Why You Should Hold Off On Buying A OnePlus Phone In 2026

OnePlus has been a smartphone competitor to Apple, Google, Samsung, and Motorola for more than 12 years, since the release of the OnePlus One in 2014, which required an invitation to purchase. However, the delay in late 2025 for the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 15R to reach U.S. markets suggests the brand's presence is waning globally. Moreover, OnePlus and Realme reportedly merged in May 2026. Should the merger go through, BBK Electronics (the Chinese conglomerate that owns OnePlus, Realme, Oppo, and Vivo) will likely re-evaluate the brand. OnePlus may end up being scaled back or needing to cease operations in international markets, including the U.S. and parts of Europe.

While OnePlus has previously stated that after-sales support and software updates will be honored, any new products will likely be excluded from global markets. This doesn't spell good news for consumers that want to buy new OnePlus phones. They're only going to get increasingly limited, and the brand will become trickier to deal with, especially given the removal of OnePlus from local Best Buy stores. Availability of phones will become more questionable, and carriers will likely offer limited support, or none at all, for OnePlus devices. What's more, new OnePlus phones will likely be excluded from carrier deals and promotions.

There are some other reasons a OnePlus phone just isn't worth it in 2026. The hardware upgrades, which, while good, might not be worth it compared to other smartphones on the market. For example, the OnePlus 15 offers an impressive feature set, including a hefty 7,300 mAh battery, the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and a fast 165 Hz refresh rate. However, it comes with some notable downsides, like a lower resolution display that only supports 1.5K resolution, cameras that are still not great, and only four years of software support (six years for security). That's a little more than half of what current competitors, like Google and Samsung, offer.

While these phones aren't bad, there are still plenty of other options that might work just as well, like the Pixel 10 Pro or even the last-generation Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, if not better. For these phones, you can look to reliable carriers that may have enticing deals available. Finally, if you do need to repair a OnePlus smartphone, you now need to fill out an online form to request one, ship your device to the company, and wait for it to come back. There are no great first-party repair options that involve walk-ins or in-person services.