The OnePlus Nord got its first OxygenOS 12 Open Beta build, with all the good and the bad
The original 2020OnePlus Nordwas a return to the company’s roots. It may not be the highly sought after flagship killer that the initial OnePlus 1 was, but it still is agreat budget phoneoverall. OnePlus isn’t focusing on the Nord lineup as much as it does on its flagship phones, but the Nord is still in for some software support. As such, OnePlus has now released the first OxygenOS 12 Open Beta for it.
The Android 12-based OxygenOS 12 addsmany of the known goodiesfrom the latest Android version, though of course, it’s quite a different beast compared to Android 12 on Pixels. OxygenOS 12 is also the first version of OnePlus’ UI that’s based on Oppo’s ColorOS, so there are many changes you’ll have to arrange with. While it isn’t all bad news, we’ve found that OxygenOS now feels like it’s just a theme running on top of ColorOS in ourOxygenOS 12 hands-on. The update might even break some options like OnePlus’workaround for achieving maximum refresh rateson all apps.
Key updates
Other than these overarching changes, OnePlus is promising a few more updates coming as part of OxygenOS 12 for the Nord. There’s a new smart battery feature that’s supposed to help make your phone last longer, dark mode receives three adjustable levels, and there are smaller redesigns to the Shelf, the gallery, and the Canvas AOD. OnePlus also wants to help you keep your work and life balance in check with new automatic switching between life and work modes.
There are also a few known problems with this initial beta build already, so be warned that things may not go smoothly for you, which is what can happen with any beta build. Your screen might flicker when previewing images after you took them, anti-shake effects can be obvious in Snapchat, your Personal Safe might not respond, some keyboard wonkiness might arise, and you won’t be able to browse, delete, and download pictures in the OnePlus cloud. If you’re okay with these issues, you could find the OxygenOS 12 build over on theOnePlus Forums, where you can also see the full instructions.
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