Even if OnePlus has yanked the OnePlus 3 from its store in favor of its new flagship, the OnePlus 3T, it won't abandon the smartphone entirely, at least in terms of software updates. Seeing as the OnePlus 3T isn't a steep departure from the OnePlus 3, it's only logical for the company to continue its support for the latter.
Android 7.0 Nougat Update
Despite what many believed, the OnePlus 3T will still ship with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Google's previous operating system before Android 7.0 Nougat.
It turns out, however, that OnePlus is bringing Android 7.0 Nougat onto the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T this December. This is great timing for those planning to get the OnePlus 3T, as they won't have to wait long before upgrading from Marshmallow to Nougat once the device ships.
OnePlus has also confirmed that both devices will share the same update schedule going forward, which is great news for OnePlus 3 owners left in the dark, wondering if OnePlus will eventually cut the OnePlus 3's cord entirely.
Beta Program
OnePlus previously announced a beta program for OnePlus 3 owners happening this month, but the same beta won't bleed over to the OnePlus 3T, though it is still slated to receive a Nougat update next month, the company confirmed.
OnePlus 3 Sales Halt
The official sales halt of the OnePlus 3 in the United states and Europe has spurred a bit of resentment from OnePlus 3 owners both new and old, with the majority of complaints targeted at the company's short release cycle. However, the real worry rested on the fact that OnePlus could potentially pull a left turn, beelining toward the OnePlus 3T's direction and never looking back.
Worries mentioned above and others of a similar nature seems to be for naught, since OnePlus thinks that both devices are, in its own words, "two versions of the same phone." If the company sticks to its word, then OnePlus 3 owners won't be forced to upgrade to a new phone.
OnePlus 3T Specs
The OnePlus 3T, like previously mentioned, doesn't topple its predecessor significantly in terms of hardware. It's basically the same device, with the same design, albeit with a different "gunmetal" color, a 16-megapixel front-facing camera, a much beefier quad-core 2.35 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 and a higher capacity battery at 3,400 mAh.
The device comes with either 64 GB or 128 GB of internal storage and 6 GB of RAM. At the back is another 16-megapixel shooter, able to record 4K video at 30 fps and slow motion 720p video at 120 fps.
The OnePlus 3T launches Nov. 22 for a starting price of $439.
Do you think it's wise for OnePlus to release another flagship smartphone just five months after it released the OnePlus 3? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
