OnePlus has released Android 11 Developer Preview 3 for the OnePlus 8 series devices, bringing new features and design that the company plans to ship with OxygenOS 11. While not mentioned in the release notes, this could be the final Developer Preview for the latest devices before the firm releases an Open Beta that is more stable.
As teased earlier, the latest build brings a few new design elements and the highly requested Always-On Display (AOD) feature. The CEO has been teasing the addition of AOD, and a glimpse of the feature was also spotted last week. The new design also includes changes that makes the OS more convenient to use one-handed, similar to Samsung’s approach with One UI.
Other improvements include a refreshed ‘Dark Mode’ with the ability to schedule the theme, a new font, and some Zen mode improvements. Here is the complete changelog:
- New visual design (including Weather app, Launcher, Gallery, Notes)
- New layout for more comfortable and convenient one-handed operation
- Always-on display function, including 11 new clock styles
- Live wallpaper that changes according to the time of day
- New OnePlus Sans font that improves readability
- Optimized Dark Mode, including the ability to automatically turn on and off and a shortcut in Quick Settings
- 3 new Zen Mode themes, more timing options, and new Group feature to let you experience Zen Mode with your friends
- New Gallery function that automatically creates a weekly story based on your photos and videos
The firm has also listed a few known issues that users must be aware of before downloading and installing the Developer Preview on their devices. Here are the known issues:
- Some third-party applications may not function as expected
- System stability issues
- Network stability issues in some scenarios
The company cautions that users who are not accustomed to running pre-release software or those that are running these builds on their daily drivers should be careful since the builds could end up bricking their devices. Additionally, the company notes that though users that were running Developer Preview 2 will not lose their data with the upgrade to DP3, they should still perform a backup of all their phone contents before applying the update.
You can download Android 11 DP3 for the OnePlus 8 here and for the OnePlus 8 Pro here. Additionally, the firm has provided Android 10 download links for those that want to roll back from the Developer Preview in its forums here.
While these updates are technically based on Android 11 beta builds, OnePlus is still terming them developer previews due to the builds not being stable enough. If you are wary about downloading the preview builds, the Open Beta builds should soon be released, which will be more stable.
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