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OnePlus’s demise in the US and Europe over the last few months has been like watching a slow-motion car accident. We knew precisely what was going to happen, but we were powerless to stop it. It’s especially disappointing given the already sorry state of the US phone marketplace, devoid of meaningful choices and aggressive competition. Sure, Nothing hopes to fill some of the void left by OnePlus, but it’s not the same.
Unfortunately, it means that sooner or later, you’ll need to find viable alternatives to your beloved OnePlus device. Thankfully, the company has vowed to honor the software support life promised for its phones, but if you’re coming from an older OnePlus 8 or 9, it’s time to find a new home.
Here are the five phones you should consider switching to now that we’ve said goodbye to OnePlus in the US.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra seems like the least original choice if you’re coming from OnePlus, but the phone checks a lot of boxes. OnePlus buyers are accustomed to top-tier raw performance, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the S26 Ultra delivers it.
The S26 Ultra also packs a gorgeous 6.9-inch AMOLED panel. You won’t get the blistering-fast charging you’re used to with your OnePlus phones, but the 5,000mAh battery in the S26 Ultra still gets you through an entire day of use and then some. You’ll even enjoy the cameras on Samsung’s flagship more than you’re used to.
However, if I’m really picking out a reason the S26 Ultra is an excellent landing spot, it’s the software. OnePlus made wonderful strides with OxygenOS over the last few years, but One UI is feature-rich and polished. You’ll also receive seven years of Android version upgrades and support, meaning you won’t need to replace your S26 Ultra anytime soon. Yes, it hurts to pay over $1,300 for a smartphone, but there are plenty of carrier finance deals and trade-in discounts to take advantage of at this point in the phone’s life cycle.
I understand the base Pixel 10 may not be the most obvious choice for former OnePlus owners, but the phone has plenty of merits worth considering. If you’re a long-time OnePlus fan, you love getting solid value back for your money, and the Pixel 10 is one of the last few remaining examples of that in 2026. You can often pick one up for close to $700 at this point in the year, especially with the Pixel 11 announcement coming soon.
All told, the Pixel 10 is a surprisingly complete package. Its Tensor G5 chipset is powerful enough for most daily tasks, and if you aren’t a heavy gamer, you won’t notice a significant step down compared to a phone like the S26 Ultra. If you’ve never experienced Pixel cameras before, you won’t be disappointed. Google added a telephoto lens to the base Pixel 10, and the company’s computational photography makes the most out of your shots.
Google’s software is also excellent. Android 17 is running well on my Pixel 10, and Google’s Material 3 Expressive design will make you forget OxygenOS ever existed.
Not all OnePlus users are coming from flagship devices, and if you’re used to what the company has to offer, chances are you don’t care about mainstream phones. If you crave something different, I love what the Nothing Phone 4a Pro provides. For $450, you get a stylish, fun design with an excellent 6.83-inch AMOLED screen that refreshes at 144Hz. Its Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset will get the job done, and I love that the phone includes a telephoto lens.
If the thought of One UI or using a Pixel makes you nauseous, Nothing OS is a welcome change of pace. I love the aesthetic, and Nothing has done an excellent job rolling out updates. The company also explains them more clearly to casual users, so you know what to expect from your phone. Nothing is looking to fill the void left by OnePlus, and so far, the early returns have been positive.
While the Razr Ultra is a fantastic phone, its high price makes it tough to recommend to people coming from a OnePlus device. However, I still wanted a Moto in the mix because, despite this year’s price hikes, I love what the company has been doing.
I suggest waiting for decent sales, which are surely coming. But once the Motorola Edge (2026) drops to around $450, I’d be all over it. It’s a sleek, lightweight phone, tipping the scales at just over 160g. After carrying around so many clunky flagships, it’s a delight to use.
The Edge is very much a mid-range phone, so don’t expect too much, but I have zero complaints about the performance I get from its Dimensity 7450 chipset paired with 8GB of RAM. It’s a smooth phone, and while it won’t receive as many software updates as others on the list, Moto’s Hello UI is clean enough — and Moto Gestures are still here! Motorola mid-rangers may not offer the initial value they once did, but on a good sale, they are still among my favorites.
If you’re coming from a OnePlus 9 or 10, you can go home again — at least one more time. For all the company’s difficulties, the OnePlus 15 is an excellent smartphone. It’s the first device I’ve reviewed where I easily made it to a third day on a single charge with pretty moderate use. Its 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery is outstanding, and you can still enjoy 80 or 100W charging speeds like you’re used to.
Under the hood, you’re getting the best. It includes a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and 16GB of RAM — absolutely top specs for its modest $1,000 (or lower) price tag. With OnePlus promising to honor software support, you can hang on to your phone a little longer. I don’t know what that software support is going to look like (ColorOS, anyone?), but it’s not like OnePlus is boarding up the windows and disappearing. If you’re a OnePlus fan and you haven’t used the OnePlus 15 yet, you’ll be pleased. It’s vintage OnePlus and a worthy swan song for the company in the US.
It’s definitely sad that OnePlus is leaving, especially at a time when we need more competition, not less. Thankfully, there are some worthy phones out there to switch to, whether you’re looking for the most powerful device you can find or need something a little different. OnePlus may be gone, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle.
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