OnePlus, Oppo to Combine OxygenOS, ColorOS Into a Unified Operating System

OnePlus and Oppo have decided to combine their custom OxygenOS and ColorOS skins into a new unified operating system, OnePlus Co-Founder and CEO and Oppo CPO Pete Lau has revealed in a forum post. The new operating system will be a part of the next OnePlus flagship series that is planned for 2022. It comes as a result of the merger between OnePlus and Oppo that became official earlier this year. In a separate media interaction, Lau confirmed that OnePlus isn't planning to bring the OnePlus 9T as its new T-series device later this year.

Lau said in his post on the OnePlus Community forums that the unified operating system would keep the DNA of OxygenOS alongside giving users an “upgraded experience overall.” He also revealed that the teams working on the integration between OxygenOS and ColorOS that will eventually be available as the unified software platform are headed by OxygenOS head Garry C.

“By combining our software resources to focus on one unified and upgraded operating system for both OnePlus and Oppo devices globally, we will combine the strengths from both into one even more powerful OS: the fast and smooth, burdenless experience of OxygenOS, and the stability and rich features of ColorOS,” Lau said.

The executive also mentioned that OnePlus would also customise the unified operating system specifically for its devices to continue to provide a “clean and lightweight” experience and support unlock bootloaders.

OnePlus and Oppo teams are aiming to fully complete the integration with the next major Android update in 2022. Details about which existing devices would be eligible for the update are yet to be revealed. However, Lau did specify that the unified operating system will first arrive on the next flagship series of OnePlus in 2022. It could be called the OnePlus 10.

OnePlus will bring the unified operating system on its next flagship phone in 2022
Photo Credit: OnePlus

In June, OnePlus announced its merger with Oppo and became its sub-brand. The company also started merging its custom OxygenOS Android skin with Oppo's ColorOS before eventually moving towards bringing the unified operating system.

Alongside working on the new software platform, OnePlus is busy working on new hardware. Lau in the forum post said that the company would continue offering devices at multiple price points and bring more affordable product ranges with localisation — alongside bringing premium and ultra-premium flagship phones globally.

He also said that OnePlus was doubling down its commitment to improve the camera experience. This would come from enhancements in user experience, along with a focus on improving colour performance in collaboration with Swedish manufacturer Hasselblad, and investing for new and improved technologies.

However, The Verge reports that Lau in a roundtable interview confirmed the absence of OnePlus 9T in the company's 2021 lineup. The phone was rumoured to be in the works, though a tipster recently suggested that OnePlus would not launch any of its new T-series phones this year.

OnePlus has a record of launching T-series phones as an upgrade to its flagships in the second half of the year. The trend started with the OnePlus 3T back in 2016, though it was tweaked with the OnePlus 8T last year as the company decided to not bring the OnePlus 8T Pro.

The decision of not bringing any new T-series phones this year could mainly be due to the ongoing chip shortage. The shortfall in chip supplies and increased cost of major components have also resulted in a 20 percent cut in staff at Oppo, according to a recent Bloomberg report.

That report also mentioned that the merger between OnePlus and Oppo is creating redundancies. Lau, however, reportedly refuted the emergence of any redundancies due to the merger.