The OnePlus 15 is just a few months away, having already been officially announced for both China and global markets. With a new phone launch on the horizon, OnePlus also needs a fresh software build. Since Android 16 has been around for some time, it’s now time for OxygenOS 16 to make its official debut.
OxygenOS 16 represents a significant update for OnePlus, continuing its push into AI-focused features after a similar initiative last year. Alongside this, the update introduces a fresh redesign to enhance the user experience. However, if you were hoping for a design inspired by Material 3 Expressive, you might be disappointed.
In fact, OxygenOS 16 looks almost identical to modern iOS builds. This style, typically reserved for China-exclusive devices, is now set for a US launch unlike anything we’ve seen before. OnePlus calls its new design language “Breath [sic] with You,” and nearly every element brings to mind pre-Liquid Glass iOS.
For example, the weather app, which was already somewhat similar to Apple’s revamped version, now looks practically indistinguishable. The quick settings panel takes heavy inspiration from the iOS Control Center — even more than last year — featuring rounded translucent circles and oval-shaped sliders.
The app drawer offers a category-based layout that is a dead ringer for Apple’s App Library. The lock screen is one of the few places where the Liquid Glass influence shines through, with OnePlus adopting ultra-tall number fonts for the clock styling, placed alongside iOS-style widget icons.
OxygenOS 16 is packed with good ideas, but it’s hard to overlook just how blatantly the overall design seems to borrow from Apple. Features not directly inspired by iOS, like elongated home screen icons, don’t quite measure up aesthetically. It will be interesting to see how longtime OnePlus fans react. At least some of the more controversial features, such as the App Library-inspired app drawer, can be disabled if preferred.
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The Apple influence doesn’t end with design. OnePlus has also expanded its “Cross-Eco Connectivity” features. Last year, the company introduced an AirDrop-compatible client in OxygenOS, allowing OnePlus and iPhone users to effortlessly share files.
This year, OnePlus is going even further by adding the ability to pair an Apple Watch with a OnePlus device via its OHealth app. This pairing supports notifications, messages, synced exercise records, and even phone calls. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if Apple blocks this functionality in the near future.
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After launching the OnePlus 12 less than two years ago with minimal AI focus, the company has made a 180-degree turn. OxygenOS 16 is now loaded with AI-powered tools aiming to enhance productivity and usability.
Some improvements come in the form of AI enhancements to existing apps. For instance, Mind Space—an app designed to organize screenshots and other saved screen content—now supports Gemini, Google’s chatbot, which can analyze saved data directly on-device.
The productivity suite benefits from features like AI Scan, optimized for scanning slides and screens, alongside additional AI writing tools that help customize language and improve workflows.
Despite this heavy AI focus, many of the tools feel somewhat shallow. Writing assistants, AI-powered transcriptions, and menu translators are useful but not especially unique. This pattern sums up OxygenOS 16 pretty well — it offers plenty of new features, but most are iterations of existing ideas rather than groundbreaking innovations.
Even Mind Space’s ability to automatically save content feels vague, and because the hardware shortcut key can be reassigned to other functions, many users may never discover it at all.
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Overall, OxygenOS 16 marks a substantial update for OnePlus, especially in terms of design and AI integration. While some users may welcome the fresh features, others may be wary of the heavy Apple-inspired design and relatively conventional AI tools. Time will tell how the community embraces this latest version of OxygenOS.
https://9to5google.com/2025/10/16/oneplus-oxygenos-16-ios-like-redesign-ai-apple-watch-support/