OnePlus 8 And 8 Pro Get OxygenOS 11 Mixed Bag Of Goodies

In just a few days, OnePlus will be unveiling its second flagship phone of the year, perhaps the only second flagship phone of the year. But before it reveals the OnePlus 8T, which has practically been leaked to death and even confirmed by OnePlus itself, the company is giving owners of its early 2020 flagships a gift to remind them that they aren't being pushed aside. OxygenOS 11 has rolled out to the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro, bringing much-desired features as well as one not so popular change.

OxygenOS 11 brings Android 11 which makes the OnePlus 8 one of the first to get the latest Android version outside of Google. And not just a beta version, mind, but the full stable release. That isn't the only thing its packs, of course, and while users will have many new things to enjoy, they will also have to live with all the changes that OxygenOS 11 brings.

The latest version of OnePlus' custom Android experience finally adds the much-requested Always-on Display, part of the company's first IDEAS crowdsourcing campaign earlier this year. This would take the place of LED indicators that OnePlus removed a few years ago, letting users glance at notifications without unlocking the phone.

At the very top of OnePlus' list, however, is the new UI visual design, perhaps the most divisive change in OxygenOS 11. Some have likened it to copying Samsung's One UI aesthetic but OnePlus has argued the changes were well-thought-out and researched to adjust to growing smartphone sizes and user behaviors.

OxygenOS 11 also brings a Dark Mode quick toggle, an updated Zen Mode, new Game Space tools, and more. The update is going out via OTA, so no flashable image yet. Older OnePlus phones might have to wait a bit for their turn, perhaps after the dust settles around the OnePlus 8T next week.