It has been almost two months since OnePlus released the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the OnePlus 3 and 3T. Since then, many users have found that the company is indeed serious about how it supports its products. Now, another piece of good news came out as OnePlus announced the OxygenOS open beta based on the Android 7.1.1 Nougat.
According to the official OnePlus forum, the Open Beta 12 for the OxygenOS is now available for download. This version of the OS is based on the current Android 7.1.1 Nougat from Google. The new firmware can be downloaded from the official OnePlus download website.
Apart from the general bug fixes, the majority of the changes were made for the OxygenOS image gallery. With the new open beta firmware, users will be able to group their images on a per month or year basis. Furthermore, newly added media will be highlighted in the gallery for easier identification. The image gallery will also have a functionality to group images based on where they were taken. As well as being able to hide or unhide folders and individual media.
The OxygenOS open beta also features the new Shot on OnePlus wallpaper option in addition to the fixes on third-party app compatibility issues. Finally, OnePlus also included a fix for Google’s Android Pay service in the OxygenOS Open Beta 12.
Like any other firmware updates for Android, users are advised to perform a backup of personal data prior to commencing the update. This will ensure that loss of data is prevented in the unlikely event that the installation fails to execute properly.
Users of the previous beta build will receive over-the-air notifications for the new beta version. However, those who are using the official OxygenOS will need to side load the firmware via the Android Debug Bridge. After which, users will be able to receive OTAs for future beta builds.
Other users who do not want to risk their devices with the beta build would have to wait a bit longer before OnePlus officially releases the new firmware. Unfortunately, the company did not indicate the length of the beta test period. However, if all goes well, those who did not participate in the beta test might get the update in the next couple of months.