OPINION: Big Android updates aren’t usually as streamlined as those that fall from the Apple tree, with a rather fragmented rollout dependent not only on manufacturers but carriers and other elements that, essentially, delay the process of getting you the latest and greatest Android updates.
As Google creates Android, it should come as no surprise that the Pixel phones are usually the first to get any big updates – in this case, Android 15.
The big update was rolled out to Pixel smartphones earlier this week, but what about other manufacturers?
It’s safe to say that third-party Android OEMs have a bit of a chaotic history with Android updates. Take Samsung for example; despite releasing the OneUI 6 (based on Android 14) to the then-flagship Galaxy S23 range just weeks after Google did last year, this year’s OneUI 7 update has been delayed into 2025, likely alongside the reveal of the rumoured Galaxy S25 collection.
Plenty of delays
Samsung isn’t alone in this struggle either; big-name Android brands like Honor didn’t roll out the Android 14 update to its 2023 flagship Honor Magic 5 Pro until April 2024, six months after the software made its debut.
It certainly makes the idea of OEMs promising multi-year OS upgrades feel hollow when you may not receive the update for many months after its release.
OnePlus was in a similar position with the OxygenOS 14 update based on Android 14; the OnePlus 11 received the update in December 2023, but the top-end OnePlus Open didn’t get the update until May 2024, four months after the release of the OxygenOS 14-powered OnePlus 12.
It looks like OnePlus is looking to rectify things this year with a nice and timely rollout of its OxygenOS 15 update based on Android 15, however. Despite the latest Pixel range only getting the big Android 15 update earlier this week, OnePlus has confirmed that OxygenOS 15 will make its debut next week, Thursday 24 October 2024.
OnePlus is in first place
It’ll coincide with a livestream set to kick off at 3:30pm BST that I expect will outline the new features and functionality of the software, as the company has been pretty coy about what to expect so far.
Teasing that the update will offer a “perfect combination of speed, performance, and intelligence”, OxygenOS 15 is said to bring new AI features focused on productivity and creativity, as well as a generally faster and smoother experience courtesy of updated algorithms and animations. The software should also bring a refreshed design, though details of what’s new are yet to be revealed.
The most important piece of information yet to be revealed, however, is the list of devices that’ll get the update next Thursday.
It’s almost a given that we’ll see it on this year’s top-end OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R first, but I’m hoping that it’ll accompanied by other 2024 releases like the OnePlus Nord 4 and maybe even the OnePlus Pad 2 – though a tablet-optimised version may take a little longer to roll out. There are many magnitudes more OnePlus phones than OnePlus tablets in the wild, after all.
What I’m more curious about is the rollout to slightly older devices like the OnePlus 11 and the top-end foldable, the OnePlus Open.
If OnePlus manages to roll out the update widely on Thursday, it’ll be setting a new benchmark for Android OEMs rolling out major Android updates, one that’s only really matched by Google and Apple – and they are the companies behind Android and iOS respectively.
The fact that OnePlus is even in the same conversation is a credit to OnePlus’ commitment to its fanbase. Let’s just hope that the OxygenOS 15 update is as exciting as OnePlus is making it out to be – though, thankfully, we don’t have very long to wait to find out.
