OnePlus made headlines quite a few times lately and not for the most positive news. After launching a smartwatch with a typo on its backplate, OnePlus’s PR team managed to confuse fans about the number of Android updates that its latest phones, the OnePlus 13 and 13R, will get.
It all started with the wording of a statement that OnePlus issued to clarify the confusion around the number of software update its Watch 2 and Watch 3 wearables will be getting.
Initially, it was implied that the company’s Watch 2 would receive more updates than the Watch 3, which was a bit strange. OnePlus US replied to this by saying that both smartwatches will receive the same number of updates, but the statement also referred to its smartphones.
According to OnePlus’s North America PR team, the company includes the out of box software as one of the updates (via Droid-Life). Basically, this would mean that the OnePlus 13 should only receive three more major updates: Android 16, Android 17, and Android 18.
OnePlus confirmed early this year that both OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13 will receive “4 years of Android updates and 6 years of security updates.” For all the other handset makers, this would normally mean that a phone launched this year with Android 15 will eventually get updated to Android 19.
However, the fact that OnePlus counts the out of box software as one of the updates reduces the number of years the company said it would support these phones to just 3.
OnePlus 13's last OS update is Android 19 | Image credit: PhoneArena
When asked multiple times about its OS upgrade policy for the OnePlus 13 series, the PR team insisted that both phones will receive updates up to Android 18 because they ship with Android 15.
Thankfully, that’s not the case as PR global clarified the confusion and confirmed once again that the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R will indeed receive four years of Android updates, not counting the out of box software. This means that both phones qualify to receive Android 19 updates.
The OnePlus 13 and 13R will receive 4 major Android updates: Android 16, 17, 18, and 19, & 6 years of security updates. The pre-installed Android version at launch doesn't count as the first update.
– OnePlus, March 2025
While other companies prefer to offer more than four years of Android updates, OnePlus believes that this is the right number for its phones. Well, at least OnePlus users are getting the same amount of security updates that everyone else gets – six years.
Create a free account and join our vibrant community
Register to enjoy the full PhoneArena experience. Here’s what you get with your PhoneArena account:
Cosmin, a tech journalist with a career spanning over a decade, brings a wealth of experience to PhoneArena. His expertise lies in brands like Samsung and Nokia, and he has a keen interest in innovative technologies. After a brief stint in PR, Cosmin returned to tech journalism in 2016, committed to delivering clear and objective news. When he's not writing or appearing as a guest on TV and radio shows, Cosmin enjoys playing RPGs, watching Netflix, and nurturing his passion for history and travel.
Loading Comments...
COMMENT
All comments need to comply with our
Community Guidelines
Phonearena comments rules
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: