Summary
- Longer software support may not lead to a better user experience if other aspects of the phone, such as hardware or design, deteriorate over time.
- OnePlus argues that focusing too much on software updates is unnecessary if the overall user experience is compromised.
- Fairphone suggests that a more repair-friendly design, including replaceable batteries, should be prioritized alongside extended software support for a sustainable smartphone experience.
Google upped the software update support in the Android ecosystem with the Pixel 8’s launch in late 2023 by promising seven years of OS and security patches. A few months later, Samsung followed with the Galaxy S24 and promised a similar update timeframe for its 2024 flagships. But OnePlus stuck to its five-year update policy with the OnePlus 12, out of which you’ll get OS updates for four years. The company’s president has now revealed the reasoning behind this and explained why seven years of updates should not be a factor when buying a new Android phone.
In an interview with Tom’s Guide, OnePlus president and COO Kinder Liu compared seven years of updates to adding new filling to an old sandwich’s moldy bread. He reasons that such extended software update support sounds good on paper but will not result in a good user experience.
“Imagine your phone is a sandwich. Some manufacturers are now saying that the filling in their sandwich — their phone’s software — will still be good to eat in seven years’ time. But what they’re not telling you is that the bread in the sandwich — the user experience — might be moldy after four years. Suddenly a seven-year software update policy doesn’t matter, because the rest of your experience with the phone is terrible,” said Liu.
However, Fairphone, known for its sustainable and repairable smartphones like the Fairphone 5, thinks otherwise. The company’s co-founder and head of product management, Miquel Ballester, provided some “nutrition advice” to OnePlus in a statement to Android Police. He agrees that “non-repairable, glued-shut devices aren’t an excuse for mediocre software support commitments.” Extended software support is one part of the equation; the industry should embrace a more repair-friendly design, allowing consumers to replace their smartphone’s battery when needed.
The Fairphone’s co-founder said, “It is high time the industry as a whole embraced a more repairable design for their devices. As we like to say: “If you can’t open it, you don’t own it”. To Mr Liu, and anyone else worried about their phone’s battery being outlasted by its software, the solution should be obvious: Make it replaceable.”
Both Liu and Ballester’s arguments have merit. The Pixel 8 might get updates until October 2030, but it’s unlikely to be usable by then, given its problematic Tensor G3 chip and Exynos modem, not to mention the natural degradation of the battery. That will likely be the case for many smartphones, as the user experience can degrade significantly after a few years. But the Galaxy S24 Ultra, with its cutting-edge internals, should better survive the test of time.
Ultimately, such long software support will benefit consumers, as they can continue using the phone as long as the hardware works. Its smartphone design that should catch up to the long software support.
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