With the full release of Android 11 drawing closer, OnePlus has shown off its new software design to go along with the update.
The Chinese company has been teasing its build of Android 11, called OxygenOS in the west and HydrogenOS in China, for a while, and it looks like it’s going to start rolling out very shortly.
Official Video of OnePlus's HydrogenOS 11 for China. Expect OxygenOS 11 to be heavily influenced by it but with Google Play Services. New Always on Display, Animations & One Hand usage. #OnePlus #HydrogenOS11 pic.twitter.com/IbdXKrj7eg
— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) August 10, 2020
The China-based HydrogenOS has already been revealed along with a new looking weather app, an Always-On display feature, and a more refreshed design.
For me, the most exciting change is the new visual overhaul. The short teaser video shows off a few new elements in quick succession, and they all look much cleaner and more unified than the Android 10 version of OxygenOS.
The new design
This new unified design is an important step for OnePlus and one that represents pretty significant growth for the company’s user interface. The only thing I’m concerned about is how polished the overall system will look. Previously there were rumours surrounding odd-looking UX elements in the system settings that shouldn’t be present on a phone as nice as a OnePlus device
OnePlus’ creative director Zeng Xi said that the goal of the new aesthetic is to use simple designs that provide users with lots of information at a glance, according to XDA Developers. The new wallpapers in OxygenOS 11 should be a good example of this and will provide users with subtle weather and time of day information.
A more usable dark mode
Beyond the overall look of the design, the company is also revamping its dark mode with a wider range of greys to make it easier for people with sight-related disabilities to use the night-focused mode.
In OxygenOS 10, I found the company’s dark mode among some of the best I’ve used, but a little bit of polish could go a long way to making it feel and look much more premium, so I’m glad OnePlus is working harder on this.
Always-on display
Of course, OxygenOS is going to come with a real Always-on display (AOD). Some of these displays, like the company’s ‘Time’ module that it revealed on August 6th, for example, follow the new simple yet informative design philosophy. However, other designs appear to have a more aesthetic-focused look.
Either way, this will be a welcome update for OnePlus users who have been missing the feature while almost all other Android phones already have it.
Other smaller updates
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- A new Zen mode that allows people to share the experience on multiple OnePlus devices so a whole family can take a break from their phones at the same time.
- Voice notes feature to make note-taking a bit easier. This is built out of the company’s new AI-powered Speech to text conversions software.
- One-handed mode.
- A new RAM management system should allow for more apps to be open at once.
- Updated animations within the interface.
Source: XDA Developers
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