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OnePlus is well-known for making great phones, and the brand’s users and fans pride themselves on the software, the value proposition and the good after-sales services of the company’s phones.
In the past few years, the company has also started making premium flagship phones like the OnePlus 9 Pro, OnePlus 10 Pro and OnePlus 12. These models have been a hit with many buyers because of the better value offered over Samsung and Apple flagships.
However, users of some older OnePlus flagships are now facing a device-breaking issue, which is leaving them with completely dead units.
OnePlus users reporting dead motherboards
Over the past month or so, there has been a sudden and alarming rise of cases where people with older OnePlus flagships, especially the OnePlus 9 Pro and OnePlus 10 Pro, are facing dead motherboard issues on their phones.
Recently so many OnePlus 9 and 10 series users have reported that their device's motherboard is getting dead and no support is being provided by OnePlus in this regard!
It's really concerning that flagship users are facing these issues and they're left with no solution, while… pic.twitter.com/sHrvHA9kDO
— OnePlus Club (@OnePlusClub) August 24, 2024
While the exact cause of this issue is currently unknown, it is suspected to be caused by a new system of updates recently announced by OnePlus for its devices, known as the “SOTA” update system.
It is detailed in the OnePlus Community post here, but essentially this new SOTA update system is meant to keep the system apps up-to-date, very similar to the System Apps Updater on Xiaomi’s phones. While that in itself is a good move from the company, it could be possible that they messed up the execution.
The story of an affected OnePlus 9 Pro user
One user, Chandan (user handle: @that_chand on X/Twitter) had to unfortunately face a tough ordeal with his OnePlus 9 Pro.
It all happened after he applied the first SOTA update on 12th August, where his phone initially faced a battery connection error. However, the problem went away after a few hours. This was definitely the first sign of something wrong with his phone.
However, after a few days, on 17th August, he was doing a UPI transaction on his phone (a very, very normal task) and the phone suddenly went dead. It didn’t boot again, it didn’t restart. Even the forced restart option didn’t work.
ONEPLUS ESC: A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE
So continuing to my past tweet (https://t.co/KK8IWpv6UM), here's what happened today. At 11:30 AM, I reached the service centre and handed them a copy of my job sheet to get the OnePlus 9 Pro back. They told me to wait for a few minutes. I…
— Chandan (@that_chand) August 20, 2024
On 18th August, he went to the OnePlus Exclusive Service Centre in Delhi, where the technicians took his device and asked to come back on 20th August while they diagnosed the issue. Little did he know that things were about to go even worse.
On 20th August, an executive gave him a very shocking answer, saying that the phone cannot be repaired since the motherboard was dead, and that he should get a new OnePlus device. Most disappointingly, the service centre did not offer him any compensation.
This incident raises some major conclusions. It is very clear that the problem was likely caused by an issue in the SOTA update, and the user was not at fault. What is even more baffling is that the OnePlus 9 Pro is barely 3 years old, and does this mean that OnePlus no longer has the spare parts for this phone? Frightening thought if you ask me!
Imagine paying ₹70,000 for a flagship phone only for the motherboard to die within 3 years with no clear resolution or repairs. This is just embarassing given the OnePlus 9 Pro is still supported by OnePlus via updates.
Disappointing response from the brand
A simple search on the OnePlus Community forums or on Twitter reveals a shockingly high number of users facing this issue recently, not just on the OnePlus 9 Pro, but also on the OnePlus 10 Pro.
A clear pattern is observed in the company’s response to many of the cases detailed online:
- OnePlus 9 Pro users are mostly being refused repairs or replacements, with the only option for them being to simply buy a new phone. No compensation is being provided either.
I received a response from OnePlus, and I'm even more disappointed with them after reading it. They said "We appreciate your initiative in providing us the details. We understand your discomfort concerning this matter and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience it may have… https://t.co/t47yUFSrUV pic.twitter.com/q0qsiVfHPQ
— Chandan (@that_chand) August 22, 2024
- OnePlus 10 Pro users, on the other hand, are being offered a motherboard replacement option, but the repair costs quoted are simply eye-watering! These costs are as high as ₹42,000, making the repair unviable for many affected users. What’s worse is that a new OnePlus 10 Pro currently costs almost the same on Flipkart.
Source: OnePlus Community post (link)
Understandably, the victims are angry, and are demanding a fair compensation from the company, either in the form of a free repair or via a discount coupon/rebate to buy a new phone.
OnePlus, you guys need to fix this mess!
Remember what I said at the start of this post? People buy OnePlus phones expecting a hassle-free after-sales experience, but the company’s maltreatment of its premium flagship users is anything but hassle-free.
The company really needs to get ahead of this issue. OnePlus’ brand confidence among people is already at a record low after the entire green line fiasco, and this is set to plummet it even further unless the company gets its act right.
Unfortunately, there has been no acknowledgement of this issue by the company or any of its executives directly or indirectly as of the time of writing, which isn’t a good sign.
But I would prefer to keep a small glimmer of hope that the company which previously offered free display replacement to users affected by the green line issue would wake up and do the same again, this time for the dead motherboards. Xiaomi India has already shown us the precedent that it can be done.
OnePlus is on a downfall
Unfortunately, this new dead motherboard issues and the company’s response to it only adds to a large number of recent issues being faced by OnePlus, which is plummeting consumer confidence in the OnePlus brand, and no, I’m not talking about green lines again.
- Some users have reported screen bleeding issues on their OnePlus phones. This mainly affects the OnePlus Nord 2 and Nord 2T, but the company has not offered any resolution to the users even today.
My OnePlus Nord 2 screen is bleeding.
It is exactly 3 years old so I believe this is some kind of 3rd anniversary gift from OnePlus.
I am seeking a fair resolution to this and am NOT going to step back.@OnePlus_IN @OnePlus_Support @onepluscareIN @jagograhakjago @PeteLau pic.twitter.com/LQTvzZStym
— Jayalakshmi (@jayalaksmee) June 26, 2024
- The company is currently facing issues with offline retailers in several Indian states, who have stopped selling OnePlus phones in their offline stores due to a number of reasons. However, from my ground reality experience, some people have misunderstood this news and erroneously think that “OnePlus is leaving India completely” which is NOT TRUE.
Few bugs that I frequently face:
1)Data doesn't work with Wifi 5 networks. Airplane mode toggle or switching to 2.4GHz on same router works.
2)GPS can't pin point to a location unless a manual reboot.
3)Voice drops during a call
4)Gmail app freeze.
5)Photos app editor bug…— Starcommander✨👨🏻💻 (@Starcommander10) August 24, 2024
- Several users of the newest OnePlus phones, like the flagship OnePlus 12, are facing a increase in the number of software bugs within OxygenOS. These range from battery drain issues on many units of the OnePlus 12 to weird issues with mobile data, Gmail and using GPS for navigation. Mind you, this is the best and most premium phone the company currently offers.
Update: I ran the battery calibration once, but it doesn't seem to have improved the battery backup by any means. Not even 5.5 hours of SOT on full 5G with the hotspot turned on for like an hour or two at max. This is ass.
I'll be rerunning the calibration to see if it helps. https://t.co/ejOsYg0NsH pic.twitter.com/8zzJ7fRrEa— 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐯 (@SouravDevSahu1) August 26, 2024
- The brand’s software, OxygenOS, had the reputation of staying clean and devoid of any shady recommendations or bloatware. However, OnePlus has recently started bundling a full App Market which pushes recommendations, alongside bloatware apps on the company’s Nord series. It is also being pushed on older phones via updates, which is leaving users with a bad taste in the mouth.
4. Bloatwares
Now this issue may sound weird but i've personally got many DM's from different person about this they says that "Why OnePlus is providing bloats?", "We need OnePlus at least to be bloat free", "OnePlus ko psnd he islie krte thei" pic.twitter.com/wMJouFbKPM
— Sanju Choudhary (@saaaanjjjuuu) August 25, 2024
All these issues, alongside the already damaged brand image due to the green line fiasco, has led to plummeting sales for OnePlus despite having a portfolio of mostly great value phones. According to IDC, a data analytics company, the brand fell 37.3% year-on-year for Q2 2024.
Source: IDC report for Indian smartphone market, Q2 2024 (link)
With these new motherboard issues on the horizon, this sales drop may sadly continue if there is no immediate resolution from the brand.
How the company could bounce back
As can be expected, customer confidence in the OnePlus brand is at an all-time low, and while some of the damage has already been done, it is not too late to fix everything.
The company could take a few steps to minimise the downfall:
- Ensure a proper resolution to the many users facing dead motherboards and screen bleeding issues, which should ideally be either a free replacement of the damaged component or a coupon rebate for a new OnePlus phone. This, I believe, is the only appeal of the many affected users: they just want the company to address their issues.
- Clear the misinformation among many users on the offline retailer issues via a statement clarifying that the company is not exiting India, and OnePlus phones in the affected regions are still available online or via the brand’s exclusive retail stores.
- Work on the quality control of the updates: whether it be the SOTA update suspected to cause the dead motherboard issues or the many bugs on the premium OnePlus 12 and Nord series phones, those need to be ironed out.
Prompt to download bloatwares after the new april update in nord ce 3 (.600).
(*Few Ce3 users reported this)
Well done @OnePlus_IN @oneplus @SavageAryan007 @thegadgetshub @MicrosoftvApple @TechWhirlUlt pic.twitter.com/3xybHCHMcF— WinzzGod (@techy_ustad) April 26, 2024
- Several Nord CE 3 users reported receiving bloatwares via OTA updates. One user reported this issue on the setup page of the OnePlus 12. While not much can be done to remove it from the Nord CE 4, Nord 4 and CE 4 Lite, they should NOT bring it to older phones and the premium number series
I was setting up the OnePlus 12 and I came across a screen suggesting additional apps that I could install. I’ve never seen these apps suggested before on any OnePlus Flagship. This OnePlus 12 was being used and updated before, now reset.
OnePlus might be headed down a dark… pic.twitter.com/xwStxN8gSy
— Gauraang Arora (@Gauraang_) May 1, 2024
These could be the simple few gestures which may end up restoring the faith of the brand’s potential buyers and current users within the company, and could possibly bring about a sales rebound.
OnePlus is one of the most aspirational and revered brands in the Indian smartphone space, but I want these issues to end. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. This is not just to give a proper closure to the issues of affected users, but also for the betterment of the company’s products as a whole.
