Source: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central
Hot on the heels of Google’s release of the definitive Android 11 beta, OnePlus has also announced the third iteration of its Android 11 Developer Preview for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro.
The update includes several major changes to OnePlus’ favorite Android skin:
- New visual design (including Weather app, Launcher, Gallery, Notes)
- New layout for more comfortable and convenient operation with one hand
- Always on-display function, including 11 new clock styles
- Live wallpaper that changes according to the time of day
- New OnePlus Sans font that improves readability
- Optimized dark mode, including the ability to switch on and off automatically and a shortcut key in Speed settings
- 3 new Zen Mode themes, more timing options, and new Group feature to experience your Zen Mode with your friends
- New gallery feature that automatically creates a weekly story based on your photos and videos
While we already knew about the launch of the always-on display alongside Android 11, much more interesting are the visual changes, which OnePlus says are designed to improve one-handed use. That language may be familiar to you, as it was also the ethos behind Samsung’s One UI design and viewing this side-by-side comparison of the two by the people at TechDroider, it seems that OnePlus has taken more than a little inspiration from its South Korean rival.
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These changes mimic the updates propagated to OnePlus’ China-centric skin, HydrogenOS, yesterday.
Due to a number of system and network stability issues, OnePlus has warned users that this early beta is aimed at power users. So, if you do not have tons of experience customizing custom ROMs on your phone, it is probably a good idea to wait for the open beta release which is likely to follow soon. Additionally, if you are using a T-Mobile or Verizon variant of the OnePlus 8/8 Pro, your phone will not be able to install the Developer Preview either.
That said, if you still want to take a crack at the new skin of OnePlus, you can find the relevant downloads and instructions here.
