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 all over the world. 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 adjustments — it makes use of an Aquamorphic 2.0 design language that dynamically adjustments colours based mostly on time of day.
Then there’s the awkwardly-named Fluid Cloud characteristic that primarily tries to imitate the iPhone’s Dynamic Island on the standing bar. Whenever you launch a timer, make a name, or play music, you will see a pill-sized icon within the standing bar, and interacting with it’ll broaden 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 longer term 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 throughout the OxygenOS 11 design overhaul and all through the ColorOS transition.
We received began with OxygenOS 14 and the most important user-facing adjustments within the Android 14-based construct. Lin shared some extra particulars round Fluid Cloud, noting that it was impressed by the “stable, liquid, and fuel construction of Aquamorphic Design,” and {that a} key enterprise with the visible refresh is to supply an “intuitive movement” that is smart to anybody simply getting began with the interface slightly than getting customers to adapt to a brand new characteristic.
“The methods to work together with info and notifications is completely different with Fluid Cloud characteristic. Impressed by the stable, liquid, and fuel construction of Aquamorphic Design, Fluid Cloud presents notifications inside bubbles, capsules, and panels in a naturally merging and flowing approach. This reimagined model of the standing bar can current completely different types of real-time providers with minimal disruption on the high of your display in response to your personalised preferences and priorities.”
Lin additionally delved into the shifting shade palette and the brand new ringtones and notification tones which are debuting in OxygenOS 14. “The color system additionally upgraded to have the ability to change dynamically based mostly on components together with time of the day, smartphone standing, and content material. As an illustration, the background color of Alarm Clock can 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 contemplate 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 characteristic permits for accumulate and share info and content material anytime throughout completely different screens like telephones and tablets by merely dragging and dropping. As well as, on OxygenOS 14, OnePlus units 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 difficulty for OnePlus over the past 18 months, with the ColorOS integration introducing a slew of bugs that severely hampered the person expertise. OxygenOS 13 fastened 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 way more units this yr — 16 in whole — is to get suggestions from a wider vary of customers.
One other approach 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 steady and safe expertise.”
“You could have observed that we spent loads in introducing applied sciences and algorithms on OxygenOS 14. It’s 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 units,” stated 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 steady 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 contemplate going again to a vanilla UI — sadly, that ship has sailed. “After the mixing, OxygenOS and ColorOS are developed on the identical codebase, to permit for higher construct high quality and updates, which may also result in some similarities.”
“Because of this, OxygenOS will share the identical design philosophy — Aquamorphic Design with ColorOS to include the colourful color system, however it nonetheless has custom-made design components together with icons, widgets, wallpapers, ringtones, and AOD to satisfy the wants of OxygenOS customers. Our final objective is to synergistically mix the best facets of each merchandise, leading to a brand new and distinctive providing,” famous Chen.
I requested if OnePlus would possibly contemplate rolling out a characteristic that lets customers select between a vanilla UI and a themed interface — just like what ASUS does with ZenUI — and whereas Lin famous that suggestions from the neighborhood drives the producer’s choices, he would not affirm if such a characteristic would debut on OxygenOS, so I would not guess 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 clean expertise, and shared that stability and safety can 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 clean expertise, to be instinctive and free to manage, which suggests each motion and reflection is pure and clean and all you want is to faucet and luxuriate in. The subsequent step is to deliver our signature quick and clean expertise to extra OnePlus units.”
With regards to extra units, 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 intently 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 person expertise on a foldable cellphone,” stated 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. “Presently, we’re working intently with our partnerships to discover learn how to incorporate AIGC expertise to enhance the usability of OxygenOS 14.”
