Australian OPPO Find X2 Pro owners are able to update to a public beta of Android 11 from today, ahead of a final release in the coming weeks. This makes the Find X2 Pro is the first non-Google to be able to upgrade Android 11 locally.
In addition to the features included as part of Android 11 - enhanced privacy, a smart home dashboard, better messaging - OPPO has added a few tweaks of its own as part of its ColorOS customisations. These include app preloading to decrease load times, a new gesture for translating text on the fly, and tech to slow down battery charging overnight to increase the component's physical life.
Find X2 Pro owners will be able to download the Android 11 beta from the ColorOS forum from 8pm tonight.
OPPO's punctuality with Android 11 is notable given that many Android smartphone manufacturers tend to drag their feet when it comes to deploying new versions of Android to customers. For example, it took Samsung around three months to bring Android 10 to Galaxy S10 models in Australia last year. In many cases, Google devices - such as the Pixel 4a - are the only handsets that get major operating systems in line with their release.
However, while those with the latest flagship OPPO are among the first in line for Android 11, anyone rocking a different OPPO phone will have to wait. Last year's flagships - the Reno 5G and Reno 10x Zoom - won't get Android 11 until the first quarter of next year. The more affordable Reno 2 Z is also slated to get an upgrade that quarter, while original Reno Z owners will need to wait quarter two. At the least, it's nice to see OPPO still provide updates for more affordable devices, which isn't always a given.
At this stage, OPPO has yet to provide an upgrade roadmap for other recent phones such as the Find X2 Lite and Find X2 Neo.
An OPPO spokesperson told us that its general policy for software updates across Find and Reno devices is to provide a "minimum of two generations of Android updates".
For comparison, Samsung recently committed to providing many of its Android devices with at least three years of major operating system updates, the same promise Google makes with Pixel phones. Android One smartphones - such as modern Nokia handsets - get two years. Apple leads the pack however, with most iPhones getting at least five years of major updates.
In addition, OPPO says it's hoping to deliver security updates on a more regular basis.
"OPPO is committed to providing monthly security updates for its Find X2 and Reno Series and quarterly updates for all other models. Our longer term goal is to provide monthly security updates across our entire range, and our software team is working tirelessly to make this a reality."
Alex Choros
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