Personal Experience with OnePlus 5T on LineageOS Facing Obsolescence Due to 3G Network Shutdown
By
birdculture
The bagel they save for the regulars. Don't skim, savour.
Summary
The author discusses their personal experience with a OnePlus 5T running LineageOS since 2019, which they've loved but now faces obsolescence due to New Zealand networks shutting down 3G in early 2026. The phone lacks VoLTE (Voice over LTE) capability, meaning it won't be able to make or receive calls after the 3G shutdown, though it could still function for other purposes like photos, games, and web browsing on 4G. The author needs to find a replacement phone despite minimal call usage, marking the end of their current device as an everyday phone.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledSince 2019, my phone has been a OnePlus 5T running LineageOS, and I've loved it.
Unfortunately, it uses 3G for calls, and all New Zealand networks plan to turn off their 3G network in early 2026.
I would still be able to use this phone for taking photos, playing games, and browsing the web on 4G data, but in theory I wouldn't be able to make or receive calls, because it lacks the somewhat recent VoLTE feature.
I only need to do phone calls a little bit, but I do have to do them.
So it seems like this won't be able to be my everyday phone any more.
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