Update, September 8, 2020 (4:00 pm ET): Today, Google released the stable version of Android 11. At the same time, OnePlus released the first open beta for Oxygen OS 11. Read on to find out how you can try it out!
Original article, August 20, 2020 (5:00 am ET): For months, OnePlus has been testing Oxygen OS 11, the next version of its Android skin. Compared to some of the company’s previous versions of software, Oxygen OS 11 is a significant upgrade.
We still don’t know when the stable version of Oxygen OS 11 will arrive on OnePlus phones. We do have a good idea of what to expect though, including a user interface overhaul and some long-awaited features.
See also: Best OnePlus phones
Below we break down all the new Oxygen OS 11 features and details you need to know before launch.
Oxygen OS 11 Features
New interface
For better or for worse, Oxygen OS 11 marks a significant departure from the company’s design past. The new software has more in common with Samsung’s One UI than it does with standard Android. Across the operating system, there are more design flourishes than in previous years. An important component of the updated interface is the new OnePlus Sans font, which the company says increases readability.
The good news is that OnePlus has also redesigned the interface to be easier to use with one hand. These new designs run across the entire operating system, but are most evident in Settings. There you will find more space between each menu item. In a recent blog post detailing the changes, OnePlus says it used user test data as a heat map to formulate the ideal size for text elements in Oxygen OS 11.
Elsewhere, you’ll notice that the company’s design team has changed the placement of some navigation buttons and other interface elements.
Always-on display
OnePlus is finally adding an always-on display feature to its phones. The main feature of Oxygen OS 11 for many, it is something that fans of the company have been waiting for a while. Now that it’s almost here, what’s most interesting to us is how OnePlus has managed to do something a little different with the feature.
Opinion: Give me a great software skin over stock Android any day
By now, most people have a good idea of how always-on displays work. They allow you to check things like the time and if you have notifications without fully waking up your phone screen. Time, one of the 11 always-on screen layouts you can choose from in Oxygen OS 11, goes one step further and lets you check how many times you’ve unlocked your device throughout the day. The phone tracks each unlock on a timeline that runs through the middle of the screen.
If you don’t want your phone to remind you how much you use it each time you pick it up, you can choose from several digital and analog clock designs. If none of them appeal to you, or if you want to extend your phone’s battery life, you can continue to use OnePlus’ existing ambient display functionality.
Enhanced dark mode
Oxygen OS 11 will introduce various tweaks to OnePlus’ existing dark mode. To make the different interface elements more readable and easier to differentiate when Dark Mode is active, OnePlus has adjusted the feature to make use of more dark gray tones.
The update will also support dark mode scheduling. This will allow you to configure the feature to turn on and off automatically, based on the time of day. You will also have the option to quickly toggle dark mode from the quick settings menu, which you can access by lowering the notification shade.
Updated apps
A new interface wouldn’t be complete without matching redesigned apps, and OnePlus has also updated most of its source software with new features. For example, the built-in Gallery app includes functionality that will automatically create weekly stories using photos and videos that you took in the last seven days. Meanwhile, Zen Mode introduces three new themes and a new group feature.
The Weather app has also received some attention. Its new interface puts a greater emphasis on the current day, with important information front and center, such as precipitation predictions.
Android 11
Oxygen OS 11 builds on the features of Android 11. This means that many of the same enhancements released with the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system will also make their way to Oxygen OS. There are quite a few tweaks, so check out our breakdown of the best Android 11 features to get a better idea of what’s coming up.
Oxygen OS 11 release date and availability
Oxygen OS 11 is now in the open beta stage. That means anyone with a OnePlus 8 or OnePlus 8 Pro can give it a try. You can find the official changelog and installation instructions on the official OnePlus forums.
OnePlus hasn’t officially commented on when it plans to release a stable version of Oxygen OS 11 to its entire portfolio. However, based on your usual software update schedule, Oxygen OS 11 should be on most of your recent devices by the end of 2020. The update is almost certain to hit OnePlus major markets such as the US. India, the UK and select regions. of Europe.
Read more: OnePlus phones: a history of the entire line of the company so far
The final stable version of Oxygen OS 11 will most likely roll out first on current flagships before being available on older devices. That means we can expect the company to update the OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus 8 first. The new budget phone, the OnePlus Nord, and older devices like the OnePlus 7 Pro should appear soon after.
There is also a strong possibility that the OnePlus 8T will launch with Oxygen OS 11 out of the box.
Eligible Oxygen OS 11 Update Phones
OnePlus hasn’t announced which devices it plans to update with the stable release of Oxygen OS 11, but its update policy offers a helpful guide. In 2018, OnePlus promised to provide its phones with 24 months of platform updates. Under that policy, OnePlus is likely to update the following devices to Oxygen OS 11:
- 2020 – OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro
- 2020 – OnePlus Nord
- 2019 – OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro
- 2019 – OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro
- 2018 – OnePlus 6 and 6T
Although it’s not out of the question until confirmed by OnePlus, the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T almost certainly won’t see Oxygen OS 11.
We’ll update this article as more details on Oxygen OS 11 come out. In the meantime, let us know in the comments if you like the way the latest Oxygen OS update is shaping up.
