+1 Never Settle? The Slow Decline of OxygenOS
The End of "Never Settle"? The Gradual Decline of OxygenOS
A phone brand that couldn't stop coming up for discussion if you were a technology enthusiast five years ago was OnePlus.
The company's slogan was "Never Settle," and for a long time it actually did seem as though they meant it. They didn't merely produce high-end phones at low prices; they also created a fantastic software experience to go with them. This software was known as OxygenOS and was generally regarded as the best possible version of Android available.
Yet nowadays the situation is quite different. Let's examine how OnePlus's flagship software gradually lost its appeal, and what the latest developments mean for the OxygenOS that we used to love.
The Golden Era: Clean, Fast, and Unbloated
In the beginning, OxygenOS stood out because of the features it omitted. When companies such as Samsung were adding duplicate apps, heavy animations, and sluggish menus, OnePlus opted for a simple approach.
OxygenOS had the same appearance and feel as Stock Android (the plain, simple version of Android that Google makes), although it included some intelligent and useful features. Users could customise their accent colours, make use of useful gestures when the screen was off, and navigate menus that operated with a smooth, silky ease. Most significantly, it contained no bloatware; there were no random third-party applications pre-installed that could not be deleted.
That was exactly what a minimalist would wish for: fast, light, and reliable.
The Turning Point: The Oppo Merger
Changes began to take place behind the scenes. OnePlus has always had the same corporate parent as another major smartphone brand named Oppo. Although Oppo is very popular around the world, its software—known as ColorOS—has in the past been famous for being heavy, vivid in colour, and greatly influenced by Apple's iOS. It was quite the reverse of OxygenOS.
In 2021, OnePlus announced that it was carrying out an official merger of the OxygenOS codebase with that of ColorOS. The developers assured users that this was merely an internal adjustment designed to speed up and make the software updates more stable. They pledged that OxygenOS would still have the same appearance and feel as OxygenOS.
That was not quite true, unfortunately.
What Was Oxygen OS? The Soul of OnePlus
Before we look at the messy breakup, we need to discuss how OxygenOS actually began—since it was rather an accident.
You might be surprised to learn that the very first OnePlus phone wasn't running OxygenOS at launch; instead, it came with CyanogenOS, which in effect was a heartfelt tribute to the hardcore Android modding community. However, following a messy contract dispute that compelled OnePlus to develop their own software from scratch in 2015, they not only managed to overcome the difficulty but also produced a masterpiece.
Early OxygenOS was very simple, had no extra stuff at all, and was extremely fast. It was an ideal environment for technology enthusiasts. Anyone who enjoyed exploring developer options, modifying APKs, or just wanted a perfect system-wide dark mode that allowed them to finely adjust their accent colours could do so with OxygenOS. Although it offered the lightning-fast performance of Stock Android, it also gave users the complete freedom to truly make the phone their own.
Identity Crisis: When OxygenOS Became ColorOS
When Oxygen OS 12 and 13 were released, users began to notice the changes. The minimalist design had disappeared and had been substituted with bulky, rounded icons, confusing new menus, and a "squished" interface which felt entirely foreign.
Features which OnePlus users enjoyed—such as the easy-to-access Shelf widget panel—have either been moved or broken, and power users have lost the ability to quickly unlock their phones and adjust the software the way they preferred.
Most unpleasant of all was the arrival of the dreaded bloatware. Each new update included Oppo's App Market, random game centres, and pre-installed apps which couldn't be completely removed. When you compare a modern OnePlus phone with a modern Oppo phone, the software appears to be almost identical.
The spirit of "Never Settle" was gradually becoming less prominent.
The Noughts and Crosses(TIC-TAC-TOE)
The Final Nail in the Coffin
If the previous few years represented a gradual decline, then July 2026 marked the final blow.
OnePlus has officially declared that with the release of Android 17, the OxygenOS name will be fully withdrawn, and that future software updates for OnePlus phones will instead be known as ColorOS 17.
For dedicated fans, this marks a sad conclusion to an era. Although ColorOS isn't inherently bad—in fact, it has improved considerably over the years—it never was what made OnePlus special. The clear, fast, and distinct software experience that built the brand's loyal community has now been absorbed into the larger corporate ecosystem.
OnePlus may still produce excellent hardware, but the soul of the company—OxygenOS—has now become a part of history.
Comments
Post a Comment