OxygenOS 11 has landed on OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro devices as the Android 11 Beta 3, but it might prove to be the biggest overhaul the third-party skin has seen for some time.
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and if Samsung has paid attention, they could feel particularly aggrieved that OnePlus has taken so many visual cues from the One UI skin. There is no denying the similarities here, although it’s hard to really be too annoyed at some of the changes made here — unless you live for the “clean” experience that OxygenOS has become known for in recent years.
My own biggest question is why this bold new “2020 OnePlus” has decided to divert so heavily from its perceived “plucky start-up” roots of high specification smartphones at an affordable price — all with immaculately clean software. Diverting so far in the opposite direction is sure to leave many fans annoyed, confused, and potentially looking elsewhere.
Heck, we are confused, too, but some of the new changes are genuinely not as bad as you might have initially feared. We know because we’ve gone hands-on with OxygenOS 11 to learn more about what makes it tick. The changes have taken even us by surprise — well, not too much as we knew what might come having seen HydrogenOS 11 be unveiled just a few short days ago.
- New visual design (including Weather app, Launcher, Gallery, Notes)
- New layout for more comfortable and convenient one-handed operation
- 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 automatically turn on and off and a shortcut in Quick Settings
- 3 new Zen Mode themes, more timing options, and new Group feature to let you experience Zen Mode with your friends
- New Gallery function that automatically creates a weekly story based on your photos and videos
- Updated Settings menu/about device layout
OnePlus confirmed all of the major new changes in a dedicated and detailed blog post announcing the rollout of the final OxygenOS 11 or Android 11 Beta — although more of a Developer Preview. This is essentially the final build of Android 11 on OnePlus hardware before a series of Open Betas in the coming months. So with that in mind, here’s every major new change that you can expect when the OS upgrade hits your compatible device.
Always-on Display
Author: Damien Wilde.
Source: 9TO5Google
