OnePlus 10 will launch the company’s new “unified” operating system

The inevitable is finally happening. OnePlus is fusing together Oxygen OS with Oppo’s Color OS to form a new “unified and upgraded global operating system.” In a recent media briefing attended by Android Authority, the company confirmed that its upcoming flagship launching in the first half of 2022, presumably the OnePlus 10, will be the first phone to feature the newly integrated operating system.

“Oxygen OS and Color OS completed a codebase integration in June of this year. This is the start of working forward to create a unified operating system experience for users across OnePlus and Oppo. The unified operating system experience will first launch on the 2022 flagship and then further across devices globally with the major Android update in 2022,” OnePlus CEO Pete Lau said in the briefing.

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OnePlus’ latest blog post also more or less confirms that the so-called “unified” operating system will replace Oxygen OS entirely, at least on flagship phones. We asked OnePlus if the OS would have a new name but didn’t get an answer from the company.

For now, OnePlus says, “After careful consideration, we have decided to integrate the Oxygen OS and Color OS teams to plan the future software experience together.” The reason behind the move, the company explains, is that it saw the two operating systems converging in terms of the fundamental user experience.

Gary Chen, the head of Oxygen OS, will be overseeing the global unified operating system.

What does the new unified OS mean for OnePlus users?

The latest announcement from the company walks back its previous claims that Oxygen OS and Color OS will remain separate on global OnePlus devices. This may not sit well with OnePlus fans, but Lau wants to assuage concerns by promising a clean and lightweight experience on the new OS.

“I believe that the unified operating system will keep the DNA of Oxygen OS that many of you love so much while also giving you an upgraded experience overall. And of course, 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 executive wrote in the blog post.

The statement suggests we might still see some software differences between OnePlus and Oppo phones, but we’ll only know for sure when it launches.

Which phones will get the new unified operating system?

In addition to its upcoming flagship phone, OnePlus has confirmed that the new unified operating system will be available on the OnePlus 8 series. By extension, it should also come to the OnePlus 9 flagships.

There’s also no clarity on the new unified OS landing on the OnePlus Nord or R series devices. The latter might still get the update, but we doubt it’ll come through for the former.

Oppo flagships launching in 2022 should also pack the new unified OS.

Meanwhile, the company told Android Authority that it plans to release Oxygen OS 12 shortly after the upcoming Android 12 launch. OnePlus devices will also continue to support unlocked bootloaders as always.