Oppo is rolling out its ColorOS 13 update today and has detailed the features that are on the way for its devices as they update to their liking of Android 13. Oppo, which like Vivo, OnePlus and other Chinese brands is controlled by the Tech giant BBK Electronics says the update will hit the Find X5 and Find X5 Pro first this month, before rolling out to around 33 additional models in the Find, Reno, A, F and K ranges before the end of the year.
One of the smaller features worth noting is a neat pixelation feature that will be available for screenshots in WhatsApp and Messenger chats. A new “Pixel” option appears in the editing window, which can be tapped to automatically blur the contact’s name and profile picture (as shown in the animation above). You can also use the tool to manually blur message content. It could be a useful little feature if you want to quickly share a message exchange without revealing all the details.
It comes first to Find X5 and X5 Pro
As you’d expect, ColorOS 13 includes many of the standard features that Google has incorporated into this year’s Android update, such as improved privacy settings or the ability to mirror Google messages on a paired Chromebook. There are also some obvious similarities with the recently announced OxygenOS 13 update by Oppo sub-brand OnePlus, which runs on the same underlying code base as ColorOS. Both updates share the same always-on view widget designs, including one for Spotify with built-in playback controls, as well as similar design tweaks including home screen widgets and resizable folders.
But there are also some new features for ColorOS 13 that haven’t been announced for OxygenOS yet. For example, Oppo has announced a new “Multi-Screen Connect” screen mirroring feature that will allow up to three phone windows to be displayed on a connected Windows PC. This includes two background apps along with a direct mirror of a phone’s screen. The connectivity also simplifies file transfer between a smartphone and Windows, according to Oppo’s announcement.
Up to three windows on a ColorOS 13 phone can be mirrored to a Windows PC. Image: Oppo An overview of the design of ColorOS 13. Image: Oppo
Another small but potentially useful feature is something Oppo calls “Meeting Assistant,” which is designed to improve the reliability of calls made via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet by prioritizing your traffic data over other apps. It also reduces the size of incoming notifications in an attempt to make them less distracting during a call.
Under the hood, claimed updates for ColorOS 13 include the debut of what Oppo calls a “Dynamic Computing Engine,” which it says will increase battery life and allow more apps to be kept open in the background.
The launch of ColorOS 13 comes just days after the official release of Android 13 for Pixel devices, making Oppo one of the first third-party Android manufacturers to start rolling out the latest version of Google’s operating system. Check out Oppo’s chart below to see its projected timeline for the update to be available across its range of phones.
Oppo expects around 35 devices to receive the update before the end of the year. Image: Oppo