OnePlus is placing the ending touches on OxygenOS 14; the general public beta is now rolling out, and the model is soliciting suggestions from customers world wide. On the outset, OxygenOS 14 is not too completely different to final yr; the interface options the identical design aesthetic, albeit with a couple of delicate modifications — it makes use of an Aquamorphic 2.0 design language that dynamically modifications colours primarily based on time of day.
Then there’s the awkwardly-named Fluid Cloud function that basically tries to imitate the iPhone’s Dynamic Island on the standing bar. Once you launch a timer, make a name, or play music, you may see a pill-sized icon within the standing bar, and interacting with it should develop to a full-size window with further controls.
Forward of the general public beta of OxygenOS 14, I interacted with Gary Chen, OnePlus Product Partnership Lead, and Zach Lin, Lead on OxygenOS Product, to speak about OxygenOS 14 and what the long run holds for OnePlus’s software program efforts. Chen has overseen OnePlus’s software program for a number of years now, and was on the helm in the course of the OxygenOS 11 design overhaul and all through the ColorOS transition.
We received began with OxygenOS 14 and the largest user-facing modifications within the Android 14-based construct. Lin shared some extra particulars round Fluid Cloud, noting that it was impressed by the “stable, liquid, and gasoline construction of Aquamorphic Design,” and {that a} key endeavor with the visible refresh is to supply an “intuitive circulate” that is smart to anybody simply getting began with the interface relatively than getting customers to adapt to a brand new function.
“The methods to work together with data and notifications is completely different with Fluid Cloud function. Impressed by the stable, liquid, and gasoline construction of Aquamorphic Design, Fluid Cloud presents notifications inside bubbles, capsules, and panels in a naturally merging and flowing means. This reimagined model of the standing bar can current completely different types of real-time companies with minimal disruption on the high of your display screen in line with your personalised preferences and priorities.”
Lin additionally delved into the shifting colour palette and the brand new ringtones and notification tones which might be debuting in OxygenOS 14. “The color system additionally upgraded to have the ability to change dynamically primarily based on elements together with time of the day, smartphone standing, and content material. As an illustration, the background color of Alarm Clock shall be completely different at completely different time all through the day. There are additionally 9 units of Aquamorphic-themed ringtones — together with calls, alarms, and notifications which is co-developed with Sonic Minds from Denmark and Epic Sound from Finland, each of whom are skilled artists with wealthy music-related expertise.”
As for different options, I requested if OnePlus would think about rolling out a desktop mode — like Samsung DeX — on its telephones. Lin shared a number of the productiveness options debuting in OxygenOS 14, however would not touch upon a desktop mode, so it isn’t on the playing cards as of now. “The File Dock function permits for acquire and share data and content material anytime throughout completely different screens like telephones and tablets by merely dragging and dropping. As well as, on OxygenOS 14, OnePlus gadgets are extra linked than earlier than. Multi-Display Join 2.0 permits for sooner connection speeds, in addition to smoother two-way discovery capabilities.”
Stability has been a continuous situation for OnePlus over the past 18 months, with the ColorOS integration introducing a slew of bugs that severely hampered the consumer expertise. OxygenOS 13 mounted issues to an extent, and Lin famous that “stability, smoothness, and energy effectivity are extremely prioritized within the improvement of OxygenOS 14”. One of many causes the beta program is being opened as much as far more gadgets this yr — 16 in whole — is to get suggestions from a wider vary of customers.
One other means the model is wanting to make sure higher stability is by overhauling the underlying framework. The Trinity Engine makes use of six algorithms to higher optimize the {hardware}, and Lin states that the guiding mission with OxygenOS 14 is to ship a “sooner, smoother, extra secure and safe expertise.”
“You’ll have observed that we spent so much in introducing applied sciences and algorithms on OxygenOS 14. It is because that the product philosophy of OxygenOS 14 is to make the most of self-developed applied sciences and algorithms to higher discover the potential of the highly effective {hardware} of OnePlus gadgets,” mentioned Lin. “As an illustration, our customers is probably not conscious of algorithms similar to CPU-Vitalization, RAM-Vitalization, and ROM-Vitalization, however ultimately they are going to get a sooner, smoother, extra secure and safe expertise with higher energy effectivity.”
What made OxygenOS a cult favourite was its clear and clutter-free UI, which was left behind within the transition to ColorOS. So I requested Chen if OnePlus would ever think about going again to a vanilla UI — sadly, that ship has sailed. “After the combination, OxygenOS and ColorOS are developed on the identical codebase, to permit for higher construct high quality and updates, which will even result in some similarities.”
“In consequence, OxygenOS will share the identical design philosophy — Aquamorphic Design with ColorOS to include the colourful color system, however it nonetheless has personalized design components together with icons, widgets, wallpapers, ringtones, and AOD to fulfill the wants of OxygenOS customers. Our final objective is to synergistically mix the best elements of each merchandise, leading to a brand new and distinctive providing,” famous Chen.
I requested if OnePlus would possibly think about rolling out a function that lets customers select between a vanilla UI and a themed interface — much like what ASUS does with ZenUI — and whereas Lin famous that suggestions from the neighborhood drives the producer’s selections, he would not verify if such a function would debut on OxygenOS, so I would not wager on it.
As for what’s coming to OxygenOS sooner or later and the place the software program is headed, Chen reiterated the model’s dedication to delivering a quick and easy expertise, and shared that stability and safety shall be a key focus. He talked about how the Trinity Engine is vital to realizing these targets. “It displays our new interpretations on the quick and easy expertise, to be instinctive and free to manage, which implies each motion and reflection is pure and easy and all you want is to faucet and luxuriate in. The following step is to convey our signature quick and easy expertise to extra OnePlus gadgets.”
With reference to extra gadgets, OnePlus is on the brink of launch its first foldable — the OnePlus Open — in a couple of weeks, so I requested Chen if there are any foldable-focused options in OxygenOS 14. He did not share any specifics, solely noting that the model is “working very carefully with Google to co-develop foldable-related options.”
“We try to leverage our profitable expertise in creating candy-bar smartphone software program merchandise to shine the consumer expertise on a foldable cellphone,” mentioned Chen.
Like each different producer, OnePlus is wanting so as to add AI-related options to OxygenOS, and though Chen did not disclose any particulars, he talked about that OnePlus remains to be on the exploratory stage, and that it is working with companions to see the way it would possibly make the interface higher. “At the moment, we’re working carefully with our partnerships to discover incorporate AIGC know-how to enhance the usability of OxygenOS 14.”
