OxygenOS 12 Open Beta 1 based on Android 12 now available for OnePlus 8/8 Pro and 8T

After what has felt like a long wait, OxygenOS 12 is now available in preview form for the OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, and 8T with the release of Open Beta 1.

It has been over four months since the official Android 12 release, but despite a lengthy beta process, OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro owners had to wait until mid-November until the stable update hit their phones. Two announcement posts on the official OnePlus Forums have confirmed that attention is turning toward the OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, and 8T with the launch of the OxygenOS 12 Open Beta.

Now, this update is a major diversion from the perception that OxygenOS is a clean and almost Pixel-lite experience. It’s abundantly clear after a few minutes that this is ColorOS in all but name. This isn’t a great shock as OnePlus has previously confirmed that ColorOS and OxygenOS will merge in the not-too-distant future. However, the Android 12 flavor of OxygenOS for the OnePlus 8 and 8T series is quite a departure from Android 11.

• System
  • Optimized desktop icons with improved textures, by using a design inspired by brand-new materials and uniting lights and layers
• Dark mode
  • Dark mode now supports three adjustable levels, bringing a more personalized and comfortable user experience
• Shelf
  • New additional style options for Cards, making data contents more visual and easier to read
  • Newly added Earphone Control Card with Bluetooth earphone one-click adjustment
  • Newly added access to OnePlus Scout in Shelf, allowing you to search multiple contents on your phone, including Apps, Settings, Media Data, etc
  • Newly added OnePlus Watch Card in Shelf, to easily glance at your health stats
• Work Life Balance
  • Work Life Balance feature is now available to all users, allowing you to effortlessly switch between Work and Life mode via quick settings
  • WLB 2.0 now supports automatic Work/Life mode switching, based on specific locations, Wi-Fi network, and time, also bringing customized App notification profiles according to the personalization
• Gallery
  • Gallery now allows you to switch between different layouts with a two-finger pinch gesture, intelligently recognizing the best-quality pictures, and cropping the thumbnail based on the content, making the gallery layout more pleasing
• Canvas AOD
  • Canvas AOD brings you new diverse styles of lines and colors, for a more personalized lock screen experience with inspiring visuals
  • Newly added multiple brushes and strokes and support for color adjustment
  • Optimized software algorithm and improved face recognition to better identify the features and skin color of different figures

Given that this is a beta, there are a few teething issues including some potential Always-on display problems whereby the dial display may not appear even when set. If you hate ColorOS, it might also be one to avoid, but ideal if you prefer lightweight UI changes and prefer “old” OxygenOS. If you are happy to give the beta a trial run for yourself, then check out our hands-on with OxygenOS 12 before slapping on your OnePlus 8 or 8T:

Luckily, you’re not forced to install this update on your device. That said, you can also find all of the OxygenOS 12 downloads for your specific OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, or 8T device below:

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