The bundling of generative AI capabilities within mobile devices is already the norm, with brands like Google and,more recently, Samsung, jumping on the bandwagon for their respectiveflagship phones. OnePlus appeared to be going in a different direction, though, asthe OnePlus 12didn’t feature any flashy AI tricks on launch day. But that’s changing now, with the OnePlus 11 and OnePlus 12 in China picking up new generative AI features courtesy of the latest ColorOS update.
As discovered by aRedditor(viaMishaal Rahman), OnePlus China first started rolling out the ColorOS update for the OnePlus 11, but it was later found that the OnePlus 12 in the region was also picking upthis update. An English version of the changelog (posted below) details the AI additions bundled with the OnePlus 11 update.
A total of three generative AI features are mentioned, including an AI Summarizer, which will automatically generate a summary of your phone calls. The AI will capture data such as locations, times/dates, action items, “and other key information from your phone calls,” OnePlus says.
Next up is an image editing tool (AIGC Remover) that lets you remove objects and people from your pictures. This is somewhat similar to what the Pixel 8 and Galaxy S24 series provide, though the changelog only mentions the ability to remove things from photos, with no sight of video editing.
The last of the three AI experiences coming to the OnePlus 12 and its predecessor is article summaries, which can reportedly be created in a single tap by extracting “key information.” While none of these AI attributes are as advanced as the ones provided by Google and Samsung, it’s a good entry point for owners of the OnePlus 11 and 12 who felt the company missed the AI train.
In addition to these three new AI feature additions, users can now access the fingerprint scanner without waking the phone, according to the changelog. Meanwhile, a newDevice motion & orientationpermission is also included in the Settings, which limits other apps from accessing the phone’s sensors for actions/gestures and display orientation.
We don’t know whether OnePlus intends to bring the generative AI capabilities to global versions of the OnePlus flagships,which run on OxygenOSand not ColorOS. But since both operating systems are nearly identical in every aspect, we don’t see why not.
We initially believed that OnePlus' decision to forego AI-based software features on the OnePlus 12 was aimed at providing a clean experience. But it’s now apparent that the manufacturer always wanted to offer AI attributes on its flagships, but likely couldn’t due to theearly December releaseof the OnePlus 12 in China. The smartphone is currently in the preorder stage in the US, although some customers are getting their hands on the deviceearlier than anticipated.
OnePlus 12
AI features or not, the OnePlus 12 is one of the hottest flagships on the market. It comes with excellent camera hardware, coupled with the goodness of OxygenOS on the software side of things. The company has also outfitted a larger 5,400mAh battery with the OnePlus 12, supporting 100W fast charging out of the box.
