Oppo R15 Pro ColorOS 6 (Android Pie) update trial version up for grabs

Chinese OEMs often produce a China specific variant of a particular device with some additional features. As NFC is seldom used in there, those models lack the functionality while featuring extra network band support intended for Chinese wireless carriers.

When it comes to software, the Chinese units usually run a specialized edition of Android without Google services. Thanks to the Great Firewall, smartphone makers have to replace everything Google related with in-house alternatives.

Depending on the design, it is technically possible to convert the Chinese variant of a phone to its international counterpart without much hassle. Certainly there are exceptions, such as OPPO R15 Pro versus R15 Dream Mirror Edition.

Launched in 2018 as a capable mid-ranger, OPPO R15 Pro came with a Snapdragon 660 SoC paired with 6 GB of RAM. The phone draws the necessary power from a moderately large 3,430 mAh. On the rear panel, there is a capacitive fingerprint scanner alongside dual (16+20 MP) cameras.

In Mainland China, OPPO decided to rebrand the phone with a new name (R15 Dream Mirror Edition) with a slightly smaller battery (3,400 mAh) and different physical dimensions. Both of them launched with Android Oreo based ColorOS 5.2, but the Chinese edition got Pie via soak testing.

Worry not, as the ‘trial’ version of Pie ColorOS 6 is finally available for Indian users as well. Participation is pretty simple; all you need to do is navigate to Settings => Software Updates and enroll yourself for the trial aka soak testing.

After successful enrollment, the soak test build of Pie should automatically appear on your R15 Pro. Remember to install the latest Oreo build beforehand to ensure compatibilities.

The sixth iteration of ColorOS is massive overhaul compared to older versions. Users can enjoy a bunch of new features such as a revamped stock camera, spam call blocking, riding mode, Game Boost 2.0 and many more things.

「Visuals」
·Redesigned the UI to suit the bezel-less screen. Blank spaces and colour gradients are carefully harnessed to interpret aesthetics, grace, and youth.

「Hyper Boost」
·Added Game Boost 2.0 (which integrates Frame Boost and Touch Boost), reducing game lags.
·Added System Boost: Optimized the whole system through improved compatibility between bottom-layer hardware platforms.
·Added App Boost: optimised platform-level heavy-weight apps.

「System」
·Added a button to hide unimportant notifications with just a tap.
·Added swipe gestures on both sides to go back, allowing easier navigation.
·Added custom “Do Not Disturb” scenarios. Different time ranges can be set dependent on the scenario.

「Game Space」
·Game Space: new visuals, avatar game console, landscape, and portrait screen orientations.
·My Games Moments: screenshots and screen recordings of games can be collected here and be viewed independently.
·You can reduce image quality to save power in Low Power Mode.

「Home Screen」
·Added default wallpapers with aesthetics and modern feel.
·Added drawer mode on Home screen.
·Added live wallpapers to satisfy different users.
·Added batch icon management on Home Screen.

「Tools」
·Calculator: result of each step is immediately displayed.

「Camera」
·Optimised Portrait mode.
·Optimised UI.

「Photos」
·Optimised UI.
·Added Favourites function: Photos and albums can be added to Favourites.

「Communication」
·Added block rule: block calls and messages from numbers that start with certain prefixes.
·Added Flash on Call: the flash blinks if there is an incoming call when the screen is locked or off.
·You can connect to two Bluetooth devices at the same time, allowing quick switching between them.

「Settings」
·Added Screen Colour Mode: screen display effects can be changed.
·Added Riding Mode (applies to partial regions).

Early adopters (about 1,000 slots are available) are requested to submit bug reports via the built-in ColorOS Community app. The Chinese OEM may greenlit the soak test build as stable ColorOS 6 if everything goes well.

Regular users need to wait a bit more to get the final Pie update on their OPPO R15 Pro. For further info about the trial, visit the announcement thread in ColorOS community forum.

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