OnePlus is switching to ColorOS, the Android variant used by Oppo smartphones, for its new OnePlus 9 series in China. The change was announced on the OnePlus forums by Gary C, the leader of the OxygenOS product, which is what OnePlus phones use in the rest of the world.
“As a global technology company, we’re always looking for ways to address the different usage habits and preferences among our users around the world,” says Gary C. “We sincerely believe that this new custom operating system will provide Chinese users with a software experience. best suited to your preferences ”.
This does not change anything for the global OnePlus 9 series which is due to be revealed in full tomorrow – it will still run OxygenOS. But that seems to mean the end of HydrogenOS, which is the China-specific version of Android that OnePlus previously used for all of its phones shipped on the continent.
ColorOS is already used by many more people in China than HydrogenOS; Oppo recently became the largest smartphone brand in its home country for the first time. I’m using it full time now, as I review Oppo’s new Find X3 Pro flagship (pictured above), and I generally find it stylish and high-performance. There is no denying that HydrogenOS (and OxygenOS) provide a more minimalist experience, however – if that’s what you like.
Oppo and OnePlus are owned by the Chinese conglomerate BBK Electronics, sharing a supply chain and often critical technology. Realme, another BBK brand, also used ColorOS first, before developing its own software called Realme UI. Companies tend to publicly minimize the connection between them, but OnePlus’ decision to use Oppo software at once is one of the most obvious examples of collaboration to date.