OnePlus 7T series is now getting the stable Android 11 update, but it's not all good news

What you need to know

• The stable OxygenOS 11 update is now rolling for the OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro phones.
• While the update comes with several new features, Always-on Display is disappointingly missing.
• OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro owners will have to wait slightly longer for the Android 11-based OxygenOS 11 update.

The highly anticipated Android 11-based OxygenOS 11 stable update has finally started rolling out to the OnePlus 7T series phones. OnePlus had rolled out the first OxygenOS 11 Open Beta build for the 7T series in late January, three months after it rolled out the stable update to its best Android phones.

As you would expect, OnePlus is rolling out the update in stages. The company says only a small number of OnePlus 7T users will receive the update today, and a broader rollout will commence in a few days.

The stable OxygenOS 11 update brings a long list of new features, including the ability to turn on Dark Mode automatically at a specific time range, support for HEVC video recording, accidental touch prevention in the Game Space app, an updated camera UI, as well as a revamped Gallery app. It also features a number of UI tweaks for better single-handed use. Disappointingly, however, the stable OxygenOS 11 update for the OnePlus 7T series doesn't include the Always-On Display feature.

Here's the full changelog:

System

• Update to OxygenOS 11 version
• Fresh new UI visual design brings you a more comfortable experience with various optimizations of details
• Optimize the stability of some third-party applications and improve the experience
• Updated Android Security Patch to 2021.02
• Updated GMS package to 2021.01

Camera

• Updated the camera UI and optimized some of the function paths to offer more convenient operation
• Newly added HEVC codec to reduce video storage size seamlessly, capture and shoot more without compromising on quality
• Newly added access to a third-party app to share the picture by pressing and holding it in preview
• Newly added the quick access to recording mode by pressing and holding the shutter button and by sliding the button, you can easily zoom in or zoom out
• Newly added the playback display in Time-lapse mode to show the actual filming time

Ambient Display

• Newly added Insight clock style, a joint creation with Parsons School of Design. It will change according to the phone usage data (To set: Settings > Customization > Clock on ambient display)
• Newly added Canvas feature that can automatically draw a wireframe picture based on a lock screen photo on your phone（Path: Settings - Customization - Wallpaper - Canvas - Choose photo preview and it can be generated automatically）

Dark Mode

• Added the shortcut key for Dark Mode, pull down the quick setting to enable
• Supporting automatically turn on feature & customize time range (path: Settings - Display - Dark Mode - Turn on automatically - Automatically enable from sunset to sunrise/Custom time range)

Game Space

• Newly added gaming tools box for convenient switches of Fnatic mode. You can now choose three ways of notifications: text-only, heads up and block, just for your immersive gaming experience
• Newly added quick reply feature in a small window for Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram (Enable it by swiping down from upper right/left corners of the screen in gaming mode)
• Newly added mis-touch prevention feature. Enable it, swipe down from the top of the screen, click and the notification bar will pop out

Shelf

• Newly shelf interface design, the interface is clearer
• Added weather widget, animation effect smarter

Gallery

• Supporting Story function, automatically form weekly videos with photos and video in storage
• Optimize the loading speed of the gallery, and the image preview is faster

What is also a little disappointing is that the update doesn't bring the latest March security patch. Instead, it comes with the February 2021 Android security patch. The OnePlus 7 series phones, which received the fourth OxygenOS Open Beta recently, will likely start receiving the stable update by the end of this month or early next month.