A Look at onePlus is dead: Should you still buy one?

Reports of OnePlus’s death may not have been so much greatly exaggerated as premature. We’ve been writing about the OnePlus brand’s troubles all year, with the brand steadily being subsumed by parent company Oppo.

Now, the news is finally official with OnePlus confirming that it is pulling out of the US and European markets (including the UK). Moving forward, the brand will focus on China and India, though there are already rumours of the Indian market being another exit sooner rather than later.

“After thorough evaluation, OnePlus has decided to conclude product rollouts in Europe and North America,” says an official statement.

It’s really no great surprise. Besides the aforementioned rumours, we’ve been seeing stock shortages, staff cuts (including people we know), and Oppo’s blatant attempts to herd customers away from its once-flagship-killing sub-brand for months now.

But what does that mean if you already own a OnePlus phone or are considering buying one?

Will my OnePlus phone still get updates?

It’s worth reassuring existing OnePlus customers that the company at the heart of the brand – Oppo – will still very much be in existence. Indeed, you’ll be seeing a lot more of the brand on Western shores going forward.

What’s more, the OnePlus brand itself seems likely to continue in certain markets, albeit in a much diminished form.

This all means that any stipulated consumer and security update support period for your existing OnePlus device should continue for the appropriate length of time following your purchase. In the case of the latest flagship, the OnePlus 15, that’ll mean that it’s safe to use until 2031.

This isn’t a rumour: both OnePlus and Oppo have already confirmed that any existing devices will receive the full length of software support.

A notice on the official store states: “Existing OnePlus devices will keep getting the software updates, security patches, and after-sales support. Our customer service channels remain open and responsive in accordance with our standard warranty and support obligations. Your rights under applicable consumer protection laws remain unaffected by this announcement.”

The big(ish) change

What is also now official is that all OnePlus devices will be transitioned from OxygenOS to Oppo’s own ColourOS (the two are similar, as you can imagine).

“Following the official release of ColorOS 17, users with existing OnePlus devices that fall within the eligible upgrade scope will have the option to voluntarily update to the latest ColorOS. Legacy models that are not eligible for this specific upgrade will continue to receive ongoing software maintenance,” said OnePlus.

You can choose not to move and stay on OxygenOS, with the firm stating, “If users update to ColorOS, they will be able to roll back to OxygenOS. The specific rollback versions available will be subject to future official announcements.”

Older models not eligible for a switch to ColourOS will still get “version maintenance support”.

These OnePlus phones and tablets are eligible for ColorOS 17

Should I buy a new OnePlus phone?

Another sticky question is whether or not you should buy a OnePlus phone now or in the near future. That is, if you can find one, since the official UK store has been sold out of devices, leaving only accessories for some time now. Third-party retailers like Amazon will still have stock while they last and you might find a good deal, plus there’s the second-hand market.

Given the aforementioned fact that both OnePlus and Oppo will continue to exist for the foreseeable future, there shouldn’t be any immediate concerns over ongoing support.

However, we would issue one note of caution. Recent reports from OnePlus customers have suggested that the company has provided somewhat unsatisfactory customer support when dealing with repairs and replacements.

In short, if anything goes wrong with your brand new OnePlus device under warranty, it’s possible that you won’t be able to receive the usual level of service. There won’t be a local operation around to handle matters, nor will there be a ready supply of handsets or components in stock.

Some OnePlus customers have reported the offer of vouchers in place of replacements. It wouldn’t surprise us to see the company offering Oppo vouchers or handset replacements instead.

With that caveat noted, brand new OnePlus gear should prove especially compelling over the coming weeks and months, given that a fire sale is predicted. As the report mentions, remaining OnePlus US and European stock will need to be sold off sharpish, and that will likely mean some hefty discounts.

Given that the OnePlus 15 remains one of our favourite phones of the year so far (its performance and battery life are incredible), it could prove to be a rare smartphone bargain in a year blighted by major price hikes.