OnePlus One running Android Nougat gets tested on Geekbench; will it be released to public?

OnePlus One has been spotted running Google's latest Android 7.0 Nougat on a benchmarking website, evoking excitement among the owners of the 2014 flagship device. 

This comes as a surprise, as OnePlus One was marked ineligible for Android Nougat on two counts. The first reason was that it is more than two-and-a-half years old, and the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) are only obliged to provide software for their devices for 18 months or a maximum of 24 months.

Also read: Waiting for Android Nougat update? See if your smartphone is eligible for Google's mobile OS v7.0

Secondly, the Snapdragon 801 quad-core CPU is said to be non-compatible with Nougat software, as it does not support its Vulcan graphics API. OnePlus One could have been upgraded provided Qualcomm released the new graphics drivers. However, this blame cannot be put solely on the chipset-maker, as smartphone companies are also partly responsible. They were reluctant to provide assistant for old devices so that consumers would move on to new generation phones.

Even Snapdragon 800/801 CPU-based OnePlus X, LG G3, Sony Xperia Z3 series and HTC One (M8) are not eligible to receive the Android Nougat.

So how is OnePlus One being tested with Android Nougat on Geekbench?
As per reliable reports, Android Nougat is not actually an official OS. It's a third-party firmware developed by custom ROM developer community.

We have already reported four experimental custom softwares, which have been released to OnePlus One in the past couple of months. The programmers, before releasing it on public platforms like XDA Developer Forum, might have tried testing the device on Geekbench to check performance and find any glitch in the software.

Read more: Update OnePlus One with Android 7.0 Nougat via AOSP ROM [How to install]

So OnePlus One owners may not get the official update, but they can upgrade to Nougat via custom ROM.

Also read: OnePlus One gets Android Nougat via CyanogenMod [unofficial] CM14 custom ROM [How to install]

In a related development, OnePlus has confirmed to have got their hands on Google's Android Nougat source code and commenced working on it to make the OS optimised to OnePlus 3.

Based on the previous release pattern, the company might release the update by the end of November or early December.

Read more: Android Nougat for OnePlus 3 under works; OnePlus X Marshmallow update release details revealed