OxygenOS 16 Review - Every New Feature Explained!

OxygenOS 16 delivers a polished and intuitive experience with a new 'Breathe With You' design, enhanced customization, useful AI features, improved performance, and stronger security.

• Refined 'Breathe With You' design with intuitive app improvements.

• Extensive lock screen and home screen customization, including app icon shortcuts.

• AI integration for smart search, content management, and enhanced camera features.

OxygenOS 16 marks a significant step forward for OnePlus, introducing a 'Breathe With You' design language that emphasizes lighter, cleaner visuals with improved animations and rounded elements. The update brings extensive customization options, particularly for the lock and home screens, alongside a suite of practical AI features. Performance enhancements and robust security measures further contribute to a refined and user-friendly operating system.

New Design & App Enhancements

• 00:00:19 OxygenOS 16 introduces a new 'Breathe With You' design language, focusing on a lighter, cleaner aesthetic with softer networking, smoother animations, and more rounded elements. System apps like Weather, Calculator, and Photos have been redesigned for a more dynamic and intuitive user experience. The update also integrates an OG OnePlus red and black theme in certain apps and a new Compass app, signaling a return to the brand's aesthetic roots.

Advanced Customization & Home Screen

• 00:01:41 A major upgrade in OxygenOS 16 is the enhanced lock screen with FluxTheme 2.0, allowing dynamic customization with personal photos and motion wallpapers, including an immersive depth effect where the clock hides behind subjects. Users can set videos as wallpapers, enjoy full-screen Always On Display, and utilize new fluid cloud cards for ongoing activities. The home screen also offers greater freedom with resizable folders and enlargeable app icons that can embed direct app shortcuts, significantly improving accessibility and efficiency.

Productivity Features & AI

• 00:06:51 OxygenOS 16 introduces O Plus Connect, expanding file transfer and phone control to Windows and Mac OS, allowing users to manage phone files, mirror screens, and even remotely access their computer from the phone. For the first time, Apple Watch connectivity is supported through the OHealth app for notifications, calls, and fitness data syncing. Additionally, the update is supercharged with AI features, including an AI-powered system settings search, AI Mindspace for saving and summarizing content, and AI Rider for text proofreading and generation across apps.

Performance & Security

• 00:11:44 The performance of OxygenOS 16 feels smooth and fluid, with quick app opening and seamless transitions, attributed to an upgraded parallel processing system 2.0. This system extends consistent flow across the OS, eliminating stutters, complemented by Flow Motion for uninterrupted transitions from Always On Display to the home screen. Security and privacy are also enhanced with features like Private Computing Cloud for sensitive data, new anti-theft measures for remote locking and suspicious action detection, and 11 layers of encryption requiring both password and biometrics for unlocking.