OnePlus’ latest phone will get fewer updates than its predecessor

OnePlus is showing signs of distress in some global regions, but the company is confidently moving forward with launches in others. The company launched devices like the Nord 6 and the Pad Pro last month, and just yesterday it added another phone to its portfolio: the OnePlus Nord CE 6. However, there’s a curious detail about the Nord CE 6 that flew under the radar: OnePlus is offering fewer update commitments for this new phone compared to its predecessor.

As per leaker OnePlus Club on X, the OnePlus Nord CE 6 will receive software updates up to Android 18. On the other hand, the older OnePlus Nord CE 5 will receive software updates up to Android 19.

Launch materials around the OnePlus Nord CE 6 make no mention of the software update promise, only promising that the phone experience will remain fast and smooth for six years, but not explicitly promising any number of platform or security updates:

Running the latest OxygenOS 16, the OnePlus Nord CE6 delivers a smooth and intuitive user experience. Built to last, this experience is backed by OnePlus’ promise of a fast and smooth experience for six years, ensuring long-term system fluency and reliability.

On the other hand, the OnePlus Nord CE 5 was launched with Oxygen OS 15 based on Android 15, and is promised four Android updates (so updates until Android 19) and six years of security updates.

GSMArena learned from “other sources” that the Nord CE 6 will receive only two years of Android updates and four years of security updates. This is a clear downgrade from the update promise, and even if you bought the older phone today, you’d still get a longer update experience by the end of the product’s lifecycle (presuming OnePlus delivers on its promise).

We’ve reached out to OnePlus for comments and to learn more about the software update commitment on the Nord CE 6. We’ll update this article when we learn more.

Why exactly has OnePlus downgraded its software update commitment is a question that is best answered by the company. But it does raise doubts about its longer-term plans if it’s no longer making promises as long-term as it once did.