OnePlus rolls out stable Android 17 with ColorOS 17 to OnePlus 13, 13s, 15R ahead of schedule, in India first

The schedule

The company had announced a start of 29 October, with eligible devices receiving the update in stages through March 2027. The OnePlus 13 and the 15R were slated for 30 October, and the OnePlus 13R had been planned for November. The updates for two of the devices arrived two to three days before the announced date. Some devices are not expected to get the update until 2027.

What changes

The update replaces OxygenOS with ColorOS 17. The two already share much of their design, so the change should feel familiar, according to a report. The update brings a redesigned quick settings panel and notifications, smoother animations, better memory management and more tools that use artificial intelligence. It adds detection of AI-generated voices in suspicious calls and detection of possible face swaps during video chats.

The rollout began in India. The company has not confirmed when Android 17 will reach users in the United States, where it sold the OnePlus 13, 13R and 15R, though the 13s was not sold there. A wider release is expected to follow. The reports do not give the size of the update.

According to the schedule that OnePlus published, 24 of its devices are promised Android 17. The dates are as follows.

Oppo, whose software ColorOS has taken over, published a separate schedule that starts on the same dates for its Find N6 and Find X9 series, and the OnePlus 16 launches with Android 17 out of the box in China.

The look is not dramatically different from the previous ColorOS or OxygenOS. It uses a design inspired by Apple's Liquid Glass, with more glassy elements in the phone app and in the menus that open when an app icon is pressed for a long time. Oppo says its new rendering engine reduces the load on the graphics system by up to 30 per cent and the use of memory by up to 25 per cent, and it describes a Living Flow Design that keeps animations fluid while using fewer resources.

The software also brings an Agent Mode that can work with the photos and files on the device and search several sources to finish a request, such as finding, organising and renaming files by content and date, and an AI photo agent that supports editing photos by conversation. Floating windows, which let apps open in resizable windows, continue, though ColorOS 17 does not offer Google's App Bubbles. One reviewer found the software polished and well optimised, but more bouncy and glassy than he likes.

One report says that OnePlus shut down its global operations in July, and that software support for existing devices will continue for their promised lifespans. It adds that the differences between OxygenOS and ColorOS are hard to find, since Oppo's styling took over OnePlus's software years ago.

Before installing a major update, owners should back up their data, charge the phone to at least half and connect it to Wi-Fi. The update arrives over the air, so it can be found in Settings under software update, and it may take a few days to reach every phone in a batch. Anyone who depends on a banking or work app should check that it is compatible with the new version before updating.

A major version of Android reaching a flagship phone within weeks of its launch is a sign that the maker is moving fast on updates.