A short manual to installation.
By Dileep Thekkethil
BENGALURU: It was a difficult call for OnePlus to discontinue with Cyanogen OS in India; that after a legal battle with Yu Televentures which owns the distribution rights. OnePlus was left with no choice other than to make a custom version of Android OS for themselves. And finally, the most anticipated operating system for OnePlus One device is here, dubbed Oxygen; which is based on Android Lollipop 5.0.2.
According to OnePlus, the new OS is a “light and essential” one “with subtle, useful features”. The Chinese start-up company plans to constantly rebuild the new OS and who knows, in the coming years we might see OnePlus devices running on Oxygen OS even outside India. OnePlus has an app installed in the new operating system that can provide user feedback about the overall experience of Oxygen OS.
However, the installation of the OS is easier said than done. Users have to bear in mind that this is a totally new operating system and hence there is no OTA update. Users of OnePlus One will have to manually download the Oxygen OS and later go through the technical process of flashing (which essentially means they have to backup whole data) before they can enjoy Lollipop in OnePlus One. The installation of the new OS is a 6 step process and only users with previous experience in flashing and booting Android devices are recommended doing it.
“Note: You’ll need to enable installations from unknown sources (settings > security) in order to install the feedback app on OxygenOS.
Please make sure all your data and files are backed up before commencing. Flashing OxygenOS onto CM does require a system wipe, so you will lose all of your data. We are actively working on an easier, more automated solution soon to be available, but for now the build must be flashed manually.
Please proceed only if you are confident in your abilities to flash a custom ROM. This guide exists to help you flash OxygenOS, but things can still go wrong if not followed correctly. While rooting and flashing will not void your OnePlus warranty, any damage caused by improper flashing is not covered under warranty.
The following instructions assume you have Fastboot and ADB installed.
Step 1
You first need to flash a recovery onto your device. We recommend using TWRP. Please download the recovery image to your computer. You can follow their instructions to flash recovery, or you can reference these steps:
Boot into fastboot mode. You can do this on your OnePlus One by holding down the power button and the volume up button. When you see the fastboot logo, connect your device to your computer.
You should now have the recovery installed.
Step 2
Unzip oxygenos_1.0.0.zip. In there, you will see a oxygenos_1.0.0.flashable.zip file. Copy oxygenos_1.0.0.flashable.zip to your phone. On a Mac, you can useAndroid File Transfer.
Step 3
Boot into recovery. You can do this on your OnePlus One by holding down both the volume down key and the power button.
Step 4
Once you are in the recovery interface, the first thing you want to do is a factory reset. Again, you will lose all your data so please make sure you have backed up everything before doing this.
Step 5
After the wipe, go to install and find oxygenos_1.0.0.flashable.zip. Confirm flash. This will flash OxygenOS onto your device.
Step 6
After the flash succeeds, you can reboot the device, which will take you to the new OxygenOS. Enjoy!
If you find yourself wanting to rollback to CM, Make sure you have TWRP or CM recovery on the device. Another factory reset will be needed before flashing unfortunately so make sure you backup all of you data.”
OnePlus is working on an easier and OTA based solution, but currently, users will have to manually do the installation process, which is a hard nut to crack.
Ahead of the launch of its new operating system in India, OnePlus uploaded a YouTube video highlighting new features and additions. Going by the video, Oxygen is a pure custom Lollipop OS, with typical features such as off-screen gestures and quick settings. The operating environment of Oxygen has close resemblance to Cyanogen, with options to customize some of the features and this is good in users point of view as they won’t feel altogether new to the device after the update.
We would recommend users who have never done a manual update to wait until the company rollout an easier method of upgradation for OnePlus One handset and those who feel confident in flashing, please go ahead and enjoy Lollipop in your smartphones.
OnePlus One is a 5.5 inch smartphone with a 1080p touchscreen display. The phone is powered by a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 Quad-Core processor with Adreno 330 GPU. The operational capacity and performance of the device is enhanced by Qualcomm’s heterogeneous computing approach.
The powerful processor of OnePlus One is coupled with 3 GB of LP-DDR3 RAM running at 1866MHz, allowing a flawless multitasking experience.
Also, the Snapdragon processor is equipped with a 4G LTE multimode modem, enabling faster internet across six cities in India, where 4G is currently available.
Coming to the camera department of the new device, OnePlus has used a Sony Exmor 13 MP IMX21 rear camera that can produce astounding images. Adding to this the phone also has a dual LED flash to brighten the image.
OnePlus One also has an impressive 5 megapixel front camera for selfie enthusiasts, giving an extra-wide 80º viewing angle that can capture more area than normal smartphones.
OnePlus One will be available in 16 GB and 64 GB variants. The price of the 64 GB version is not expected to go beyond the Rs. 25,000 mark.
OnePlus One boasts of a high capacity 3100 mAh battery that fits perfectly into its sleek body. According to the product description of the device OnePlus has used a new technology called Display RAM to reduce the power consumed by the smartphone, allowing users to run the device all day long.
The phone also has a slew of connectivity features such as Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, GPS and NFC, and a hand full of sensors like proximity sensor, light Sensor, accelerometer gyroscope etc.