I could quickly finish this article with only one word: “wow”! Instead, let me start by saying that after months of loyally using my One stock as it was intended by CM, I gave up by unlocking the bootloader, rooting and installing the all new and fresh OxygenOS 1.0.0.
During our #AndroidColiseum Hangout show last week, I said on air that I would wait patiently for CM12S and ignore OxygenOS because of its barebone status but all of a sudden, the idea of a slim ROM made its way into my subconscious.
Here I am, 24 hours later, with a more snappy phone than ever and what seems to be an awesome OS even with the shy 1.0.0 version. I can go on and on about how great lollipop and OxygenOS are but at this point of the game, I want to simply point a few issues I had transiting from CM11S, an OS packed with so many options it’s almost too much. After my first reboot in OxygenOS, I started looking for the option where I can turn off sync. Humm… it’s simple under CM with all the toggles but this time, no clue at all. To this hour, I still don’t know how to get to the sync off manually by going through the settings (Does it even exist?!). Sacrilege! The power widget has been removed from Android 5! Another vital toggle for me was the “Screen Off” and “Volumes” so I’d never have to use the hardware buttons on my One but only toggles. Overall, having to grieve from toggles was almost a deal breaker for me until I remembered the app Power Toggles that I used in a previous version of Android to supplement the power widget. At around the same time, Martin Guay probably heard my pain because he published an article about Power Toggles… coincidence?
Another struggle I had was to leave the awesome camera app found on CM11S for the could-be-better Google Camera. I shoot all my pictures in 16:9 to fit the screen of my phone, TV and computer. With Google Camera, I didn’t have other options than low-res photos because the best 16:9 option I could have was a mere 2-ish MegaPixel. Ewwww.... I quickly disabled Google Camera and installed Open Camera and got the resolution choices I was looking for.
I’m a big fan of keeping my phone unlocked when on a trusted Wi-Fi network and this cannot be done using Smart Lock so I can only hope Google or OnePlus will add this functionality in the very near future. I could use GPS to determine if my phone should stay unlocked but I find that option to be too broad for my taste.
I use the launcher that comes by default with OxygenOS: Google Launcher. I used to be a major fan of Nova but grew out of it. I now prefer a more basic launcher with less options but still elegant.
My advice for anyone coming from CM11S to OxygenOS:
I couldn’t be happier with my phone right now!
If you own the amazing OnePlus One, will you or have you already adopted OxygenOS? or will you wait for CM12S? Let me know your what and why!
Get OxygenOS here: https://oneplus.net/oxygenos
Power Toggles
Open Camera
Solid Manager
During our #AndroidColiseum Hangout show last week, I said on air that I would wait patiently for CM12S and ignore OxygenOS because of its barebone status but all of a sudden, the idea of a slim ROM made its way into my subconscious.
Here I am, 24 hours later, with a more snappy phone than ever and what seems to be an awesome OS even with the shy 1.0.0 version. I can go on and on about how great lollipop and OxygenOS are but at this point of the game, I want to simply point a few issues I had transiting from CM11S, an OS packed with so many options it’s almost too much. After my first reboot in OxygenOS, I started looking for the option where I can turn off sync. Humm… it’s simple under CM with all the toggles but this time, no clue at all. To this hour, I still don’t know how to get to the sync off manually by going through the settings (Does it even exist?!). Sacrilege! The power widget has been removed from Android 5! Another vital toggle for me was the “Screen Off” and “Volumes” so I’d never have to use the hardware buttons on my One but only toggles. Overall, having to grieve from toggles was almost a deal breaker for me until I remembered the app Power Toggles that I used in a previous version of Android to supplement the power widget. At around the same time, Martin Guay probably heard my pain because he published an article about Power Toggles… coincidence?
Another struggle I had was to leave the awesome camera app found on CM11S for the could-be-better Google Camera. I shoot all my pictures in 16:9 to fit the screen of my phone, TV and computer. With Google Camera, I didn’t have other options than low-res photos because the best 16:9 option I could have was a mere 2-ish MegaPixel. Ewwww.... I quickly disabled Google Camera and installed Open Camera and got the resolution choices I was looking for.
I’m a big fan of keeping my phone unlocked when on a trusted Wi-Fi network and this cannot be done using Smart Lock so I can only hope Google or OnePlus will add this functionality in the very near future. I could use GPS to determine if my phone should stay unlocked but I find that option to be too broad for my taste.
I use the launcher that comes by default with OxygenOS: Google Launcher. I used to be a major fan of Nova but grew out of it. I now prefer a more basic launcher with less options but still elegant.
My advice for anyone coming from CM11S to OxygenOS:
- Install Power Toggles to take care of your toggle addiction.
- Use a good app like Open Camera instead of Google Camera if you snap 16:9 photos.
- I read the file manager app “Files” on OxygenOS is buggy so just use another one like Solid Manager.
I couldn’t be happier with my phone right now!
If you own the amazing OnePlus One, will you or have you already adopted OxygenOS? or will you wait for CM12S? Let me know your what and why!
Get OxygenOS here: https://oneplus.net/oxygenos
Power Toggles
Open Camera
Solid Manager
Comments
Post a Comment