OnePlus on Monday announced that it will launch the OnePlus 9 series with Oppo’s ColorOS software in China. So far, all OnePlus phones sold in mainland China, have been based on HydrogenOS though whether or not the new announcement means the end of the road for the project isn’t clear immediately. OnePlus has confirmed that OnePlus 9 series phone sold outside of China will–still–be based on OxygenOS.
The information was shared by OnePlus CEO Pete Lau on China’s social media website Weibo, and separately in a forum post by OxygenOS product lead Gary C.
“As a global technology company, we always look for ways to address the different usage habits and preferences among our users worldwide,” Gary adding, “our China market devices will now be using a customized version of ColorOS, tailored specifically for OnePlus smartphones, starting with the upcoming OnePlus 9 series.”
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For those unaware, both OnePlus and Oppo are owned by Chinese conglomerate BBK Electronics. So is Realme. Realme devices were earlier based on ColorOS, but over time, the brand switched to building a custom OS (using ColorOS as base) called Realme UI, with the most recent version being Realme UI 2.0 which is based on Android 11. Gary’s post seems to suggest that OnePlus will also be going down the same road with its phones in China, but the extent of “customization” it will offer at launch remains a mystery for now.
Those keeping track would be aware that OnePlus at one point of time, had different teams and resources working on HydrogenOS and OxygenOS, something that was also difficult to maintain from a pure operational point of view when OnePlus was just getting started–this was something that OnePlus was also vocal about back in the day. Over the course of time, as OnePlus launched more phones and ventured into new markets, those conversations were eventually laid to rest.
OnePlus has so far steered clear of conversations around connections with its other sister brands, primarily Oppo, with which the brand is known to share supply chain and sometimes, even technology but the new announcement will surely raise a few eyebrows in the industry.
In OnePlus’ defence, “for all of our users outside of mainland China, we will continue using OxygenOS for global devices in the future and remain committed to offering a fast and smooth experience with OxygenOS.
OnePlus is set to launch the OnePlus 9 series for global markets including India on March 23.
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