OnePlus terminates the device distribution program for ROM and custom kernels

OnePlus is one of the most user-friendly device manufacturers for developers because it makes the kernel source code available on time (the first day for OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T) and makes it easy to unlock the boot loader. their peripherals. For years, the company has exceeded expectations by supporting the custom development community through its development program. The company is sending peripherals to a handful of developers to launch the development of custom ROMs and cores on OnePlus' latest flagship product. In general, OnePlus does not talk about the program outside the occasional tweet but this year's OnePlus 6 development program has been much more public. Unfortunately, it seems that the days of developers receiving OnePlus devices for custom ROM and kernel development are over. The OnePlus developer relations representative today announced the closure of the device boot program.

Screenshot of the OnePlus Group announcement for developers. This screenshot was sent to XDA by a member of the group who, before it closed, had about 30 developers. The Slack group is no longer there, the developers have no more direct communication with OnePlus staff.

As part of the device distribution program, developers like franciscofranco have received several OnePlus devices to work on. franciscofranco declares that he received a OnePlus 2, OnePlus X, OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T, OnePlus 5, OnePlus 5T and OnePlus 6 via the program. Other kernel developers such as arter97, flar2, joshuous and eng.stk have also received several devices through the program. Developments such as LineageOS, CarbonROM, TWRP, etc., were made available quite quickly on OnePlus devices thanks to the devices sent to the main developers of each team. OnePlus devices are still popular among Android enthusiasts, but Xiaomi's increased competition and the appeal of the latest Google Pixel may deter some developers from the OnePlus brand.

The closure of the device seeding program could be a blow to health. of the new custom development community for the new OnePlus 6T, although the similarities of OnePlus' latest flagship product with OnePlus 6 will help the OnePlus 6T community get the most out of the work done for the OnePlus 6. However, the next generation of OnePlus 7 may suffer lower custom development compared to older OnePlus devices. We expect that OnePlus 7 will incorporate the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset and, since it will be the first OnePlus device on this platform, potential users of OnePlus 7 will not have the community development of another device on which to support it. We do not expect OnePlus to become involved with Huawei by delaying the release of the kernel source code and blocking the unlocking of the boot loader. Developers can always choose to buy the OnePlus 6T or OnePlus 7, but many developers on our forums are full-time students who can not afford to spend hundreds of dollars every six months for the latest product Lighthouse.

Finally, shutting down the device bootstrap program can lead to bug detection and security breaches. A developer of our forums has discovered a vulnerability related to the OnePlus 6 bootloader, which has been corrected quickly after its disclosure. We privately received reports from developers about various software bugs and vulnerabilities they discovered on OnePlus devices. We also helped these developers send their results to OnePlus for correction. With fewer developers having access to the latest OnePlus device, it's possible that no one will find some of these bugs. A developer recognized by XDA topjohnwu recently discovered a problem that affects many Android devices, but only because he started by debugging a problem encountered on his OnePlus 6.

We are grateful for the generosity which OnePlus has demonstrated with regard to development. community all these years . The company has no obligation to transmit devices to developers, but they have been doing so for years without much fanfare. The device seeding program created a healthy development community around the OnePlus 2, OnePlus X, OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T, OnePlus 5, OnePlus 5T and OnePlus 6 systems. Each of these devices has a nearly stable system Ports Android Pie through the work of developers on our forums. We hope that the OnePlus 6T, and possibly the OnePlus 7, will offer a multitude of ROMs and custom kernels to users, even if OnePlus does not send more devices to developers.