In brief: OnePlus is further merging into Oppo's ecosystem. In a forum post made by Pete Lau himself, the founder of OnePlus announced future phones will feature a new OS resulting from merging OxygenOS and ColorOS. The first device to use the new merged OS is expected to release in 2022 and will be OnePlus's flagship phone.
Three months ago, OnePlus announced it would integrate with Oppo to become a sub-brand of the phone manufacturer, a surprising outcome considering its founders left Oppo in 2013 to create it. Soon after, the company informed it would merge OxygenOS and ColorOS's codebases without touching the regions each OS serves.
With everything ready to take the next step of OnePlus's integration with Oppo, Pete Lau, the founder of OnePlus and CPO of Oppo, came out detailing what the OnePlus 2.0 phase is all about and what the future holds for Oppo's sub-brand.
Since the OxygenOS and ColorOS's codebases were merged, updates have become "more timely". Moreover, the user experience of these operating systems has started to converge, leading Oppo and OnePlus to decide that the best course of action would be to integrating OxygenOS and ColorOS software experience and create a "unified operating system" for their phones.
By putting both teams working on a similar objective, OnePlus and Oppo plan to combine their expertise in different fields to create a better OS that can be smooth, fast and lightweight as OxygenOS, and reliable and feature-rich as ColorOS.
"I would like to tell you confidently that after overseeing the product development of both systems for a year, I believe that the unified operating system will keep the DNA of OxygenOS that many of you love so much, while also giving you an upgraded experience overall," said Pete Lau. "OnePlus has a unique group of users, therefore we will customize the unified OS specifically for OnePlus devices to make sure it meets your expectations."
The first product to feature the new OS will be OnePlus' next flagship phone, releasing in 2022. Other global devices will also receive the new OS with the next major Android update, scheduled for 2022. Availability details for other devices will be disclosed at a later date.
Lau also stated that the region availability of some OnePlus phones would be reduced, based on customers' feedback. The entry-level Nord phones will be restricted to fewer regions, but higher-end OnePlus phones will still be available globally. The product lineup will still cover multiple price points with an "even more competitive pricing."
OnePlus will also keep investing in the camera experience provided by their phones and maintain its partnership with Hasselblad for the flagship phones' cameras. Although Pete stated the company would improve camera experience overall, there are three specific areas that OnePlus aims to improve: user experience, color performance, and new technologies.