OnePlus is dead, this time for real. It makes me remember my experiences with the brand’s smartphones, what an absolute rollercoaster it was and how OnePlus briefly sparked joy in a way no one else could, resulting in two of my favorite Android phones of all time. And damn, I’m a little sad now.
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To quickly summarize this week’s news, OnePlus is dead. At least in the United States and Europe, of course. Oppo is pulling the plug and India is apparently next on the chopping block despite what OnePlus has said. Software updates will continue, but OxygenOS will be gone and all OnePlus devices will move to ColorOS starting with Android 17.
The writing has been on the wall here for a long time. “Enthusiast brands will betray you” video it came true. OnePlus long ago abandoned its roots and effectively became Oppo to the rest of the world. As a result, many of the things that everyone loved about OnePlus in the early days were diluted to the point of being almost unrecognizable. Remember how OnePlus started with CyanogenMod (aka Enhanced Android) before becoming Oppo’s clone? Those were the days, and they are long missing.
There were some highlights that will vary from person to person. Some loved the OnePlus hardware, others the software.
For me, what I loved and will miss about OnePlus comes down to two releases in particular, both during the small run that I hoped would reignite OnePlus as a brand: womp womp.
The OnePlus Open was, and frankly still is, one of the best foldable devices ever released. At the time it was at the forefront of hardware, offering a form factor that was thin enough without sacrificing battery capacity or even camera hardware; I would say that the Open’s camera still surpasses Samsung’s latest foldable devices. It also gave life to some new ideas, such as “Open Canvas”, which is still alive in Oppo foldables, and it’s still the best way to multitask on a foldable screen. The idea is to pretend there is more screen than there really is and allow the user to quickly switch between applications. it’s brilliantand while Android has implemented a version of this.but it’s not exactly the same.
Very close is the OnePlus 13.
For the first time in about a decade, this is a device where OnePlus convinced me they could build an inherently good smartphone. Years of bugs in software, cameras, pricing or any other number of factors always left OnePlus smartphones in this strange place where they never privileged use them on others. But the OnePlus 13 really changed my mind.
The OnePlus 13 was truly a winner across the board. Absolutely stellar battery life that, even now, no other Android flagship in the US can match. Excellent performance and thermal management, with the opposition from OxygenOS in a pretty good place before everyone competed to copy Apple’s Liquid Glass. Surprisingly great cameras that had real opinion and some life, all at a time when my regular Pixel was simply draining the life out of every shot. And to top it all off, hardware that looked and felt incredible.
As I said in my review.this is the one that finally lived up to the “Never settle” mantra.
There are other highlights over the years. The OnePlus 7T seems like a good throwback to me, as does the OnePlus 3. But these two in particular really hit the spot. One last hurray could be said, as Oppo then ended up keeping its increasingly better foldables to itself, while the OnePlus 15 there was a noticeable degradation in everything except battery life. Really, the OnePlus 13 was the end of the OnePlus that we sought love as everything quickly began to go downhill.
And now this has just ended. There is no final farewell, nothing that truly “ends” the brand’s legacy. Just a flagship that was widely dismissed as a misfire.
This is how OnePlus ends; “Not with a bang, but with a moan.”
The writing has been on the wall for years. OnePlus was constantly moving further and further away from the spotlight, and the US, the one thing that made OnePlus stand out among Oppo’s other brands, was becoming less and less of a priority – no one needed sloppy AI to confirm it, but as the signs became clearer, we were always heading towards this outcome.
So, RIP OnePlus.
With the US Android phone market looking bleaker than ever, I’ll certainly miss OnePlus, especially after that good run between the Open and the 13th.
What do you think of the closure? Still using a OnePlus device?
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Massive Pixel 11 leaks
With the Google event approaching, it was time for a big leak. We first reported on a brief leak from Amazon that included listings for the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro/XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, showing off all the new colors and confirming some key specs. Meanwhile, Google officially showed off “Pixel Glow” in a teaser this week.
It’s almost like there’s a Samsung event next week.
In case you forgot, Samsung is hosting its Unpacked event next week for the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Then again, you probably got a hint, because the leaks just don’t stop.
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