Oppo’s ColorOS is one of the most prominent Android skins available worldwide. The company has recently started rolling out the latest version of its Android skin called ColorOS 12. The update may not be a major design overhaul, however, it is still a larger version due to recent changes from OnePlus to OxygenOS to ColorOS.
I’ve been testing the ColorOS 12 skin on the Oppo Find X3 Pro for a while now, and here’s my opinion of the new skin.
ColorOS 12 Review: What’s New?
ColorOS 12 improves ColorOS 11, making it more refined and easier to use. Although the update suggests minor design changes compared to its predecessor, it looks clean and visually impressive.
One of Oppo’s most commendable efforts is support for 67 languages, including 13 Indian languages. Although language algorithms require some work, this is a big leap forward in incorporating ROMs.
The update brings a new 3D icon pack, with its own open and close animations. Inertia animations also seem to be a hindrance to the flowing UI at the speed at which you interact with it.
One of the things I missed a lot when using ColorOS 12 was the Material You theme, which Google introduced with Android 12. There is a wallpaper-based color palette that allows me to choose random colors instead of the appropriate color.
While OnePlus may be moving to ColorOS, there are some components that are even lower than OxygenOS. One of these elements is the canvas AOD, now called the ‘portrait silhouette’.
The new Privacy Dashboard feature is also very interesting because it gives users instant access to all the information about all the applications using the phone’s camera, microphone and other sensors in the last 24 hours. It also provides users with data about which data is being accessed at a particular time and through which app. Users can use this feature to revoke the app’s permissions from the Single View Dashboard.
While there is a RAM expansion feature, which allows users to temporarily increase the allocation up to 7GB, I personally think this is a strategy. This is because non-volatile memory will never be as fast as volatile memory. However, it can also give you some encouragement while you are in a pinch.
With ColorOS 12, the company has focused on reducing redundancy and clutter wherever possible. Although the UI has been able to come a long way since it was launched, there is still a long way to go. Although I prefer general navigation and animation, there are still many things that are frustrating, such as the botload of blotware that is pre-installed or the missing Material U design language.
What has improved
ColorOS 12 brings new and improved floating window features, now called flexible windows. Users can now resize floating windows by dragging them to the left or right corner. To enable the feature, users now only need to swipe to an app from the bottom or tap on the app icon from the smart sidebar. This window has drag and drop gesture support and can be easily hidden or taken out of the way. My only frustration is that you can only use one floating window at a time.
What does Android 12 bring?
Some of the key features from ColorOS 12 Android 12 are privacy dashboard, approximate location sharing, camera / microphone indicator and toggle, chat bubble, granular privacy control and much more.
How does the skin perform?
I used ColorOS 12 on the best device that the company is currently offering, which is why I won’t be able to comment on how it will run on entry-level and mid-range smartphones. All I can say is that the ColorOS 12 looks very smooth and refined on the Find X3 Pro powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 888.
The UI has managed to stay lag and stutter free by giving me a fun experience. Combined with the new Quantum Animation engine, the skin has been managed to provide a smooth user experience with improved animation and new features.
Judgment
I’ve used a lot of ColorOS powered smartphones so far and I can say that ColorOS 12 is still the most mature version of the skin. While the new update doesn’t make a big difference, it does bring refinements and a number of new and improved features.
The skin manages to look and feel unique, but at the same time simplifies the learning curve. While there are still some elements that make me feel a bit cartoonish and the skin is still bundled with a ton of blotware, it’s still manageable and I’m excited to see where the company plans to take the skin, especially considering the OnePlus devices will run it too.
Oppo ColorOS 12 Post a review: A color update is coming to your nearest OnePlus device, the first BGR in India.
