Quick Summary
Oppo has announced ColorOS 15, plus the timeline and devices that will get the update.
It adds a range of AI functions, smoother animations, as well as a number of features that appear to be inspired by Apple and Google.
There has been a flurry of activity in the world of Android devices, thanks to the push to bring Android 15 to new phones. While Android 15 has now landed for Google's Pixel devices, other manufacturers like Oppo are gearing up for a huge update, along with their own custom software tweaks.
For Oppo, that means a new version of ColorOS, stepping up to ColorOS 15 and matching the numbering of Google's core software for the sake of clarity. This software is based on the advancements that Android 15 brings, but there's a lot more that Oppo is bundling into the update.
The new version of the software was announced at Oppo's developer conference, previewing what Oppo phone owners can expect once the software lands. The company is also expected to announce the Find X8 in a couple of days, which should debut the new software too.
There's a lot of focus on animations, looking to make the whole experience smoother, but you'd be forgiven for thinking that it looks quite a bit like iOS 18.
We also see more AI coming into ColorOS 15 which won't surprise anyone – earlier in the year the company said that AI was going to be a big focus and here it is. That will give you circle to search (previewed using Xiaobu Assistant for the Chinese market), while there's the promise of new AI image processing, formatting and summarising notes, translation and well, the same sort of AI features you find elsewhere.
Oppo is also separating the notification and quick settings shades in a move that might not prove that popular but seems to be a trend right now. There is also an Oppo version of Apple's Dynamic Island, and Oppo version of Google Lens for image searching and a whole lot more.
We'll need to try a lot of these features out, but it's likely to be the animations that feel original, while some of the other features appear to have found inspiration in other popular devices.
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Oppo has also shared an extensive timeline for updates, running from November 2024 through to March 2025 and covering a wide range of phones, many of which haven't been globally available recently. However, the first devices to get the update will be the Find X7 and Find N3, with a number of Reno and K models on the list too.
You can find the full of what phones will be updated and when at the source.
Chris has been writing about consumer tech for over 15 years. Formerly the Editor-in-Chief of Pocket-lint, he's covered just about every product launched, witnessed the birth of Android, the evolution of 5G, and the drive towards electric cars. You name it and Chris has written about it, driven it or reviewed it. Now working as a freelance technology expert, Chris' experience sees him covering all aspects of smartphones, smart homes and anything else connected. Chris has been published in titles as diverse as Computer Active and Autocar, and regularly appears on BBC News, BBC Radio, Sky, Monocle and Times Radio. He was once even on The Apprentice... but we don't talk about that.
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