration" with OPPO last month, it promised to bring faster updates to its users. Since the company now has a much larger team of developers, it has made some welcome changes to its Software Maintenance Schedule.

As per the updated schedule, the OnePlus 8 series and newer flagships — including the value-focused OnePlus 9R, will get three major OS updates and four years of security updates.

Sadly, flagship OnePlus phones released prior to the OnePlus 8 series, will follow the company's previous update schedule of two major Android updates and three years of security updates.

OnePlus' mid-range Nord series phones will also get just two Android OS updates, along with three years of security updates. Disappointingly, OnePlus is still committing to just a single major update for its budget Nord N series lineup.

OnePlus has also confirmed that it is working on integrating the codebase of OxygenOS and ColorOS. The change will apparently only happen behind the scenes, so OnePlus users may not notice any major changes in the immediate future.

Currently, the only other companies that promise three major Android OS updates are Google and Samsung. Unlike OnePlus, however, Samsung promises three major OS updates and four years of security updates for many of its mid-range and budget phones as well.

Samsung recently announced that the Enterprise Edition variants of its best Android phones will receive five years of security updates.

OnePlus 9

The value-focused OnePlus 9 is an excellent alternative to the Galaxy S21, packing a gorgeous 120Hz AMOLED display and the same 5nm Snapdragon 888 processor. Unlike its predecessor, the phone also comes equipped with capable cameras.

• $649 at Amazon
• $730 at Best Buy
• $730 at Amazon