During a live-streamed event today OnePlus launched the latest version of its custom Android skin HydrogenOS 11. The software is based on Android 11 and it brings a lot of new features for OnePlus devices, including Always-on Display functionality, smart gallery, voice notes, multi-user Zen mode, an improved dark mode, and more. According to the company, the software update will be available for all OnePlus phones launched after the OnePlus 5T. OnePlus has already started rolling out the first HydrogenOS 11 beta build for the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro, and the first developer preview build is expected to be released sometime next month.
The HydrogenOS 11 comes with a new inclusive design that is claimed to improve user experience. According to OnePlus’ Creative Director Zeng Xi, “HydrogenOS 11 makes use of the simplest elements to create an inclusive design that will help users easily grasp information on the screen at a glance.” The new wallpapers in HydrogenOS 11 also shine this design approach and serve to provide relevant information like the current weather conditions and time of day. As mentioned earlier, HydrogenOS 11 has a few new features alongside the new design. The company has included always-on display functionality in the OS, a new smart gallery with integrated image/video editing features, voice notes with support for AI-powered speech-to-text conversion, a one-handed mode, and a multi-user Zen mode. The multi-user zen mode supports users to create virtual rooms and invite friends to complete multi-person meditation. HydrogenOS 11 also has an improved dark mode that makes use of different shades of black to highlight important information on the screen. The dark mode also comes with quick settings toggle and support for time-based activation. Furthermore, Hydrogen OS11 brings a brand new ORM memory management system. This greatly improves memory utilization efficiency and runs more applications simultaneously.