Last week, we witnessed the launch of new models in one of the best-selling budget smartphone series worldwide. Further, we learned that the global smartphone market grew for the first time in four years. Then, out of nowhere, two brands released shameless iPhone clones. At the same time, another company launched a Galaxy S21 Ultra-lookalike phone. All this and more happened in the last few days. Let’s take a look at them one by one in no particular order.

Before proceeding, we would like to let you know that the top stories listed here are based on our opinion. As your choices may vary, we would like to know your picks in the comment section below.

Top Stories from Last Week

New Redmi Note 11 series for international markets

After debuting the Redmi Note 11 lineup in China in November, Xiaomi finally brought the family to international on January 26. However, the series for global markets include totally different devices, namely Redmi Note 11, Redmi Note 11S, Redmi Note 11 Pro, and Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G.

Out of these four, the Redmi Note 11S offers the best value for its asking price. Although it looks and has the same display as the vanilla model, its specs are more comparable to the Pros.

The entire series comes with features like a high-refresh display, dual stereo speakers, IR blaster, MUI 13, a 5,000mAh battery, and more. You can learn more about them by visiting this link.

Smartphone market observed multiple records

The global smartphone market grew for the first time in 2021 since 2017. Counterpoint Research revealed that the shipments reached 1.39 billion units by growing 4% YoY.

The Indian smartphone, in particular, grew 12%YoY last year by registering 162 million units in shipment. On the other hand, the Chinese market shipped 333 million units and incremented by only 1%.

Finally, pivoting to the budget segment at the right time (ahead of LG’s demise), OnePlus saw an insane 524% YoY growth in the US in Q4 2021.

iPhone clones from Gionee and Blackview

Gionee 13 Pro went official last week with an uncanny iPhone 13 resemblance and HarmonyOS. However, it has entry-level specs like an HD+ display (LCD) and a UNISOC T310 chipset. For just  ¥529 (483), it doesn’t sound like a bad deal after all.

At around the same time, Blackview A95 also got announced with an iPhone 13 Pro-like design. Its main highlights other than design include a MediaTek Helio P70 SoC, 6.5-inch HD+ display (LCD), and a 4,380mAh battery.

Face ID now works with a mask 

After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, iPhones can be finally unlocked with masks on. However, this feature is currently only available in the beta channel. Also, it requires iPhone 12 or newer models.

Additionally, Apple is working on a new feature that will turn iPhones into POS machines. This feature will be reportedly useful for micro-merchants.

MediaTek Kompanio 1380 is a new chip for Chromebooks

MediaTek announced a new SoC called Komapnio 1380 for premium Chromebooks on January 26. This 6m chip arrives with an octa-core CPU consisting of four ARM Cortex-A78 cores clocked at up to 3GHz and a five-core ARM Mali-G57 GPU.

It supports up to 4K 60Hz display, AV1 decoding, WiFi 6//6E, and Bluetooth 5. The chipset will make its global debut inside the Acer Chromebook Spin 513, which is scheduled to hit the shelves in June.

HUAWEI P50 Pocket reaches global markets alongside HUAWEI P50 Pro

On January 26, Huawei announced the arrival of HUAWEI P50 Pro and HUAWEI P50 Pocket to multiple international markets like Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, Europe, and South America.

The 4G-only premium handsets from the once world’s largest smartphone brand sport the same set of features as the variant sold in China, except for software. The global editions of these devices run EMUI 12 without GMS (Google Mobile Services) instead of HarmonyOS.

Despite their shortcomings in terms of software, Huawei is charging a whopping €1,199 for the HUAWEI P50 Pro (8GB + 256GB) and €1,299 for the HUAWEI P50 Pocket (8GB + 256GB). There’s also a Premium Edition of the latter phone with a unique design and 12GB + 512GB memory configuration for €1,599.

JioPhone 5G could be Jio’s first 5G smartphone

A report on January 25 disclosed that the Indian carrier Jio is working on its first 5G smartphone called JioPhone 5G. This device is expected to go official in June with much better specs than the poorly received JioPhone Next.

The handset is said to come with a 6.5-inch HD+ display (HD+), 13MP (wide) + 2MP (macro) dual camera setup, 8MP selfie camera, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 SoC, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage, 5,000mAh battery, and 18W fast charging.

OnePlus phones might run H₂OOS in the near future

On January 27, popular Indian tech influencer Mukul Sharma tweeted that the unified operating system of OPPO and OnePlus could be called H₂OOS. Since his claim is based on a trademark filing by OnePlus, he could be wrong.

Anyway, the H₂OOS (Water OS) trademark is interesting as it combines the names of OxygenOS (O₂) and the discontinued HydrogenOS (H₂OS). The name has no mention of ColorOS, which the software will be actually based on.

Furthermore, a couple of days before this tweet, a tipster stated that the OnePlus 10 Ultra could debut in H2 2022 as the brand’s first superphone or ultra-premium smartphone. The device is said to house OPPO’s MariSilicon NPU.

HONOR to showcase new products at MWC 2022

HONOR has confirmed to attend MWC 2022. The company has scheduled a launch conference for February 28. The event will kickstart at 1 PM CET.

The brand is teasing the launch of the new Magic series with a quote ‘The Power of Magic’. Unfortunately, nothing is known about the upcoming lineup of handsets.

Micromax IN Note 2 and vivo Y75 5G  debut in India

Micromax launched the IN Note 2 on January 25 as the successor of IN Note 1 for ₹13,490 (4GB + 64GB). The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra-lookalike phone arrives with a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, MediaTek Helio G95 chipset, 48MP (wide) + 5MP (ultra-wide) + 2MP (macro) + 2MP (depth) quad-camera setup, 16MP selfie camera, side-mounte fingerprint sensor, Android 11, 5,000mAh battery, and 30W fast charging.

Chinese handset maker vivo debuted a new budget 5G smartphone called vivo Y75 5G in India on January 27. For ₹21,990 (8GB  +128GB), the phone offers a 6.58-inch FHD+ display (LCD), MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC, 50MP (wide) + 2MP (macro) + 2MP (depth) triple camera setup, 16MP selfie camera, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Android 12, 5,000mAh battery, and 18W fast charging.

RELATED:

• Xiaomi sold 1 in 4 smartphones in India in 2021, Samsung followed with 18% market share
• Throwback Tech Thursday: Revisiting Motorola Rokr Z6, the Stylish Music Phone
• Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun responds to rumors of him retiring from the company
• Samsung records all-time high $232.43 billion revenue in 2021
• Upcoming Smartphones: OPPO Reno7 series heading to India

The post iPhone clones from Gionee/Blackview, H₂OOS for OnePlus, Face ID with mask, and more from Last Week appeared first on Gizmochina.

Last year, OPPO‘s sub-brand, OnePlus, announced the integration of the OxygenOS team with the ColorOS and stated that the OxygenOS would share an integrated codebase with ColorOS. The brand also revealed that these operating systems’ individual names would be dropped, and the unified OS would soon get a new name. Now, tipster Mukul Sharma has revealed that the OS might be renamed to H₂OOS.

OnePlus giving Chemistry lessons.
After OxygenOS and HydrogenOS,
its H2OOS now pic.twitter.com/1qz9objAQi

— Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) January 27, 2022

According to Mukul, OnePlus has recently filed a trademark for the “H₂OOS,” which can potentially be the new name for the unified OS that OnePlus is rolling out to its devices with the Android 12 update. This naming scheme combines the chemical symbol for Oxygen (OxygenOS) with Hydrogen (Hydrogen OS) to give the chemical symbol of Water, i.e., H₂O.

For those unaware, HydrogenOS was the operating system on OnePlus devices in the Chinese market, which was later dropped in favor of ColorOS.

A previous report has stated that the change will be coming to both OnePlus and OPPO devices. So we can expect the ColorOS naming scheme to be dropped from OPPO smartphones in the future. The OnePlus CEO has previously stated that the unified OS will be separately customized for OnePlus devices to keep them clean and lightweight and also maintain support for unlocking bootloaders.

Other than the name change, the H₂OOS is expected to remain the same ColorOS based operating system and is expected to roll out for all users around the globe. No timeline of this potential name change has been provided as of yet. However, if the report pans out to be accurate, we can expect the H₂OOS to debut in the upcoming months.

RELATED:

• ColorOS 12 stable update rolling out for OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G, Reno5 Z 5G
• OnePlus Nord 2T complete specs leaked: Dimensity 1300, 80W charging, & more
• OPPO surprises Reno5, Reno6 users with Android 12 update
• OnePlus 10 Ultra? Rumor has it that OnePlus’s first ‘superphone’ is in the works

The post H₂OOS may replace OxygenOS and ColorOS in the future: Report appeared first on Gizmochina.

Earlier this year, OnePlus switched to ColorOS for its smartphones in China with the launch of the OnePlus 9 series. The brand even merged the codebase of the OxygenOS with that of ColorOS for international markets. Hence, the Android 12 software for the existing as well as the upcoming devices is nothing but ColorOS.

Due to this, the company is facing difficulties in delivering Android 12 on time and without bugs. With the increase in criticism from both home and international markets, Pete Lau, CEO of OnePlus, has issued a statement on Weibo.

The brand executive reiterates that it is difficult to deliver ColorOS 12 for the phones that are running HydrogenOS via OTA update. On top of that, the company has to even take care of user data.

Pete confirms that the migration from HydrogenOS to ColorOS will not result in a factory reset. In other words, users will not lose any files and applications on their devices while upgrading.

The brand is working on a seamless migration process. This is why it’s taking more time for the HydrogenOS software team, which has been now merged with the ColorOS team, to deliver Android 12. The merged team is also striving to improve the smoothness of the system.

For now, the ColorOS 12 stable update is available for the OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus 9 Pro in China. Even OnePlus 9R users can try the new software via the Open Beta program.

Lastly, Pete teases that ColorOS will become fast and stable in the near future. This new experience will debut on the OnePlus 10 Pro.

RELATED:

• OPPO ColorOS 12 rollout plan for Q1 2022 is here spanning Reno, K, A, and OnePlus series devices
• OnePlus CEO reveals the OnePlus 10 Pro with feature an LTPO 2.0 display
• OnePlus Nord 2 CE unlikely to launch before February 2022
• ColorOS 12 Review: A Step In The Right Direction

The post Pete Lau talks about difficulties in delivering ColorOS 12 for older OnePlus phones appeared first on Gizmochina.

OnePlus founder and CEO Pete Lau have announced that the company is merging with OPPO. Although this is a major announcement, it isn’t surprising given that both the companies, owned by BBK Electronics, had merged their R&D team last year and Pete Lau took additional responsibility at OPPO to manage product strategy.

Recently, the OnePlus 9 series smartphones launched in China are running OPPO’s ColorOS operating system based on Android, instead of running its own HydrogenOS, which is a Chinese version of OxygenOS.

So, what’s the future of OxygenOS given that OnePlus has now officially merged with OPPO? Well, it seems that the operating system from OnePlus is here to stay. The company has confirmed to MySmartPrice that smartphones from the brand will continue to run OxygenOS custom user interface based on Android.

However, there’s a possibility that going forward, the OxygenOS may have a similar design and functionality as ColorOS. But this is just speculation at this time and we will have to wait a few months or years to know for sure.

Going forward, OnePlus will work as a sub-brand of OPPO but the brand will remain the same and continue to operate independently, says Pete Lau. He said that the move would open up more resources to the company which could be deployed to create better products. He also stated that the integration would make OnePlus become more efficient in aspects such as faster and more stable software updates for OnePlus users.

RELATED: 

• OnePlus Nord N200 lands in North America with a 5G connectivity support, better display, and a $240 price tag
• Realme sold over one million smartphones during the 618 events, ranked among the top two for Android sales
• Chinese brands Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, Huawei, and Honor are working together on a unified fast charging standard

The post OnePlus smartphones confirmed to run OxygenOS after merger with OPPO appeared first on Gizmochina.

OnePlus launched its OnePlus 9 series of devices in China a few hours ago. At the event, the company also formally explained the transition to the ColorOS that was confirmed already few days back. Additionally, it also revealed that older OnePlus devices can be upgraded to ColorOS via an update in the future.

OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro will ship with ColorOS 11.2 based on Android 11 in China. OnePlus calls this the ColorOS for OnePlus. That is, it’s essentially a tweaked UI but also has certain features of HydrogenOS retained. If you aren’t aware of the ColorOS, it is the Android skin of OPPO which also happens to be OnePlus’ sister brand.

OnePlus and OPPO have been getting closer with their relationship and a majority of their shares are already owned by a common OPlus(Oujia Holding Limited). Earlier this year, they merged their R&D department with each other but iterated that uniqueness in software will continue.

Just a few months later, they u-turned and officially announced the transition from HydrogenOS to ColorOS in China. Anyway, at the event, OnePlus said that the following devices can be upgraded to the ColorOS 11.2 via update:

• OnePlus 8
• OnePlus 8 Pro
• OnePlus 7T
• OnePlus 7
• OnePlus 7 Pro
• OnePlus 7T Pro
• OnePlus 8T

That said, OnePlus said that till they receive this, it will continue to keep the HydrogenOS updated. However, it hasn’t specified a specific rollout timeline yet so we will have to wait for the official word.

OnePlus recently released a flashable ColorOS beta build for the OnePlus 8 users so I guess it might get the stable update sooner than others.

So, what do you think about this transition? Do you want to see this happen in other markets too? let us know in the comments below.

RELATED:

• Rooting the ColorOS-powered OnePlus 9 series will not void the 2-year warranty in China
• OnePlus 9 Pro flagship smartphone passes JerryRigEverything’s durability test
• First update rolls out to the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro, brings camera optimizations

The post These older OnePlus phones will get ColorOS 11 in China appeared first on Gizmochina.

OnePlus has two operating systems for its smartphones — HydrogenOS in China and OxygenOS for the rest of the world. While OxygenOS is very much alive and kicking, the HydrogenOS seems to be getting shut down.

The company is gearing up to switch to OPPO’s ColorOS for the Chinese market but the global versions will continue to run OxygenOS. Gary C., OxygenOS Product Lead has confirmed this development on OnePlus Forums.

In a blog post, Gacy C. writes that “China market devices will now be using a customized version of ColorOS, tailored specifically for OnePlus smartphones, starting with the upcoming OnePlus 9 series.”

It has also been confirmed that by OnePlus CEO Pete Lau that HydrogenOS will continue to be maintained and updated for the past devices. For those who are interested to switch to the ColorOS, the company has now also released a flashable build for the OnePlus 8 users.

Although OnePlus has been operating independently, the company was founded by former OPPO employees Pete Lau and Carl Pei. It has been using OPPO’s production lines and supply chain resources and some of the devices from OnePlus closely resemble the design of some OPPO’s phones.

Over the past few years, both the company seems to be merging their operations. Recently, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau took on additional responsibility as Senior Vice President of OPLUS, which allegedly involves duties for OPPO and OnePlus. They have also even merged the hardware R&D teams for both companies under one brand.

RELATED: 

• High-quality renders of the OnePlus 9 series appear online
• OnePlus 9 series gets over 2 million reservations in China ahead of launch
• The OnePlus Watch supports more than 110 work-out modes

The post OPPO’s ColorOS Beta is now available for the OnePlus 8 smartphone in China appeared first on Gizmochina.

OnePlus phones ship with two different Android Skins. In China, their phones ship with HydrogenOS while the rest of the world gets OxygenOS. Even the latter has exclusive features in regions such as India. Starting with the OnePlus 9 series, OnePlus phones sold in China will now ship with ColorOS.

The announcement was made today by Pete Lau on Weibo. The founder and CEO revealed that the OnePlus 9 series will have ColorOS pre-installed from the factory. He also added that previous devices running HydrogenOS will continue to get support. The official ColorOS Weibo account also posted a welcome message on its page.

ColorOS is OPPO’s own Android Skin that it ships with its devices. The UI also shipped with realme-branded phones for a while before they announced their own skin called realme UI. It is surprising that while realme, which is a younger brand than OnePlus has ditched ColorOS, OnePlus is dropping its own UI in favor of ColorOS.

1 of 2

Based on the post, it is safe to presume that OnePlus has no plans of updating its older devices that run HydrogenOS to ColorOS. It has also promised that these devices will continue to receive support.

One upside we can think of from this new development is that OnePlus phones, at least those sold in China, should get better software support henceforth since the ColorOS team, which we believe is much larger than the HydrogenOS team, will most likely also be handling the OnePlus phones running ColorOS.

OnePlus has not said anything about the future of OxygenOS, so we expect it will continue shipping with OnePlus phones sold outside China.

The OnePlus 9 series launches tomorrow globally while a special event for China is scheduled for March 24.

RELATED:

• The OnePlus Watch supports more than 110 work-out modes
• ZTE to launch MyOS on March 30, its new user interface for smartphones
• OnePlus Warp Charge 50 Wireless Charger has a better design thanks to its removable cable

The post It’s official: The OnePlus 9 series will ship with ColorOS in China appeared first on Gizmochina.

OnePlus devices in China run a Chinese version of the OxygenOS and it is called the HydrogenOS. Looks like it won’t be the case in the future as an XDA report says the company might switch over to OPPO’s ColorOS in the future.

According to the report, an XDA Senior Member hikari_calyx has found an announcement on the OnePlus QQ Official group. A screenshot says that the official website of the HydrogenOS will shut down on March 24 which is the launch date for the OnePlus 9 series in China.

Anyway, the announcement also says that the OTA servers of the HydrogenOS will subsequently be shut on April 1. If this is true, the company would be withdrawing the developments on HydrogenOS after so many years. Besides, OPPO and OnePlus aren’t that apart to begin with.

The majority of OnePlus and OPPO shares are owned by Oujia Holdings Ltd.(OPlus) and Pete Lau is the Senior Vice President at OPlus since August 2020. Back then, OnePlus had confirmed that he will also serve as the CEO of the company.

Additionally, the company merged its R&D department with OPPO back in January 2021 but said that software features will be unique. Cut back to present times, the alleged announcement says that OnePlus devices will switch to OPPO’s ColorOS and be sold via the OPPO store in China.

Before OnePlus could confirm this news as true/false, forums in China have spread this info and the reactions are mixed. While this is happening, an OnePlus spokesperson has confirmed to XDA that OnePlus devices will continue to run OxygenOS globally.

Few users also say that OnePlus might unveil this news at the OnePlus 9 series and the device may run the OS out of the box. However, these are early guesses, and let’s wait for the official info in the coming days.

RELATED:

• Key Specs and Features of the OnePlus Watch leaked before launch
• OnePlus Nord Android 11 stable update re-released as OxygenOS 11.1.1.1
• The OnePlus 9 Pro’s refresh rate can drop down to 1Hz!

The post Future OnePlus phones may run OPPO ColorOS in China appeared first on Gizmochina.

As expected, OnePlus officially introduced HydrogenOS 11 in China earlier today. OnePlus 8/8 Pro users can already install it in the region to try out the new features. The beta build, which is available to install is called  Developer Preview 2 (DP2) and it is based on Android 11 Beta 3. The DP1 released last month in China was based on Android 11 Beta 2 and it was not called HydrogenOS 11 just like the international version.

OnPlus had rolled out two Developer Previews for the international variants of OnePlus 8/8 Pro in June and July based on Android 11 Beta 1 and Beta 2 respectively. The company is expected to release the third and final Developer Preview based on Android 11 Beta 3 very soon.

Ahead of it, it held an event in China revealing the features of HydrogenOS 11, the Chinese version of OxygenOS 11. Also, the build released today in the brand’s home country integrates all the new features of its upcoming mobile software.

To make you understand the Android 11 builds for OnePlus 8/8 Pro clearly, here’s a simple explainer.

Now, with the confusion out of the way, here are the new features of HydrogenOS 11.

• Revamped design and animations
• Redesigned Weather, Gallery, Notes, and other system apps
• Beter one-hand experience
• Two new system fonts
• A new live wallpaper that changes according to the time of the day
• AOD (Always-on Display) with scheduling options
• 10 Clock Styles
• Zen Mode 2.0
• AI video generator in OnePlus Gallery app similar to Google Photos
• OnePlus File Transfer, Works with devices from companies part of Peer-to-Peer Transmission Alliance

Having said that, we expect OnePlus to reveal the features of OxygenOS 11, which will be mostly similar to HydrogenOS 11 with the release of Android 11 Beta 3 (Developer Preview 3) for international variants of OnePlus 8/8Pro.

UP NEXT: OnePlus to ship smartphones with Facebook Pre-Installed

The post HydrogenOS 11 based on Android 11 Beta 3 released for OnePlus 8/8 Pro in China appeared first on Gizmochina.

Recently, Pete Lau aka Liu Zuohu, the CEO and co-founder of OnePlus announced to reveal HydgrogenOS 11 on August 10 in China. Now, he has begun to tease some of the new features such as Zen Mode 2.0 and revamped Dark Mode that will be included in the latest version of the company’s Android skin.

OnePlus is widely popular for its Android skin, which is known as OxygenOS globally and HydrogenOS in the home market. The brand releases a new version of its software with every Android release like any other company.

As Google is expected to drop Android 11 on September 8, OnePlus has scheduled an event for August 10 to showcase its take on the software called HydrogenOS 11, which will be called OxygenOS 11 in international markets.

So far, the official Weibo handles of  Mr Lau and OnePlus have teased two features – Zen Mode 2.0 and new revamped Dark Mode.

Zen Mode 2.0

Taling about the former, the Zen Mode 2.0 will bring multi-user participation and a set of new themes like sea, grass, and starry sky. We are not sure how multiple users will be able to use Zen Mode but can certainly tell that it will be limited to users with OnePlus smartphones.

The teaser mentions that users can invite their friends (if they have an OnePlus device) to join them for a digital detox. For those unaware, Zen Mode disables all functionalities of the phone except features like receiving calls and ability to make emergency calls for a period of time set by the users.

Revamped Dark Mode

According to OnePlus’ CEO, the Dark Mode in HydrogenOS will not only have support for scheduler but will be easy on eyes as well. He said more information regarding will be detailed at the launch event.

Our guess is OnePlus’s new Dark Mode will be similar to the one found on MIUI 12 (known as Dark Mode 2.0), which dynamically changes contrast and temperature based on the environment.

Apart from these two features, OnePlus has also confirmed to bring AOD (Always-on Display) with HydrogenOS 11/OxygenOS 11 update based on Android 11.

UP NEXT: New OnePlus phones with dual and triple rear cameras appear in video render

The post OnePlus teases Zen Mode 2.0 and revamped Dark Mode ahead of HydrogenOS 11 event appeared first on Gizmochina.

Recently, MasterLu benchmarking platform released a report listing top performing smartphones of 2019 and now the company has released a new report which has listed the top smartphones of the year 2019 in terms of smoothness.

The listing has ranked the Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G smartphone as the “Smoother Smartphone” of 2019 with a score of 174.84. On the other hand, the company has listed HydrogenOS or OxygenOS from OnePlus as the “Best UI of the Year” 2019.

As for the smoothest performing smartphone, the Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G’s combination of Kirin 990 5G SoC and EMUI 10 is indispensable, says the company. Followed by Mate 30 Pro 5G is Nubia Red Magic 3S and OnePlus 7T Pro in the second and third spot.

Other smartphones in the list includes Honor V30, Oppo Reno Ace, Realme X2 Pro, Meizu 16s Pro, Vivo NEX 3 5G, Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G, and Xiaomi’s Mi 9 Pro 5G, making the company’s Top 10 list.

Now, coming to the user interface, OnePlus’ HydrogenOS (Chinese version of the OxygenOS) has been named the best. The user interface is very much similar to the native Android operating system interface and offers very smooth experience.

EDITOR’S PICK: OnePlus Concept One’ color-shifting glass technology explained

The company says that the design concept for the OnePlus Hydrogen OS has not changed in these many years and is said to be the most stable user interface that have come up in the recent years.

Apart from the Hydrogen OS, the list also includes Joy UI, Nubia UI, EMUI, Smartisan OS, ColorOS, FunTouch, MIUI, Flyme, and One UI. Although EMUI 10 is not ranked about the top three, it has played a major role to make Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G as the smoother smartphone of the year.

MasterLu says that the newly launched EMUI 10 has been optimised and upgraded in various aspects, thanks to the powerful artificial intelligence algorithms. The company has also made major changes to its design language, make it more suitable for youth.

UP NEXT: Global variants of Xiaomi phones will ship with Google Phone and Messages app

(Via)

The post MasterLu ranks Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G as the smoothest smartphone, HydrogenOS as smoothest UI appeared first on Gizmochina.

OnePlus started rolling out stable Android 10 to OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro users in India as well as internationally around late September 2019. However, due to issues in the initial release, the company has to pause the rollout. OnePlus resumed the update sometime in mid-October for international users. Now, OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro users in China are finally getting the stable HydrogenOS based Android 10 update.

The stable Hydrogen OS 10.0.1.GM2 update for the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro comes after four public beta updates that fixed all the bugs and refined the software. Those who are on HydrogenOS’s Android 10 public beta 4 can directly flash the new ROM via the local upgrade method. The OnePlus 7 Android 10 Hydrogen OS stable ROM can be downloaded (here) and the OnePlus 7 Pro Android 10 HydrogenOS stable (here).

Unfortunately, the stable update brings the old October 2019 security patch to the devices. So users will have to wait for a few days more to get the new November patch. While this completes the worldwide Android 10 push to the OnePlus 7 series, 5G users will have to wait until Q1 2020 to get the new Android version.

UP NEXT: How to root OnePlus 7T Pro with Magisk using Auto Install Tool

The post OnePlus 7 Pro users in China receive stable HydrogenOS based Android 10 update appeared first on Gizmochina.

When it comes to providing latest Android updates, Chinese smartphone maker, OnePlus is usually one of the first ones to seed both beta and finalised version to its devices. Falling in line with the same stratergy, the company has pushed the latest version of HydrogenOS based on Android 10 beta for device owners of OnePlus 6T in China.

Some of you might be confused and wondering, “wasn’t the OnePlus’ custom skin called OxygenOS?”. Let me tell you that you are right but only partially. OnePlus smartphones shipped outside of its home country are skinned with OxygenOS that has a very stock Android-like experience. In contrast, the units sold in China run on HydrogenOS. It is similar to OxygenOS but offers a deeper level of customization which is developed while keeping the usage habits and demand of local customers.

Coming back to the Android 10 beta update, the latest version of HydgrogenOS brings a wide variety of changes to the OnePlus 6T which are listed below:

System

• Update to Android 10 version
• New UI design, light and smooth operation experience, more details, etc.
• Added location management permissions to support only when using the app
• New personalized settings experience, support for icon shape changes applied to shortcut settings

Full screen gesture

• Added bottom bar to support left and right slide bar switching app experience

Game space

• A new game space that automatically brings together your favorite games for a smooth game acceleration experience

Information display

• Supports displaying weather, schedule, music and other information based on the scene display screen (Setting – Display – Information Display – Scene Information)

SMS

• Add SMS keyword blocking to help you avoid harassing SMS interruptions (information – interception record – harassment interception settings – SMS keyword interception)

Editor’s Pick: U.S. Companies could soon get the green-light to sell to Huawei

Update Method

Installing the latest HydrogenOS based the OnePlus 6T can be done via two methods which are listed below:

1. OTA update: This option can only be availed by users whose OnePlus 6T is currently running on the beta version of Android Pie. In order to update to the latest beta firmware, navigate to settings and search for updates. The device will prompt with the “install” option once the package has been downloaded from OnePlus servers. This is a fairly simple process and any data stored on the phone will not be erased.
2. Manual Update: If you are not running the beta version which most users do not, the process is little more complex but it can be done by following the steps below[Note: Before installing the update make sure to extract any important files such as documents or videos. As the update package will wipe the phone memory resulting in loss of all the data packets.]

• Download the update package here. (size: 2.28 GB)
• Copy the ROM upgrade package to the root directory of the phone.
• Navigate to Settings -> System Upgrade -> Top right icon -> Local upgrade -> Click on update package you just downloaded -> Upgrade now -> System upgrade is complete.
• Select restart

(source)

UP NEXT: OPPO Reno Ace with 90Hz display, SD855+ and 65W charging debuts for 3,199 Yuan (~$449)

The post OnePlus 6T gets latest HydrogenOS based on Android 10 beta appeared first on Gizmochina.

OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 7T Pro that will be unveiled later today will be the first OnePlus phones to arrive with Android 10 preinstalled. The Chinese manufacturer is working on making the latest version of Android available to other OnePlus phones. Today, OnePlus co-founder and CEO Pete Lau confirmed on the rollout schedule of Android 10 for OnePlus 6 series and OnePlus 5 series of smartphones in China.

Android 10 has been already made available to OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro smartphones in some regions like India. The update was based on OxygenOS custom ROM by OnePlus. For users of OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro in China, the company rolled out the public beta of HydrogenOS based Android 10 on Sept. 13. The stable version will be rolled out in mid-November in the country.

Users of older OnePlus phones have been eagerly waiting to know when their devices will be treated with the latest edition of Android 10. Lau has revealed that the Android 10 public beta for OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T users in China will be made available in late October. The official version will be arriving to the OnePlus 6 series in late November.

Editor’s Pick: How to watch the OnePlus 7T launch event Livestream

The official version of Android 10 will be arriving to OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T users by second quarter of 2020 in China. OxygenOS builds are known for arriving shortly after the release of HydrogenOS builds. However, there is no official confirmation yet on the OxygenOS based Android 10 updates for OnePlus 6, OnePlus 6T, OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T phones.

The HydrogenOS builds do not feature Google Play services. On the other side, OxygenOS editions that are made available outside of China are equipped with Google apps. By launching the OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro phones today, OnePlus will become the first OEM to release a phone with Android 10 OS along with Google apps. The recently unveiled Huawei Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro are also preloaded with Android 10, but they do not feature Google apps mainly because of the trade ban imposed by the U.S.

UP NEXT: OnePlus 7T leaks reveal Glacier Blue and Frosted Silver colours

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After more than a month since the OnePlus 5T received the Android Pie update, OnePlus is just rolling it out to the Chinese variant. The update comes as HydrogenOS 9.0.1 and brings along some new features.

The update is 2077MB in size. It brings new Android features including a new UI design and new navigation gestures. It also brings December’s security patch, fixes some bugs, and improves stability. There is also an improved Do Not Disturb mode and a new Game Mode (Game Mode 3.0).

The OnePlus 5T was released in 2017. It is the first OnePlus device with an 18:9 display. The taller display led to the fingerprint scanner moving to the back of the phone.

READ MORE: OnePlus 7 live image surfaces online, might be a slider phone

This is the second major OS update for the phone which originally launched with Android Nougat out of the box. The OnePlus 5T should get Android Q if we go by the company’s update policy of two years of software update counting from when it launched. However, we will have to wait for OnePlus to officially confirm it will get updated. It will also get 3 years of security updates.

(Via)

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OnePlus devices sold in China come with HydrogenOS instead of OxygenOS. It doesn’t have Google apps and services bundled with it, but most times new features available on HydrogenOS always make their way to OxygenOS. A new update is available for the OnePlus 6 and it brings a ton of improvements OxygenOS users may want to look forward to.

The new update has version number 5.1.11 and is about 1.8GB in size. It also brings July’s security patch. Below are some of the improvements:

System

• Fixed issues with accidental touches triggering gestures.
• General bug fixes and improvements.
• Added sleep standby optimization.

Camera

• Improved image quality.
• Added beauty mode for selfie portraits.

Wireless and networks

• Optimized stability for Wi-Fi connection.
• Optimized gaming experience in dual 4G networks.
• Fixed stability issues with Bluetooth connection for cars.

READ MORE: OnePlus applies for a trademark for “Warp Charge”, may be replacement for Dash Charge

We expect the OnePlus 6 running OxygenOS to get an update in the near future that brings some if not all of these improvements.

(Source)

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The international variant of the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T already received the Android 8.1 Oreo update last month. Now it is the turn of the Chinese variants.

This shouldn’t be news anymore but for those who don’t know, the OnePlus phones sold in China run a different Android-based OS called HydrogenOS.

The update comes as HydrogenOS 5.1.0 on both devices and comes in at a little over 1.9GB. For the OnePlus 5T, the update brings full-screen gestures. The remaining features such as dynamic clock icon, automatic folder naming, cloud photo backup, game mode optimization etc. are the same on both devices.

READ MORE: Camera Shootout: OnePlus 6 Vs iPhone X vs Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Google Pixel 2

The OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T were both released last year. In a matter of hours, they will be succeeded by the OnePlus 6. It should come with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box but users can choose to try out the new Android P beta update which was announced for it last week.

OnePlus also released a new update for the Chinese OnePlus 3T last week and includes Face Unlock. There is a chance the international variant will also get the feature soon.

(Source)

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UPDATE:

Managed to get the original screenshot posted by the CEO (not compressed by Weibo) and it confirms 1920 x 1080p resolution through EXIF data.

OnePlus likes to tease its flagships before the official launch and we have seen a lot of instances where we have got a glimpse of the features of the OnePlus 5 via teasers, camera samples etc. Earlier today, OnePlus’ CEO and founder, Liu Zuohu posted a screenshot from the OnePlus 5. He has been using the yet to be released smartphone (as revealed by his Weibo account) for the past few weeks and it was only matter of time we got a screenshot of the phone’s home screen.

The phone is running HydrogenOS and we can see that the OnePlus 5 will continue the clean and flat design UI. The screenshot confirms features like VoLTE, 4G, and dual SIM but they have now become standard on all flagships, so this image reveals nothing special. A screenshot of the ‘About Phone’ section of the OP5 would have been rather interesting to see.

RELATED: New Camera Samples Suggests The OnePlus 5 Will Have A Monochrome Sensor

Anyway, we should be meeting the OnePlus 5 flagship sometime in the next couple of weeks. The OnePlus 3 was announced on June 14 and its successor should also be launched around the same time.

The new OnePlus flagship will come with the powerful Snapdragon 835 chipset along with 6GB of RAM. There are rumors of an 8GB RAM version as well, but we are yet to see any concrete leaks about the same. 8GB RAM might sound as excessive to some, but do note that the Nubia Z17 came with 8GB RAM as rumored earlier so we could see the OP5 pack such a large RAM module as well. The camera is going to be another highlight of the new phone and OnePlus has confirmed that it’s working with DxO to improve camera performance.

Anyway, we’ll keep a close eye on the OP5 rumors and leaks in the coming days, so stay tuned for more updates. For now, you can check out all the rumors and leaks about the OnePlus 5 from here.

(source)

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Almost a year after it’s release, OnePlus is breathing new life into the OnePlus X by announcing the release of Oxygen 3.1 Community Build which brings Android 6.0 Marshmallow to the smallest OnePlus phone.

While it may be a little late in coming as Google officially released Android 7.0 Nougat yesterday, the announcement might spur some folks who don’t want something big to pick up the device.

OnePlus community builds are similar to beta releases before the final and official release. As with all beta releases, there are always issues that haven’t been ironed out. OnePlus says users may experience issues like network stability in select regions, third party apps compatibility, and language localisation.

OS 3.1 will bring new features like new icon packs, a new wallpaper picker, new customisation for the alert slider, and changes to Shelf UX, apart from the default marshmallow ones. It will also come with new apps (OnePlus Music and OnePlus Gallery) and August’s security patch.

If you are interested in flashing the community build on your phone, you should check the instructions OnePlus has put together here.

Hydrogen OS 2.5 for OnePlus 3

The OnePlus X isn’t the only phone that will be getting a new update. A Canadian official has announced the upcoming release of Hydrogen OS 2.5 for the OnePlus 3.

If you remember, back when the OnePlus One was released, the company announced that there will be two operating systems for the phone. Hydrogen OS for the Chinese variant and Oxygen OS for the international version.

RELATED: OnePlus to Close Beijing and Shanghai Stores

The new OS is expected to bring in a ton of features and design changes. While some have expected OnePlus to merge both operating systems, this announcement doesn’t seem like they have any plans to do so.

There is still no date on official release, but we will get you updated once we know.

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Users can finally take a look at the HydrogenOS, which is the Chinese ROM from the company, today at an official press event in Beijing. The company will be unveiling the new OS for the first time to the public and fans have a lot of expectation from the new home grown Android based ROM.

The HydrogenOS will be customized version of the Android operating system, offering a minimalistic design and a flat UI like we saw in the Android Lollipop versions. The emergence of HydrogenOS resulted from the company’s decision to move away from a third party software provider, the CyanogenMod to its own home grown ROM.

We have already got a first glance at the few design aspects of the new ROM and you can check out the images down below. Meanwhile, the company has announced that it will be unveiling something big this June, which will be revolutionary. Our best guess is the new OnePlus Two flagship, as its more than a year since the first generation model was unveiled by the company. The flagship is expected to debut with the company’s international ROM OxygenOS.

Here are the leaked pictures of the OS down below.

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OnePlus is all set to announce more details on its recently unveiled OxygenOS later today. However, even before the announcement, a new image was found on Weibo which showed off the company’s OS for the Chinese market. The leak says that the new ROM in the home market will have a different name. The ROM will be called as the OnePlus HydrogenOS.

We don’t know whether this leak is real or not, but it does sound a bit surprising to name its OS something different like HydrogenOS in China. OnePlus has confirmed the name OxygenOS and it was actually recommended by one of the fellow forums fans of the company. So, we doubt that the company would go with a different name.

Anyways, we have added an image that was leaked along with the name.

Do you think OnePlus will have a different name for its ROM like hydrogenOS in China?

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