OxygenOS 12: Everything you need to know about OnePlus' next software

(Pocket-lint) - A caller mentation of Android is simply a caller accidental for smartphone makers to adhd their ain stamp to the customisable telephone operating system. And with Android 12 having been disposable successful beta signifier to aggregate 3rd parties for a bully fig of weeks and months, the manufacturers person had a agelong clip to tinker, heighten and play with it. 

One specified shaper is OnePlus, which recently joined Oppo to stock resources crossed smartphone and R&D divisions, putting much resources into updates. With that announcement, we were keen to spot precisely what OnePlus phones were going to get successful the adjacent large bundle update. Thankfully, OnePlus has shown it off. 

It's harmless to accidental that OnePlus' OxygenOS 12 isn't arsenic extremist a alteration from mentation 11 arsenic that was to the erstwhile software, but determination are inactive a fistful of caller features that could heighten the acquisition of utilizing a OnePlus phone. 

Release date 

• Open beta launched September 2021
• Coming to different devices soon
• No offical connection connected last release

The unfastened beta for OnePlus' adjacent large bundle update has already been made disposable to OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro users successful September, and present we're conscionable waiting for authoritative connection connected erstwhile the archetypal nationalist mentation is coming. The shaper hasn't fixed america a timeline yet, but we fishy it volition beryllium comparatively soon fixed the announcement of the caller features. 

OxygenOS 12: 7 cardinal changes

Redesigned icons

In erstwhile years, OnePlus has typically utilized precise flat, minimal icons passim its operating system. But that's astir to change. In OxygenOS 12, the app icons are getting a batch of love. The company's bundle designers person revamped each the icons to springiness them much extent by adding shadows and gradients and making them consciousness a batch little simple. 

On the flip broadside of that, to marque important icons and functions easier to understand, it's simplified immoderate of the smaller icons wrong the idiosyncratic interface to marque them easier to recognize and work crossed multplie regions. 

New Shelf 

The biggest ocular alteration is the redesigned Shelf. This is OnePlus' snapshot presumption of fashionable functions, widgets and information. Usually it's for things similar viewing today's temperature/weather, adding a speedy note, checking the artillery level of your connected buds, oregon seeing wherever you parked your car. Like the redesigned app icons, there's a batch much extent added by richer graphics, shadows and textures. 

New Notes app

One of the large caller pre-installed bits of bundle is the caller Notes app which appears to instrumentality a batch of inspiration from immoderate different much fully-featured note-taking apps. With the caller app you get a batch much formatting options, including utilizing slug points, trial justifying and font value adjustments. Plus, you tin usage the Doodle diagnostic to scribble onscreen with virtual pen and pencil ink. 

New Zen mode/Private harmless design

Zen Mode and Private Safe aren't caller features arsenic such, but OnePlus has wholly redesigned the look of the apps, utilizing lights, shadows and gradients. The purpose was to "provide a sensoe of unafraid and intelligence comfortableness done ocular changes". We're not precisely definite what that means, but it sounds similar the institution was trying to usage colours, airy and shadows to heighten however the app felt to use. So Zen Mode plan was made much "zen" and the Private Safe present has the aesthetic of its ain separate, unafraid space. 

Updated Canvas AOD

OnePlus' Always-on show customisation featured thing called Canvas successful the erstwhile bundle which lets you usage a photograph arsenic your wallpaper, but past the always-on fastener surface would make a basal outline of that representation connected a achromatic background. With OxygenOS 12 that's been enhanced with further styles of Canvas. Rather than conscionable the azygous achromatic enactment style, it present has much brushwood styles and colour effects. 

Work Life Balance 2.0

In erstwhile versions of Oxygen OS, OnePlus has had a diagnostic called Work Life Balance disposable successful India. With OS 12, the institution is rolling it retired to different regions, and lets you acceptable up customized enactment and beingness interfaces. You tin activate your enactment mode to travel connected during enactment hours, oregon based connected determination erstwhile you get astatine the office. Life mode is much focused connected not getting distracted by enactment tasks portion you're not expected to beryllium working, customising which apps and notifications you person beforehand and centre. 

Multiple acheronian modes

With astir phones, erstwhile it comes to acheronian mode, you lone get 1 option. Either you person it switched on, oregon not, and it turns your interface wholly black. With OnePlus' latest system, you tin set however acheronian you privation acheronian mode to be. There are 3 options: gentle, mean and enhanced. The past of those is the transportation achromatic interface, with the different 2 being progressively lighter. 

Which phones are getting it? 

The unfastened beta bundle is already disposable for the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro, but volition beryllium coming to the pursuing models arsenic well: 

• OnePlus 8
• OnePlus 9R 
• OnePlus 8 Pro
• OnePlus 8T
• OnePlus 7 Pro
• OnePlus 7
• OnePlus 7T
• OnePlus 7T Pro
• OnePlus Nord 2
• OnePlus Nord 
• OnePlus Nord CE 

OnePlus hasn't fixed an nonstop timeline for erstwhile each of the listed phones are expected to get the authoritative mentation of the caller bundle update, but we'll proceed to update this diagnostic arsenic much accusation is revealed. 

Writing by Cam Bunton. Originally published connected 4 October 2021.