ColorOS 11 is OPPO’s chance to lead the way with Android 11

On September 8, Google finally rolled out its stable version of Android 11. With that, the race for each OEM to bring the new software to its devices was on. The first manufacturer to bring a full Android 11 experience to its portfolio of phones may come from a surprising source — OPPO.

See also: Android 11 review

That’s right, OPPO is cementing its place among the largest Android players with the launch of its latest skin, ColorOS 11. You may be wondering what happened to ColorOS 8, 9, and 10, but fear not — the name change is simply to better align with the current Android version.

It feels good to be first

OPPO has been working to counteract the customary delay by taking user-requested features into account and quickly launching its beta program. The beta version actually launched on the same day as Android 11 was announced, and they even held a virtual launch event for their brand-new skin, ColorOS 11.

One main key to OPPO’s newfound speed is the ColorOS skin itself, which comes with nice add-ons designed for OPPO users and will be welcomed by most Android users too. It brings a whole set of UI Customizations, allowing you to personalize your Icons, Always on Display, Ringtones, Dark Mode and more. It’s far lighter and closer to stock Android than previous versions have been, and it keeps signature Android 11 features like Device Controls and Conversation Bubbles. Between the quick beta launch and the lighter skin, we can expect the full version of OPPO’s ColorOS to be among the first to launch later this year.

Just how fast is OPPO planning to launch ColorOS 11? The company has already announced its plans for a number of devices, which you can see here.

Working together for a better Android experience

One of the easiest ways to get your Android skin to market quickly is to work directly with Google itself. OPPO teamed up with the Android creator as well as other developers throughout the process in order to bring an even better suite of features. They include Three Finger Translate powered by Google Lens, which incorporates iconic features from the two iconic companies into its new ColorOS 11.

See also: ColorOS 11: Everything you need to know

The Three Finger Translate feature is a starting point for OPPO to incorporate deeper into Android. We have seen a trend from Google taking more and more OEM OS highlights to stock Android, such as the Full-Screen Navigation Gestures. Through this hard work, we hope to see how OPPO can contribute to the Android system.

In addition to working with Google, OPPO has been bringing its advanced camera features such as Anti-Shake and Video HDR to third-party developers to craft better apps across the board. Android has a long history of integrating brilliant third-party creations into its latest versions, and OPPO is doing its part to lead the charge into Android 11.

One of the pillars of the Android community is how open and willing it is to take in from others. Following this trend, OPPO just might get more chances to lead the way in the Android ecosystem and bring more of its outstanding innovations to Android. Through ColorOS 11, we have seen OPPO getting back to basics by catering to the needs of users and developers.