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Image licenced under CC-BY-SA by Răzvan Băltărețu. Image source.

OnePlus logo
2016-09-26
I ordered my OnePlus 3 from oneplus.com
This cost £329.00, with no shipping fee. This will be my second smartphone.
OnePlus logo
2016-10-25
The OnePlus 3 is delivered and set up
The order took about a month to arrive, but that's not as bad as some places.
OnePlus logo
2016-12-31
OnePlus start to roll out OxygenOS 4.0.0
This upgraded the phone to Android 7.
Seal of the President of the United States
2017-01-20
Donald Trump becomes US President
This follows his election on 2016-11-08.
Image of Parliament Buildings, Belfast, BT4 3XX
2017-03-02
Northern Ireland Assembly Elections
The government would not actually form until three years later.
Image of the word GCSEs against a blue background
2018-08-23
I passed my GCSEs
That's ten Level 2 qualifications in total.
Flag of Europe
2019-05-23
European Parliament Elections
Northern Ireland returned 3 MEPs.
Flag of the United Kingdom
2019-07-24
Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister of the UK
This follows Theresa May's resignation.
The word COVID-19 against a transparent background
2019-11-17
The COVID-19 pandemic starts
Patient zero is infected with coronavirus in Wuhan, China.

Image licenced under CC-BY-SA by Santeri Viinamäki. Image source.

OnePlus logo
2019-11-20
OnePlus start to roll out OxygenOS 9.0.6
This is the final official update for both the OnePlus 3 and 3T.
Image of Parliament Buildings, Belfast, BT4 3XX
2020-01-11
Northern Ireland's Assembly starts working
They were not functioning for three years.
Image of a tear between the UK flag and the Flag of Europe
2020-01-30
The United Kingdom leaves the European Union
This ends the UK's 47 years of membership. Irish passport, anyone?
Image of the word GCEs against a green background
2020-08-13 (regraded on 2020-08-21)
I passed 2/3 of my A-levels during Covid
The third one I held back for next year. The grading wasn't without controversy.
Seal of the President of the United States
2021-01-20
Joe Biden becomes US President
This follows his election on 2020-11-08.
Image of the word GCEs against a green background
2021-08-13
I passed my last A-level, also during Covid
That's three Level 3 qualifications in total.
Image of the reverse of a 2016 design British pound coin
2022-01-28
I got my first job!
It's a minimum wage JobStart position, but I love it so far!

Image licenced under CC-BY-SA by Santeri Viinamäki. Image source.

Image of the Ukranian flag
2022-02-24
Russia begins its invasion on Ukraine
Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦
Image of an orange Northern Irish R plate
2022-02-28
I passed my driving test!
Three faults, a week before my theory expired, first try! More info here
Image of an orange Northern Irish R plate
2022-04-15
I got my first car!
Public transport is a nightmare in Northern Ireland
Image of Parliament Buildings, Belfast, BT4 3XX
2022-05-05
Northern Ireland Assembly Elections
Here we go again
Image of the reverse of a 2016 design British pound coin
2022-09-01
Work made me full time with a proper wage!
I still love it, but I'm still making much less than others with the same job as me...
Flag of the United Kingdom
2022-09-06
Liz Truss becomes Prime Minister of the UK
This follows Boris de Pfeffel Johnson's resignation.
Black and white picture of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, as she appeared in 2015
2022-09-08
Queen Elizabeth II dies
Flag of the United Kingdom
2022-10-25
Rishi Sunak becomes Prime Minister of the UK
There were many reasons. Did you mean the July, September, or October government crisis?
Image of the letters K G
2022-11-06
I start going to the gym
It's a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be!

Image licenced under CC-BY-SA by Araratic. Image source.

Device longevity is important.

If anything, it's better for the environment.

In this case, OnePlus absolutely nailed it with a cheap, good-2016-spec phone that was user-friendly to install custom firmware onto. It came with Android 6 and, since Oxygen OS 9.0.6, has been running LineageOS, currently on Android 11.

There's been the occasional hiccup with it, but for over five years, it has performed excellently. My previous phone, the Sony Xperia E3, was nowhere near as easy in regards to replacing firmware. In fact, I still have it as well, running on Android 4.4.4. That's 7 major releases behind my current phone. It only lasted as my daily-driver for about two years before I got the OnePlus 3.

The screen seal is failing. There's a good chance I'll need to consider getting a new phone soon. In the past, I would have recommended OnePlus without reservation, however, seeing the direction that they're taking their distro of android in makes me apprehensive. But, chances are I'll be able to replace it with LineageOS or some other custom ROM. If I did recommend OnePlus based on personal experience, that recommendation would already be six years out of date.


You can reach me at my email.

Northern Ireland Parliament Buildings image licenced under CC-BY-SA by Dom0803. Image source.