iPhone X-like navigation gestures have been rolled out in OnePlus 5T through OxygenOS Open Beta 3. The new beta builds also introduces an India-focused SMS categorisation that auto-sort SMS messages into categories.
Though a final Android Oreo update is yet to be rolled out for flagship OnePlus smartphone, the Chinese company has so far delivered three Open Beta versions of its new OxygenOS. Thus it sets the ground for the new Android version.
OxygenOS Open Beta 3 brings the very first change to OnePlus 5T is the new navigation gestures that make the user experience similar to the button-less iPhone X. It simply allows you to swipe up from the centre to go to the home screen or swipe from the left to go back to last active screen. Likewise, a swipe-up-and-hold gesture opens the multitasking menu. All these gestures are there to let OnePlus 5T users totally forgo the traditional navigation bar that comprises a back, home, and a recent app key.
However, this is not the first time that OnePlus has copied the iPhone X. The company introduced its proprietary Face Unlock feature to facilitate facial recognition on the OnePlus 5T. While Apple’s Face ID applies an aggregate of software and hardware to allow users unlock their iPhone X simply using their faces. Through the recent OxygenOS Open Beta builds, the Face Unlock feature was also lately reached on OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T, and OnePlus 5.
A pick-up gesture switcher is also introduced in the latest OxygenOS Open Beta that helps you choose which way you should swipe to pick up a phone call. It offers up and down as the two pick-up options.
Along with the gesture-centric uplift features, the OxygenOS Open Beta 3 for OnePlus 5T eliminates the infamous Clipboard function which was lately in the headlines for allegedly sending user data to a Chinese server. In a forum post, OnePlus claims that the feature in question has been removed based on the user feedback. The new OxygenOS Open Beta also employs CPU security patch: CVE-2017-13218 that mends a bug related to Meltdown and Spectre side-channel attacks and incorporates general bug fixes and performance improvements.
The OxygenOS Open Beta 3 in India brings the SMS categorisation function in the OnePlus 5T which can automatically sort SMS messages into certain categories. The similar auto-sorting feature is already seen on competitive custom ROMs, including Xiaomi’s MIUI.
Users are allowed to install the OxygenOS Open Beta 3 build on your OnePlus 5T just by flashing the latest build into the smartphone. However, before installing, back up your data since all the stored data will be lost during the flashing process. OnePlus has provided its flashing guides to help you easily install the new version. Furthermore, the new ROM version is available for download from the OnePlus site.