Stable OxygenOS 12 w/ Android 12 update now rolling out for OnePlus Nord

Damien Wilde | May 16 2022 - 2:34 am PT

The stable OxygenOS 12 update complete with Android 12 is now rolling out for the first-generation OnePlus Nord.

After a brief Open Beta phase, Android 12 is now available after the OxygenOS 12 update was confirmed as being in a stable form over on the official OnePlus Forums. The update is quite the departure from the OxygenOS that has been so popular over the past few years. Effectively this is ColorOS-lite in all but name.

That said, Android 12 is this OTA signifies the final OS upgrade that the OnePlus Nord will receive. There will be a further year of security patches before OnePlus ceases to support the Snapdragon 765G-powered mid-ranger. OxygenOS 12 is full of functions and features, but it certainly feels very different to what you’ve likely become accustomed to since the Nord hit shelves back in late-2020.

If you update, you’ll get access to a number of interesting new additions including the customizable dark theme, improved Work-Life Balance focus mode, increased Canvas AOD function, plus more more. There’s even room for the slightly outdated April 2022 security patch here too. Check out the full changelog before for more info:

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

Work Life Balance

[Added] Work Life 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

A number of known issues have been highlighted, but OnePlus has not given a timeline for fixes for issues such as disappearing Settings pages, calling screen glitches, camera crashes when using Portrait mode, weird thumbnail artefacts when taking burst images, and strange UIs when using the Quick device connect in Guest mode.

Should you be wondering if this Android 12 update for the OnePlus Nord is worth it, then you can get a taste of what to expect in our hands-on video below: