OnePlus to combine its mobile operating system with Oppo for 2022

OnePlus phones are set to get a major makeover in the software department over the next year due to the company's integration with sister brand Oppo . On Monday, the company announced its plans for "OnePlus 2.0," which will see an evolution of its mobile operating system to fuse the companies' software offerings.

This unified and upgraded global operating system will take the "fast and smooth" and "clean and lightweight" elements of OnePlus' OxygenOS and the "reliable" and "feature-rich" parts of Oppo's ColorOS to create a fresh experience for OnePlus phone users. The company has already begun to combine the two, finishing the codebase integration in June, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau said in a media briefing last week.

OnePlus and Oppo are gradually being brought closer together by their shared parent company, Chinese conglomerate BKK Electronics. The two phone brands started integrating some teams last year when Lau took over product strategy for both OnePlus and Oppo.

Lau said the integration was already providing a more stable experience overall, adding that the two focus areas (stability and strong features) for the the OS were "not conflicting" in his view. "I'm confident that this will be something that will be an experience to surprise and delight all of you," he said.

The refreshed OnePlus OS will first be available on the company's next flagship phone, due to launch in 2022. Later next year, the company will also push out a major Android update that will bring the integrated OS to existing OnePlus devices.

Other developments from the company include a renewed focus on camera technology in its phones as it continues its partnership with photography company Hasselblad, and an expanded global product portfolio that will be tailored to individual regions.

Watch this: OnePlus unveils the Nord 2 5G

13:21