ColorOS 12 unveiled: What to expect from the Android 12 update for OPPO, OnePlus, and Realme phones

Although OPPO first rolled out an Android 12 beta build for the Find X3 Pro shortly after Google dropped the first Android 12 beta at I/O 2021, the build did not come with ColorOS 12. Earlier this month, the company shared new wallpapers from its latest Android skin ahead of the official rollout, and a leak revealed that it would showcase ColorOS 12 this week. As expected, OPPO has now unveiled ColorOS 12, giving us a clear idea of what to expect from the Android 12 update for OPPO, OnePlus, and Realme phones.

Visual upgrades

OPPO has packed a ton of design changes in ColorOS 12. The company has overhauled the UI based on the Infinite Design concept, with redesigned icons, new animations, avatar emoji, and more. The Android skin now features squircle-shaped acrylic icons that have a consistent shape across the board, unlike the ones in ColorOS 11. The icons use softer colors but retain enough detail and texture to avoid any issues.

OPPO has also tweaked the placement of UI elements in ColorOS 12 to manage information density better. As you can see in the attached images, ColorOS 12 has all of its UI elements well spaced out, leaving plenty of white space to help users easily differentiate information.

 

OPPO has also increased the text contrast and added distinguishing color shades to give users a more comfortable experience.

New features in ColorOS 12

ColorOS 12 comes with a couple of new features, in addition to the ones Google introduced in Android 12. The company has improved the FlexDrop feature to encourage multitasking, and it now allows users to drag an app with a simple gesture and switch between full-screen view, small window, and mini window modes.

ColorOS 12 also brings Smart Sidebar 2.0, featuring six new tools. These tools can help users quickly play songs from the web in the Music Player app or compare prices on eCommerce sites. OPPO has also introduced a new Cross-Screen Interconnection feature to simplify connectivity between phones and PCs. The feature allows users to control their phones with their PC, share files between them, and edit documents stored on the phone. Cross-Screen Interconnection is compatible with a majority of Windows 10 laptops from mainstream brands.

On top of all that, OPPO has also packed all-new Car Screen Projection features in ColorOS 12. These features offer support for multiple third-party apps, like Kuwo, Ximalaya, Baidu Maps, AutoNavi, etc., allowing users to access them on their car screen easily.

As mentioned earlier, ColorOS 12 also includes an avatar emoji feature called “Omoji,” which can build high-precision 3D models using an advanced Face Capture algorithm.

Smoother animations & performance improvements

OPPO has made some significant performance improvements to ensure users have a great experience while using ColorOS 12 on their devices. The Android skin packs OPPO’s Quantum Animation Engine that brings 300 improved animations to the software, giving users a smooth and life-like browsing experience. OPPO claims that these animations imitate “physical habits of resistance, inertia, and rebound” to make the overall experience “more realistic, smoother, and more intuitive.”

To address lags and stutters across the UI, OPPO has included an anti-stutter AI engine in ColorOS 12. OPPO claims that it can “effectively reduce the generation of fragments by processing cold and hot data separately.” OPPO tested this AI engine internally and found the following results:

“In a test conducted at the OPPO tech labs, results reflected that with this technology, after a phone was simulated for 36 months of continuous use, the reduction of the read/write performance was less than 5%, and the overall aging rate was only 2.75%.”

The anti-stutter AI engine can also recommend priorities for apps to ensure smooth operation based on user habits.

Improved privacy & security features

ColorOS 12 also packs the new privacy and security features introduced in Android 12. It will now notify users when an app uses the phone’s microphone, camera, or location. Its permissions reminder feature will send out notifications to prevent third-party apps from collecting background data. And it also offers detailed permission management to help users understand the various permissions and manage them.

Furthermore, ColorOS 12 includes an additional secure sharing feature to help users remove metadata from images before sharing. We’ve seen other OEMs implement a similar feature on their Android skins, and it’s great that OPPO is following suit. Note that the feature also works while sharing videos.

ColorOS 12 release timeline

OPPO has also announced its upgrade plan for ColorOS 12. The OPPO Find X3 Pro Photographer Edition will be the first device to receive the update as per the plan. OPPO will also offer a public beta build for the Find X3 series and the OnePlus 9 series in October.

The older Find X2 series and Reno 6 series will receive their first ColorOS 12 beta builds in November, while the Reno 5 series, the OPPO K9, A95, A93, Ace 2 series and the OnePlus 8 series will receive a public beta build in December.

OPPO claims that its ColorOS 12 upgrade plan will cover the wider range of phones and users in its history, reaching over 150 million users and over 110 different devices. OPPO has also promised to provide three major Android upgrades for its flagship phones.

At the moment, OPPO hasn’t shared a release timeline for Realme phones. We expect Realme to make an announcement soon. We’ll update this post with all details as soon as they’re revealed.

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Google’s Pixel 6 Pro may actually have a variable refresh rate with Samsung’s new display

Google will unveil its flagship Pixel 6 lineup in a few weeks. Ahead of the launch, the company has shared a few teasers showcasing both the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro. While these teasers don’t reveal much about the phones, except for their design, we have seen quite a few leaks about both phones.

The most recent Pixel 6 Pro leak was a big one, as we got to learn quite a few details from the actual phone itself, including the display resolution, refresh rate, UWB support, and more. But the leak didn’t confirm whether the device would offer variable refresh rate support or not. Now, Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) CEO Ross Young has confirmed that the Pixel 6 Pro will pack an LTPO panel, meaning that it will indeed offer variable refresh rate support.

A little late but we confirmed that the Google Pixel 6 Pro is LTPO…Also confirmed that there will be a Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra with a 14.6″ OLED.

— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) September 15, 2021

Young has also confirmed that the Pixel 6 Pro will feature Samsung’s new E5 LTPO OLED display panel, which debuted with the iQOO 8 series in China earlier this year. For the unaware, the iQOO 8 Pro’s display received an A+ on DisplayMate’s test and secured the DisplayMate Best Smartphone Display Award. Therefore, we can expect the Pixel 6 Pro’s display to be equally good.

Should be yes

— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) September 15, 2021

We’ve already confirmed that the Pixel 6 Pro’s display will offer a native resolution of 3120 x 1440p and support a peak refresh rate of 120Hz. It will also be capable of operating both at 120Hz and 1440p. The latest leak has also confirmed that the device will use a 5G model from Samsung. Furthermore, we’ve learned that it will feature an octa-core CPU with a 2x2x4 core configuration, consisting of two cores at 2.80GHz, two cores at 2.25GHz, and four cores at 1.80GHz. This SoC will be paired with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a Mali-G78 GPU clocked at up to 848MHz.

In addition, the latest leak confirmed the Pixel 6 Pro’s camera hardware, battery capacity, connectivity features, and more. In case you missed it, you can check out our original coverage.

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Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ tipped to feature 50MP GN5 camera and Exynos 2200

While we’re still months away from the Galaxy S22 series launch, leaks and rumors have already started making rounds around Samsung’s next-gen flagship lineup. Last month, a leak revealed that the Galaxy S22 Ultra might use the same zoom cameras as the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Now, a fresh leak has revealed new details about the Galaxy S22 series.

In a series of tweets, noted Samsung leaker IceUniverse has spilled the beans on the upcoming Galaxy S22 lineup’s key specifications. According to the leaker, the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ both will feature an ISOCELL GN5 sensor. This matches a previous report from GalaxyClub, which also mentioned that the Galaxy S22 and S22+ would feature a 50MP primary sensor. The ISOCELL GN5, which was recently unveiled alongside the 200MP ISOCELL HP1, offers a 50MP resolution with 1.0μm pixel size, 8K video recording support, and promises improved low light performance.

S22、S22+ Camera ： GN5

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) September 15, 2021

Another juicy bit revealed by IceUniverse is regarding the processor. The leaker claims the Galaxy S22 series will pack a powerful Exynos 2200 chipset, featuring an ARM Cortex-X2 core clocked at 2.9GHz, three cores clocked at 2.8GHz, and four efficiency cores running at 2.2GHz The chipset will be paired with an AMD GPU clocked at 1250MHz frequency. The leaker says the clock speeds mentioned above apply only to the Galaxy S22 Ultra model, while the Galaxy S22 and S22+ will have different, likely slower, frequencies.

Exclusive! Exynos 2200 official version frequency data
CPU: 1× Cortex-X2 2.9GHz + 3 × 2.8GHz + 4 × 2.2GHz
GPU: AMD GPU 1250MHz

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) September 15, 2021

Finally, the leaker says the 45W fast charging will make a return on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. While Galaxy S20 Ultra and Galaxy Note 10+ actually supported 45W charging, Samsung regressed and lowered the charging speeds of subsequent models — the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy Note 20 series — which topped out at 25W.

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Featured image: Samsung Galaxy S21 lineup

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Google Photos gets a partial Material You redesign on Android 12

Another day another Google app getting a Material You makeover. With the official release of Android 12 not too far away, Google has been hard at work updating its own apps with Material You design guidelines. Google Workspace apps such as Gmail, Google Calendar, Drive, and Meet received a visual refresh not too long ago, while apps like Google Keep and YouTube Music will soon be receiving a fresh coat of paint. Now the Google Photos app for Android is also getting Material You support.

As spotted by the Telegram channel Google Pixels, the latest version of Google Photos introduces a new design in line with the Material You design guidelines. With the new update, the search bar in the Search tab now has a pill shape while the bottom navigation bar is taller. The current tab is highlighted using a blue oval, while a larger, rounded square button has replaced the pill-shaped floating “Shared album” button. Finally, Favorites, Utilities, Archive, and Trash buttons in the Library tab are more rounded.

Screenshots courtesy: Google Pixels Telegram channel

Currently, the app hasn’t added support for Material You’s wallpaper-based dynamic theming though we assume this would likely change in the near future. The dynamic theming engine, codenamed monet, is a major part of Android 12. It generates a rich color palette based on the colors extracted from your wallpaper and then applies those colors to various parts of the system UI and any supported apps.

Other notable Google apps that have been updated with Material You design language include Google Chrome, Google Phone, Google Calculator, and Google Clock.

The Material You support for the Google Photos app seems to be rolling out with version 5.59. The update hasn’t rolled out widely on the Google Play Store yet, but if you’re interested in taking a look at the new design, you can grab the APK from APKMirror.

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T-Mobile removing DIGITs promo placed in error from 200k accounts

If you have a free Proxy by DIGITs line with T-Mobile, you’ll want to keep an eye out on your bill.

Starting today, September 15th, T-Mobile is sending out SMS warning notifications to approximately 200,000 account holders. That message states that a free DIGITs line promotion was added in error. It will soon be removed, and affected customers will then receive a monthly charge for the service.

DIGITs is a service offered to T-Mobile postpaid customers. It allows a customer to either assign a second SIM card to their existing number or receive a virtual secondary phone number to use on a single device. Proxy by DIGITs is essentially the latter of the two. It’s designed to give customers an alternate number to use for handing out publicly while keeping their primary number private.

The proxy number was offered for free back in July 2020 to Magenta, Magenta for Business, and Essentials plans as part of the launch of Scam Shield. It seems some 200k ineligible accounts were given the free Proxy by DIGITs line by mistake.

Customers with this feature will want to keep an eye out for a text informing them of the change.

T-Mobile DIGITS (Free, Google Play) →

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Samsung starts making 90Hz OLED displays for laptops

Samsung today announced that it’s started mass production on 90Hz OLED displays for laptops. You’re going to start seeing them in 14-inch laptops soon, and they’ll come from OEMs like ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung.

In the world of Windows PCs, high refresh rates are known for being a gaming feature. For mobile phones though, it’s something that we’re seeing across the board; it’s not even exclusive to flagship devices anymore. It just provides a more pleasant experience for everyone.

This is changing in PCs, starting with these new 90Hz OLED panels. The higher refresh rate means that it shows smoother animations. In fact, Samsung Display says that OLED panels respond even faster than an LCD, so a 90Hz OLED screen has blur length of 0.9mm, while a 120Hz LCD is still 1.0mm when it comes to video playback.

Aside from smoother motion with the high refresh rate, these are also just high-quality 14-inch OLED screens. You’ll see more vibrant colors, true blacks, and it will be an overall better visual experience.

“The demand for laptops is increasing steadily as working from home and remote learning become the new norm,” said ASUS’s PC BU Product Marketing Center Vice General Manager Y. C. Chen. “OLED displays can meet consumers’ various needs as they’re using laptops for school, virtual meetings, video streaming, gaming, and more.”

These new 14-inch 90Hz OLED panels are going to show up in the ASUS Zenbook and Vivobook Pro. Those laptops are also going to include 4K OLED panels from Samsung Display in the 16-inch variants; however, those won’t come with the 90Hz refresh rate.

Indeed, it’s about time that the PC market started catching up to the mobile market in certain areas, such as high refresh rate displays. Now all we need to do is start getting PCs that have decent webcams, as you can still spend $2,000 on a laptop with a 720p webcam, or $300 on a phone with a 1080p 60fps front camera.

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You can now add text to PDFs in Microsoft Edge Dev builds

Microsoft’s Edge browser on desktop is getting the ability to add text to PDF files, and you can try it today. The company announced the new feature in a blog post today, and it’s already available if you’re running Dev or Canary builds of the browser.

Most browsers these days come with a built-in PDF reader, and in Edge, you can do things like draw on them or use a highlighter. With this feature, you can now use the Edge browser to add text to any PDF files you receive, even ones that might not be designed to be fillable. Once it’s filled, you can save the PDF file with the added text and share it with whoever you want.

To add text to a PDF in Edge, you can click the Add text button in the toolbar at the top, or right-click anywhere on the document. Edge gives you four color options to choose from – black, blue, red, and green. You can also change the font size from 9px to 48px, with 12px being the default, or change the text spacing. The browser will also remember the formatting you choose for your text as long as the PDF file is open, so you can fill in multiple spaces more easily.

As mentioned above, you’ll need to be running Dev or Canary builds of Edge to use this feature. It’s also not available in every language, though it should accommodate the majority of users. It’s unclear when it will roll out to the Beta channel, and eventually to the general public.

If you want to start adding text to PDF files right now, you can download Microsoft Edge Dev or Canary from the Edge Insider downloads page. These builds are less stable and get updated more frequently – Dev usually gets updated every week, and Canary gets updates on a daily basis. And if you’re creating a PDF for someone who might not have this ability, check out our guide on how to make a PDF fillable.

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