OnePlus hasn’t received much praise lately after all the questionable changes it’s made in OxygenOS. If you haven’t updated your phone to OxygenOS 12 yet, we recommend waiting to do so for now.
After moving from OxygenOS 11 to 12 and facing bugs, inconsistencies, and general disappointments first-hand, we’re here to share six reasons why you should avoid upgrading your OnePlus phone to OxygenOS 12.
Table of Contents
1. Inconsistent user interface
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OxygenOS had already gradually moved away from the look and feel of stock Android before the announcement of the merger between OnePlus and Oppo. However, nothing can prepare you for the complete overhaul that OxygenOS 12 brings, and we’re not saying that in a good way.
While you can see OxygenOS’s familiarity in areas like Quick Settings, most other UI elements have been swapped with those of ColorOS. We would have been perfectly fine with OnePlus just embracing the oppo-fication in its entirety rather than releasing a half-baked version that couldn’t be called OxygenOS or ColorOS.
Again, it’s not the redesign that’s the problem, it’s the inconsistencies that we notice when gliding through the user interface that bother us.
2. The launcher is a downgrade
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If there was one thing OxygenOS was always praised for, it had to be the simple yet highly customizable launcher. Allowing small changes like swapping icon packs, editing individual app names and icons, and changing the grid size all contributed to a great personalized experience.
OxygenOS 12 comes with a new launcher, which is by far the biggest disappointment in the entire update. First off, there’s a lot of extra friction when interacting with items on the home screen and accessing the app drawer.
You can no longer edit or uninstall individual app icons directly from the home screen. Even removing has now become a two-step process instead of being able to drag them to the Remove label like before.
OxygenOS now treats privacy and hidden apps very differently than it used to. You can no longer just swipe right in the app drawer to access the hidden apps. Instead, you’re supposed to open the Phone app and enter a secret PIN, which will then unlock a folder containing the hidden apps.
3. No Real Material You Theme Engine
The hype surrounding Material You theme support in Android 12 seems to be of no use to OnePlus users. While OxygenOS 12 technically supports dynamic colors in certain Google apps, the UI just doesn’t take advantage of Material You.
Most UI elements have remained untouched from previous versions of OxygenOS and ColorOS, although Google really went all out with redesigns to the lock screen, quick toggles, and other areas in Android 12.
Early beta builds of OxygenOS 13 for the OnePlus 10 Pro seem to integrate the dynamic colors more clearly. For now, Android 12 on OnePlus phones seems like an under-the-hood upgrade at best.
4. Mysterious hardware problems
Quite a few OnePlus users have reported hardware issues with their phones after updating to OxygenOS 12. While there’s still no good explanation for this abnormal behavior, it’s just another reason to stay away from an update that OnePlus itself hasn’t fully figured out yet.
Most of the users took it to the forums or social media and it has been complain about a green line rolls down the screens of their phones. This is as confusing as it is scary, and following the unfortunate pattern, tapping that update button seems risky.
5. Poor battery optimization
While overall performance appears to have improved in OxygenOS 12, it appears to come at the cost of faster battery drain. Switching to an Android version upgrade always takes a toll on battery optimization due to the abundance of new features. However, it seems that battery optimization with OxygenOS 12 is just poor even weeks after the update.
Certain apps drain the battery in the background for no apparent reason. Some users have reported improved battery results after factory resetting their phones after the update, although this is certainly not what most users would be willing to do.
6. Better promises with OxygenOS 13
Though OnePlus isn’t the community-driven enthusiast startup it once was, the backlash to OxygenOS 12 seems to have helped push OnePlus into canceling the unified operating system’s merger with Oppo.
In a community post, OnePlus claimed that it would go back to basics with OxygenOS 13. While it’s clear that Oppo still has its share of influence over OnePlus, it’s almost certain that the next version of OxygenOS will just be better. So if you have a OnePlus phone that’s set to receive the OxygenOS 13 update in the future, we strongly recommend rolling with OxygenOS 11 in the meantime.
Why you should probably upgrade to OxygenOS 12 anyway
All in all, while there are good reasons to avoid installing the OxygenOS 12 update, you should still ignore our advice. listen to us While it’s entirely possible to live with an older version of Android, it comes at the cost of an outdated security patch level and not seeing the light of new features.
OxygenOS 11 runs on Android 11, which still works well with apps and services, so compatibility issues aren’t a huge concern. If you own a relatively newer OnePlus phone that was promised to get the OxygenOS 13 update, you might as well hold off on the updates.
However, if you own a phone that will no longer receive software support with OxygenOS 12, your options are pretty limited. You could either compromise on features and security and stick with OxygenOS 11, or just pull the trigger and enjoy newer features at the expense of a slightly poorer user experience.
It’s not all bad if you’ve already upgraded
We realize that trying to tame your excitement and delaying a major Android update can seem exhausting. If you’ve already updated your phone to OxygenOS 12 or just really want to do it, it’s not that bad.
Despite its drawbacks, OxygenOS 12 still manages to bring a number of useful features to OnePlus phones.
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