Is buying a OnePlus phone in 2026 still a good idea?

If you really want one, you can make it work.

Adnan Ahmed for Engadget If you've been eyeing a OnePlus phone, you likely have your priorities set on performance, value and software. Though the company had a couple of rocky launches, the previous few generations of OnePlus smartphones have reclaimed the "flagship killer" title that helped put the brand on the map in the first place. In our review of the OnePlus 15 , we had very little to complain about aside from the cameras. At $900, you'd be hard-pressed to find an alternative that delivers the kind of performance the OnePlus 15 does while offering exceptional battery life and an unparalleled software experience.

Alas, after months of rumors, OnePlus confirmed its exit out of North America and Europe in July. Most of OnePlus' catalog is currently out of stock on its website, but you can still shop for its phones and audio accessories through other retailers like Amazon. The question, however, is should you buy a new OnePlus device now that the company has ceased operations in the US? For most buyers, the answer is probably a no.

Although OnePlus has promised that software and after-sales support for existing OnePlus devices will continue, the company is making a big change to how future software updates will be handled. Longtime OnePlus users will know just how essential OxygenOS has been to the brand's identity, and if they're not getting the software experience they signed up for, it becomes harder to justify buying into an ecosystem that has no future.

Adnan Ahmed for Engadget Easily OnePlus' greatest strength (besides its lineup of overkill smartphones) was the software experience its users got to enjoy. The OnePlus One debuted with CyanogenMod, which was a very community-driven version of Android. The company then made the jump to its own flavor of the operating system, OxygenOS. It was known to offer a clean experience while packing in a ton of customizability. In every review you'll come across of a OnePlus smartphone, you are almost guaranteed to see the reviewer sing praises of how snappy and feature-rich OxygenOS is.

Well, that's changing. Although OnePlus isn't dropping support for the phones it has sold in the US, users who wish to experience newer versions of Android are expected to make the switch to ColorOS — the same software interface that Oppo smartphones use. Users have, understandably, expressed frustration with this decision. However, if you've picked up an Oppo smartphone recently and put it next to your OnePlus device, you'll realize that OxygenOS and ColorOS are darn near identical at this point.

They've been sharing the same codebase since 2021, so there really isn't anything you'll be missing out on by making the switch. Oppo's ColorOS does pack in a bit of bloatware compared to OxygenOS, and it would be sad to see if OnePlus drops the few Easter eggs that helped set its version of Android apart.

Adnan Ahmed for Engadget At the beginning of 2026, I had an itch to upgrade to the OnePlus 15, despite all the rumors pointing to the company's potential exit from a few global markets. The phone was simply too good to ignore, so I decided to roll the dice and pick one up. It cost substantially less than competing flagships from Samsung and Apple, and I am okay with not having the best camera system in my smartphone. In return, I get to enjoy a bright OLED display, the insane horsepower that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 delivers, the obnoxiously fast 120W charging speeds and a software experience that feels snappier than any other Android skin I've used.

It also helps that OnePlus doesn't lock you in its ecosystem like Apple does. Even if you decide to pick up a pair of OnePlus Buds or a OnePlus Watch, you can pair them with other Android smartphones without giving up key features.

The bottom line is, if you really want to pick up your final OnePlus smartphone, you can make it work, assuming you're okay with switching to ColorOS. Both the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 15R are set to receive four major Android OS updates and six years of security patches. After-sales service can be accessed by heading to the OnePlus Support website, and the company claims it will honor existing warranty commitments.

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