Incoming OnePlus 3 OTA will bring sRGB mode and better RAM management

OnePlus 3 is a great little phone, but it’s by no means perfect. The good news is some of the issues that early buyers and reviewers have noticed can be fixed via software updates, and that’s exactly what OnePlus is preparing to do.

OnePlus reached out to let us know that it’s pushing a “special OTA build” to our OnePlus 3 review unit.

The build (version 3.1.4 of Oxygen OS) addresses the main issues that some reviewers raised about the device: the inaccurate display and the questionable RAM management rules of the OnePlus 3.

This special OTA is only sent out to review units, and the plan is to incorporate the feedback in a consumer OTA that will be released “a bit later on,” according to OnePlus.

Logistical issues have prevented us from testing the new OTA right away, but we will report with our findings as soon as we can run the update.

What exactly can you expect from this update? First up, the OTA will enable sRGB mode, accessible from Settings > Developer Options. Turning sRGB mode on will tone down the colors shown by the OnePlus 3, which have been criticized by AnandTech and others for being generally inaccurate. That said, this update may not affect other issues with the display, including the relatively low peak brightness and bluish cast.

Adam Krisko, community manager for OnePlus, shared a couple images that show what you can expect in terms of color rendition. The less saturated sRGB mode is on the left, default mode is on the right.

Second, the OTA will relax the aggressive RAM management policy that causes the OnePlus 3 to sometimes kick apps out of memory despite its generous 6GB of RAM. OnePlus specified that the update should result in faster game loading times as well. If this change makes it to consumer devices, it will mark a reversal from OnePlus’ initial stance, which amounted to pointing users towards community developed ROMs.

Besides the toned-down display mode and improved RAM management, the OTA will bring other, unspecified “optimizations.”

What’s your take on this whole saga? Do you take issue with any of the problems that some reviewers raised? How is the display in your experience?