OnePlus has announced the merger of its OxygenOS and Oppo’s ColorOS in order to “improve efficiency and standardize the software experience” across devices. The Chinese company’s latest move comes just a few weeks after it announced its formal operational merger with Oppo. OnePlus and Oppo, both owned by the Guangdong-based conglomerate BBK Electronics, have been collaborating for quite some time. However, after integrating their research and development (R&D) resources, the companies decided to make their collaboration public.
Merging OxygenOS and Oppo’s ColorOS
OnePlus announced the merger of OxygenOS and ColorOS in a forum post, emphasizing that the change will occur at the codebase level. This means that, for the time being, end users are unlikely to notice any significant changes. “OxygenOS remains the OS for global OnePlus users as always,” the company said, “but now built on a more stable and stronger platform.”
OnePlus also stated that the update will be applied to new devices in the future while existing devices that are still on the maintenance schedule will receive the codebase-level integration between OxygenOS and ColorOS via an over-the-air (OTA) update alongside Android 12.
The Shifts Expected Along With This Collaboration
The change is expected to assist OnePlus in delivering stable and timely software updates, which the company desperately needs to focus on given the issues it introduced with previous updates and the time it takes to update older hardware.
OnePlus has also announced an improved software maintenance schedule in which it will provide three major Android updates and four years of security updates to flagship phones such as the T and R models, as well as the OnePlus 8 and newer phones. However, in the case of the original OnePlus Nord and subsequent Nord models, as well as the OnePlus Nord CE 5G, the company has decided to provide two major Android updates and three years of security updates.
Importantly, OnePlus’s improved maintenance schedule will not apply to its previous flagship devices, which will continue to follow the original timeline, which included two major Android updates and three years of security updates. OnePlus replaced its native HydrogenOS with Oppo’s ColorOS for all Chinese variants of its flagship models earlier this year. This came months after OnePlus and Oppo had more deeply integrated their R&D resources.
It is currently unknown where OnePlus will take OxygenOS and how long it will remain distinct from ColorOS. The latest integration also calls into question OnePlus’s long-promoted independence, despite the fact that it is a subsidiary of BBK Electronics and shares resources with Oppo.
OnePlus Integrating With Oppo
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has announced a “new journey” for the company, which includes plans to “further integrate our organization with Oppo.” It appears to be a bold move for OnePlus. OnePlus rose to prominence through rebellious marketing and hype-driven online retail strategies, positioning itself as a smarter alternative to larger smartphone brands.
However, it remained a private company with ownership ties to Oppo and the shadowy BBK Electronics empire, and it was clear from OnePlus’ phones that there were still some ties to Oppo. Components such as display panels appeared to be identical, and even ostensibly proprietary technology such as the Dash fast-charging system was cross-compatible with Oppo.
OnePlus, according to Lau, will continue to operate independently despite further integration with Oppo. However, he has not specified what will be integrated, and given the existing similarities between the two brands’ products, it is unclear what this will actually mean for consumers. Lau says OnePlus will continue to run its own events and customer feedback channels, but that Oppo’s larger resources will allow OnePlus to be more efficient with software updates.
If you’re a fan of OnePlus, however, there’s no reason to think the closer ties are a bad thing. The company has long abandoned its “flagship killer” roots, now competing at the high end with expensive “Pro” phones while offering a range of lower-to-mid-range Nord devices. Oppo, on the other hand, releases far more phones per year (mostly in Asia), but its high-end flagships are every bit as good. So far, my favorite phone of the year is the Find X3 Pro.
Whether OnePlus would admit it or not, the company has long been associated with Oppo. The biggest difference here is that OnePlus is now saying it out loud — while tightening the relationship even more.
