OnePlus is dead – actually for real this time. It made me look back on my experiences with the brand’s smartphones, its complete roller coaster ride, and how OnePlus ignited joy in a way no one had seen in a short period of time, resulting in two of my favorite Android phones of all time. And damn, I’m a little sad now.
This edition of the 9to5Google Weekender is part of our newsletter highlighting the biggest Google stories with additional commentary and more. Register here Get the weekend delivered to your inbox every weekend and stay tuned for our weekday meetups too!
To quickly recap this week’s news, OnePlus is dead. At least in the US and Europe, that is. Oppo pulls the plug, while India probably next to the chopping block Despite what OnePlus says. Software updates will continue, but OxygenOS is being phased out and all OnePlus devices will move to ColorOS starting with Android 17.
The writing has been on the wall here for a while long time. “Enthusiastic brands will betray you” video it came true. OnePlus has long since abandoned its roots and has effectively become Oppo for the rest of the world. As a result, a lot of what everyone liked about OnePlus in the early days has become borderline unrecognizable – remember how OnePlus started with CyanogenMod (aka improved Android) before becoming a clone of Oppo? Those were the days, and they are now long he went
There were some points and they will vary from person to person. Some adored OnePlus’s hardware, while others adored its software.
For me, the things I love and will miss about OnePlus come down to two releases in particular, during a small period of tension that I hope will reignite OnePlus as a brand – vampire.
The OnePlus Open was and still is one of the best foldables ever released. At the time, it was on the bleeding edge of hardware, offering a slim enough form factor without sacrificing battery capacity or even camera hardware – I’d argue that the Open’s camera still beats Samsung’s latest foldables. It also implemented some new ideas like Open Canvas Lives in Oppo’s foldable devices, and it’s still the best way to multitask on a foldable screen. The whole idea there is to pretend there’s more screen than there actually is and allow the user to quickly switch back and forth between apps. This is brilliantand so on Android implemented a version of thisbut not quite the same.
OnePlus 13 is behind it.
For the first time in nearly a decade, this is a device where OnePlus has convinced me that they can make a fundamentally good smartphone. Years of missteps with software, cameras, pricing, or any number of other factors have left OnePlus smartphones in this weird place that I’ve never seen before. preferred using them on others. But the OnePlus 13 really changed my mind.
The OnePlus 13 is really just a winner across the board. Absolutely stellar battery life, even now in the US, no other Android flagship can match. Excellent performance and thermal management with the Oppo-fication of OxygenOS in a pretty good place ahead of anyone racing to copy Apple’s Liquid Glass. Shockingly great cameras with actual feedback and some life, while my regular Pixel was draining the life out of every shot. Plus, hardware that looks and feels incredible.
As I said in my reviewsthis is one that finally lives up to the whole Never Settle mantra.
There have been other highlights over the years. The OnePlus 7T stands out as a good memory for me, as does the OnePlus 3. But these two really hit the nail on the head. One last hurray, you might say, because Oppo kept its ever-more-perfect folding features, while the OnePlus 15 there was a noticeable drop in everything but battery life. Indeed, the OnePlus 13 was the end of our OnePlus he wanted everything like love started to go downhill quickly.
And now it’s over. There is no final send-off, nothing to truly “finish” the brand’s legacy. A flagship that was widely dismissed as simply a misfire.
This is how OnePlus ends; “Not with a bang, but with a whimper.”
The writing has been on the wall for years. OnePlus was constantly drifting further and further away from the spotlight, and the US, which made OnePlus stand out from Oppo’s other brands, was less and less of a priority – it didn’t take a slick AI to confirm that, but we were always leaning towards that conclusion as the signs became clearer.
So RIP OnePlus.
With the US Android phone market looking bleaker than ever, I’ll miss OnePlus, especially after the hot streak between Open and 13.
What do you think about the closure? Still using a OnePlus device?
This Week’s Top Stories
Coming from 9to5Google
Our newest newsletter is here!
In addition Weekend every sunday “From 9to5Google” comes twice a week with a roundup of small news and more hosted by Daniel Bader. It replaces our long-running automated daily newsletter with something more personal. We hope you like it!
Check out the first two issues and be sure to subscribe to catch more next week!
Massive Pixel 11 leak
With Google’s event coming up, it’s time for a big leak. First, we reported on a short Amazon leak that included listings for the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro/XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, showing off all the new colors and confirming some key specs. Meanwhile, Google officially showed off Pixel Glow in a teaser this week.
Almost next week there will be a Samsung event
In case you forgot, Samsung is hosting an Unpacked event next week to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Then again, you probably got a hint, because the leaks won’t stop.
More top stories
The rest is 9 to 5
9-5 Toys: Nintendo is gearing up for development on a new Switch 2 OLED edition console, reports claim
Electricity: Honda is officially pulling the plug on its only EV in the US
Source link
