The original 2020 OnePlus Nord was a return to the company’s roots. It may not be the highly sought after flagship killer that the initial OnePlus 1 was, but it still is a great budget phone overall. OnePlus isn’t focusing on the Nord lineup as much as it does on its flagship phones, but the Nord is still in for some software support. As such, OnePlus has now released the first OxygenOS 12 Open Beta for it.

The Android 12-based OxygenOS 12 adds many of the known goodies from the latest Android version, though of course, it’s quite a different beast compared to Android 12 on Pixels. OxygenOS 12 is also the first version of OnePlus’ UI that’s based on Oppo’s ColorOS, so there are many changes you’ll have to arrange with. While it isn’t all bad news, we’ve found that OxygenOS now feels like it’s just a theme running on top of ColorOS in our OxygenOS 12 hands-on. The update might even break some options like OnePlus’ workaround for achieving maximum refresh rates on all apps.

Key updates

  • System
    • [Added] Smart Battery Engine, a feature that prolongs your battery life based on smart algorithms and biomimetic self-restoration technology

    • [Optimized] desktop icons with improved textures, by using a design inspired by brand-new materials and uniting lights and layers

  • Dark mode
    • [Supported] three adjustable levels, bringing a more personalized and comfortable user experience

  • Shelf
    • [Added] new additional style options for Cards, making data contents more visual and easier to read
    • [Added] access to OnePlus Scout in Shelf, allowing you to search multiple contents on your phone, including Apps, Settings, Media Data, etc

  • WorkLife Balance
    • [Added] WorkLife Balance feature, allowing you to effortlessly switch between Work and Life mode via quick settings
    • [Supported] automatic Work/Life mode switching, based on specific locations, Wi-Fi network, and time, also bringing customized App notification profiles according to the personalization

  • Gallery
    • [Supported] switching between different layouts with a two-finger pinch gesture, intelligently recognizing the best-quality pictures, and cropping the thumbnail based on the content, making the gallery layout more pleasing

  • Canvas AOD
    • [Added] new diverse styles of lines and colors, for a more personalized lock screen experience with inspiring visuals
    • [Added] multiple brushes and strokes and support for color adjustment
    • [Optimized] software algorithm and improved face recognition to better identify the features and skin color of different figures

  • Games
    • [Added] HyperBoost end-to-end frame rate stabilizer
    • [Added] Voice effect preview to allow you to record your voice effect or check your voice effect in real-time

Other than these overarching changes, OnePlus is promising a few more updates coming as part of OxygenOS 12 for the Nord. There’s a new smart battery feature that’s supposed to help make your phone last longer, dark mode receives three adjustable levels, and there are smaller redesigns to the Shelf, the gallery, and the Canvas AOD. OnePlus also wants to help you keep your work and life balance in check with new automatic switching between life and work modes.

There are also a few known problems with this initial beta build already, so be warned that things may not go smoothly for you, which is what can happen with any beta build. Your screen might flicker when previewing images after you took them, anti-shake effects can be obvious in Snapchat, your Personal Safe might not respond, some keyboard wonkiness might arise, and you won’t be able to browse, delete, and download pictures in the OnePlus cloud. If you’re okay with these issues, you can find the OxygenOS 12 build over on the OnePlus Forums, where you can also see the full instructions.