Samsung just got more competition in the software update game

Samsung was the first Android manufacturer to promise four years of Android OS upgrades for its smartphones and tablets. It was a move that is now inspiring other manufacturers, with OnePlus announcing a few weeks back that some of its upcoming devices would receive four Android OS upgrades and security patches for five years. And now Oppo, OnePlus’ parent company, is making the same commitment. Or is it?

Oppo has announced that its future flagships will get four major OS updates and five years of security updates. At first glance, it sounds about the same as Samsung, but it’s not actually the case. While Samsung promises four years of Android OS upgrades, Oppo promises four Color OS updates.

Color OS is Oppo’s equivalent of Samsung’s One UI overlay and receives updates independent of the version of Android underneath. With its new update policy, flagship Oppo phones launched in the future will get four color OS version updates, and that’s where the problem lies.

Oppo may not promise what people think

Essentially, Oppo makes no commitment when it comes to updating the Android version. It only says that it will provide four updates to its custom software.

Now, Oppo’s existing policy does guarantee three Android version updates, so the new policy could mean that its devices will get at least three Android version updates in addition to new versions of Color OS. But whatever the case may be, it seems that Samsung’s lead in updates will remain unmatched.

It’s not just the fact that it’s not four Android OS updates that Oppo promises here. It’s also the fact that Oppo – and even OnePlus – isn’t going to apply its new policy to any devices it already sells. Samsung, on the other hand, said it will extend support for four Android operating system upgrades to some existing Galaxy devices launched in 2021. Furthermore, Samsung’s policy applies to both mid-range and flagship devices.

Samsung’s update policy is still undefeated

To sum up, Galaxy phone and tablet owners and Samsung fans can rest assured that they are getting the best after-sales software support. While manufacturers like OnePlus and Oppo are moving in the right direction by taking inspiration from Samsung, they aren’t imitating the Korean giant as well as their customers would hope, and Galaxy devices are still the best option for those who care about updates .