OnePlus scales back flagship smartphone production as it announces the end of OxygenOS

Pete Lau has confirmed that OnePlus will be replacing OxygenOS from 2022 onwards. OnePlus and Oppo already share codebases in OxygenOS 12 and ColorOS 12, but this will form one OS as of Android 13. Today's announcement stresses that the Unified and Upgraded Global Operating System will not be a departure from OxygenOS. Instead, Lau explains that:

I believe that the unified operating system will keep the DNA of OxygenOS that many of you love so much, while also giving you an upgraded experience overall.

Incidentally, OnePlus states that its next flagship will launch with the 'newly integrated OS' in 2022. Typically, OnePlus releases 'T' smartphones every October or November, with the first arriving in 2016 as the OnePlus 3T. Today's announcement confirms that will not be happening this year, meaning no OnePlus 9T or OnePlus 9T Pro. Instead, the company will continue to sell the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro throughout the rest of 2021 and into early 2022.

It remains to be seen if OnePlus returns to bi-annual flagship smartphone releases. However, it is still expected to launch the OnePlus 9RT in some markets before 2022 rolls around. Reputedly, the OnePlus 9RT will arrive with a Snapdragon 870, LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage.

OnePlus is promising that it will update existing devices away from OxygenOS, too. Currently, details remain light, but it seems that OnePlus smartphones will receive the 'integrated OS' with Android 13 in late 2022. By contrast, we would expect the OnePlus 10 to arrive in March 2022, running an Android 12 version of the combined operating system.

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