OPPO ColorOS 13 evaluation: A unified OS that can get among the finest of OxygenOS

OnePlus and OPPO talked about on the end of 2021 that they could work in the direction of a unified OS that mixes among the finest choices of ColorOS and OxygenOS proper right into a single interface. The aim was to merge the distinctive choices that had been present in OxygenOS with the stability of ColorOS.

That plan was abandoned after individual backlash, with OnePlus noting that it’ll proceed to utilize OxygenOS. OPPO ought to have didn’t get that memo, because of it went ahead and constructed the unified OS it wanted anyway — the one distinction is that it’s nonetheless referred to as ColorOS. Make no mistake proper right here, ColorOS 13 is the conclusion of over two years’s worth of effort.

Whereas OxygenOS and ColorOS have been largely related for the upper part of 18 months, there have been a few choices that had been restricted to OxygenOS. That line is nonexistent in ColorOS 13; OPPO has ported the erstwhile OxygenOS-exclusive choices to ColorOS, bringing operate parity to the two interfaces.

So why is OxygenOS nonetheless an element? That’s what I requested Gary Chen, who heads OPPO’s software program program efforts, and was instructed that whereas the two interfaces share the similar choices now, which may not be the case eventually. 

Be that as it would, what that you should know is that OxygenOS and ColorOS are one and the similar, and ColorOS 13 comes with a complete host of great choices and design modifications that make it top-of-the-line Android interfaces spherical.

Let’s start with the design. OPPO used the similar Infinite Design language for 3 years now, so it’s switching points up and going with an Aquamorphic Design aesthetic with ColorOS 13. The model new design is impressed by water, and choices vibrant hues, new color palettes, and rounded icons with extreme distinction and a model new system font with larger readability.

All the delicate tweaks combine to make ColorOS 13 that slightly extra stylish than its predecessor, and the model new card-style format — evident throughout the settings and the entire stock apps — does a implausible job decluttering the interface.

A change that I notably like is the home show display; now you’ll be able to prepare large folders on the home show display that take up a 2×2 width, and doing so allows you to open an app contained in the folder with out opening the folder itself.

The notification pane has moreover picked up quite a lot of consideration, with greater tiles located on the excessive blended with a second row of tiles on the bottom. There’s moreover a model new music participant tile that sits to the becoming, and the tweaks proper right here makes accessing tiles controlling music playback only a bit bit easier. The transitions all by means of the interface have been overhauled as properly, they normally’re dynamic and smoother.

Considered one of many largest additions is straight out of OxygenOS: AOD sorts. ColorOS 13 now allows you to use Notion, Bitmoji, and Canvas sorts, and the blending means way more prospects can get started with these sorts — finally, ColorOS has over 500 million worldwide vigorous month-to-month prospects.

There’s a new Spotify integration that surfaces a widget if you’ve bought AOD enabled, and it’s a nifty approach to see what tune’s having fun with and administration music playback with out having to wake the show display. ColorOS may be integrating meals provide suppliers into AOD, with the operate aimed towards Indian prospects initially. 

The operate isn’t keep in ColorOS 13 merely however, nevertheless prospects throughout the nation can have the power to see the standing of their Zomato and Swiggy orders in real-time on the lock show display — I’ll share further particulars as quickly because it goes keep. Work-Life Stability may be coming to ColorOS 13, nonetheless it won’t be on the market until the 13.1 launch rolls spherical sometime in 2023.

As ColorOS 13 is constructed on a safe assemble of Android 13, you get the entire choices that Google launched with the most recent mannequin of Android, along with a protected image picker alongside the entire privateness and security modifications. Whereas you aren’t getting resizable widgets proper right here, ColorOS has its private mannequin of the Supplies You dynamic color picker, and it actually works extraordinarily properly — you get the flexibleness to resolve on personalized colors.

There are a few modifications to the Multi Be a part of operate as properly, nevertheless as with Samsung telephones, I’ve by no means really used the operate to any vital diploma. What I do care about is bloatware, and ColorOS 13 nonetheless has an extreme quantity of of it on my Uncover X5 Skilled to my liking. Chen talked about that the producer is considering chopping down on bloatware with upcoming launches, nevertheless wouldn’t make any ensures on this house. That talked about, I didn’t run into any suppliers that I wasn’t able to uninstall.

Having used ColorOS 13 for a while now on the Uncover X5 Skilled, Uncover N2, and totally different devices, I can merely say that that’s basically probably the most refined interface however from the producer. The model new design language feels stylish and clear, the modifications to the notification pane make it merely that little bit easier to utilize, there are a number of good security and privacy-focused choices. And due to the entire OxygenOS additions, ColorOS 13 is doubtless one of many most interesting interfaces spherical must you care about customizability.