The OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T will be updated with Android O in the future, as confirmed by the company’s founder and Chief Executive Officer Pete Lau. Lau took to Twitter on Wednesday to reassure the firm’s customers that both of its 2016 flagships will receive the upcoming version of Google’s ubiquitous operating system after the Mountain View-based tech giant releases a stable build of its software. Lau didn’t provide more details on the matter so a specific timeframe for the release of Android O on those two smartphones has yet to be revealed, though OnePlus’s CEO did mention that “a lot” of the firm’s customers have been asking about the availability of the next major iteration of Android on their devices.
Lau’s comments come shortly after the Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer was accused by some customers of going back on its promises of providing two years worth of support for the OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X, its 2015 handsets that are yet to be upgraded to Android Nougat, having originally shipped with Android 5.1 and 5.11 Lollipop, respectively. The Shenzhen, Guangdong-based phone maker initially provided vague comments on the matter and it’s still unclear when OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X owners might receive their updates to Android Nougat, provided that ever happens. The company is also currently in the process of discontinuing the OnePlus 3T that was on the market for approximately half a year, which is a continuation of its aggressive product strategy based on thin profit margins and smartphones that offer high value for money. Still, recent reports indicate that the upcoming OnePlus 5 might sport a somewhat higher price tag compared to its predecessors, with some industry insiders claiming that the device could be priced at around $650.
The Chinese original equipment manufacturer (OEM) already confirmed that its next flagship will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip (SoC) and previous rumors suggest that the OnePlus 5 may feature as much as 8GB of RAM. The device is expected to ship with some variant of Android Nougat, likely the 7.1.1 build enhanced with the company’s OxygenOS. More details on the OnePlus 5 should be available shortly as the OEM already confirmed that the handset will be unveiled in June.