Will OxygenOS ever go back to a stock UI? Here’s what the head of OnePlus software told me

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 around the globe. At the outset, OxygenOS 14 is not too completely different to final 12 months; the interface options the identical design aesthetic, albeit with a number of delicate adjustments — it makes use of an Aquamorphic 2.0 design language that dynamically adjustments colours primarily based on time of day.Then there’s the awkwardly-named Fluid Cloud characteristic that basically tries to imitate the iPhone’s Dynamic Island on the standing bar. When 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 can develop to a full-size window with further controls.Ahead 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 throughout the OxygenOS 11 design overhaul and all through the ColorOS transition.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)We bought began with OxygenOS 14 and the largest user-facing adjustments within the Android 14-based construct. Lin shared some extra particulars round Fluid Cloud, noting that it was impressed by the “solid, liquid, and gas structure of Aquamorphic Design,” and {that a} key endeavor with the visible refresh is to offer an “intuitive flow” that is sensible to anybody simply getting began with the interface reasonably than getting customers to adapt to a brand new characteristic.”The ways to interact with information and notifications is different with Fluid Cloud feature. Inspired by the solid, liquid, and gas structure of Aquamorphic Design, Fluid Cloud presents notifications within bubbles, capsules, and panels in a naturally merging and flowing way. This reimagined version of the status bar can present different forms of real-time services with minimal disruption at the top of your screen according to your personalized preferences and priorities.”(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Lin additionally delved into the shifting coloration palette and the brand new ringtones and notification tones which are debuting in OxygenOS 14. “The colour system also upgraded to be able to change dynamically based on factors including time of the day, smartphone status, and content. For instance, the background colour of Alarm Clock will be different at different time throughout the day. There are also nine sets of Aquamorphic-themed ringtones — including calls, alarms, and notifications which is co-developed with Sonic Minds from Denmark and Epic Sound from Finland, both of whom are professional artists with rich music-related experience.”As for different options, I requested if OnePlus would think about rolling out a desktop mode — like Samsung DeX — on its telephones. Lin shared among 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 feature allows for collect and share information and content anytime across different screens like phones and tablets by simply dragging and dropping. In addition, on OxygenOS 14, OnePlus devices are more connected than before. Multi-Screen Connect 2.0 allows for faster connection speeds, as well as smoother two-way discovery capabilities.”(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)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 power efficiency are highly prioritized in the development of OxygenOS 14”. One of the explanations the beta program is being opened as much as far more gadgets this 12 months — 16 in whole — is to get suggestions from a wider vary of customers.Another manner the model is trying 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 “faster, smoother, more stable and secure experience.””You may have noticed that we spent a lot in introducing technologies and algorithms on OxygenOS 14. This is because that the product philosophy of OxygenOS 14 is to utilize self-developed technologies and algorithms to better explore the potential of the powerful hardware of OnePlus devices,” mentioned Lin. “For instance, our users may not be aware of algorithms such as CPU-Vitalization, RAM-Vitalization, and ROM-Vitalization, but eventually they will get a faster, smoother, more stable and secure experience with better power efficiency.”(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)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 integration, OxygenOS and ColorOS are developed on the same codebase, to allow for better build quality and updates, which will also lead to some similarities.””As a result, OxygenOS will share the same design philosophy — Aquamorphic Design with ColorOS to incorporate the vibrant colour system, but it still has customized design elements including icons, widgets, wallpapers, ringtones, and AOD to meet the needs of OxygenOS users. Our ultimate goal is to synergistically combine the finest aspects of both products, resulting in a new and exceptional offering,” famous Chen. I requested if OnePlus would possibly think about 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 group drives the producer’s selections, he would not affirm if such a characteristic would debut on OxygenOS, so I would not wager on it.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)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 can be a key focus. He talked about how the Trinity Engine is vital to realizing these targets. “It reflects our new interpretations on the fast and smooth experience, to be instinctive and free to control, which means every movement and reflection is natural and smooth and all you need is to tap and enjoy. The next step is to bring our signature fast and smooth experience to more OnePlus devices.”On the topic of extra gadgets, OnePlus is on the point of launch its first foldable — the OnePlus Open — in a number 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 closely with Google to co-develop foldable-related features.” “We are trying to leverage our successful experience in developing candy-bar smartphone software products to polish the user experience on a foldable phone,” mentioned Chen. Like each different producer, OnePlus is trying so as to add AI-related options to OxygenOS, and though Chen did not expose 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. “Currently, we are working closely with our partnerships to explore how to incorporate AIGC technology to improve the usability of OxygenOS 14.”