- OnePlus is switching phones in mainland China to Color OS instead of the usual Oxygen OS.
- This reflects “different usage habits in the country”, according to OnePlus.
- This takes effect from the OnePlus 9 series.
Oxygen OS will not be the only software on OnePlus phones going forward. OnePlus has revealed that the phones it sells in mainland China will ship with a customized version of Oppo’s Color OS, starting with the 9 series.
The move to Color OS will give Chinese users a platform “more suited to their taste,” said OnePlus. The company wanted software that reflected the “different usage habits” of people around the world and that apparently included a different operating system in at least one country.
For now, at least, you won’t see Color OS on OnePlus phones outside mainland China. All others will continue to use Oxygen OS.
Related: OnePlus Buyer Guide
This is not the first time that OnePlus has juggled with more than one platform. The first OnePlus phones were split between Cyanogen OS in most parts of the world and Color OS in China, and there was a time when China’s specific Hydrogen OS and international Oxygen OS coexisted. In fact, this is a return to previous behavior, rather than a radical break.
It is not surprising that OnePlus adopts Color OS in its home country. Oppo is now one of the largest phone manufacturers in China, and OnePlus can take advantage of its sister brand by offering the same software experience. It can also help OnePlus to streamline its development work for Chinese customers, using the same basic code as Oppo devices.
This will probably not thrill everyone, however. Many have argued that OnePlus stands out precisely because of the relatively lean and fast version of Android’s Oxygen OS. Between the new operating system and a rapidly growing phone line, there is a concern that OnePlus may be losing its identity as it increasingly adopts Oppo’s strategy. Sales are likely to dictate what happens next – you can expect OnePlus to continue with OS Oppo or even expand its use if there is a corresponding increase in sales.