Vivo has not been 100% happy with its custom Android skin, Funtouch OS, for some time, and the company decided to shake things up massively. And that shakeup could be attributed to the fair share of criticism Funtouch OS has received.
Instead of just overhauling the UI, the company also decided to rebrand it’s custom Android skin to start a clean slate marking a new era for future Vivo smartphones and some existing ones.
The new skin, OriginOS, has been officially unveiled at the company’s developer conference held in China. OriginOS Android skin arguably looks fresh from what we’ve seen before. It heavily utilizes rectangular and square widgets, which Vivo is calling the Klotski grid system.
Home screen OriginOS
The widgets are the main changes here, by the way, and they are fluid and dynamic. Functionality has also been tweaked from the outgoing Funtouch OS.
Vivo promises OriginOS would offer users a smooth, convenient, and secure experience. Each widget on the home screen can be modified. And these widgets can also minimally deliver updates, which the company is calling “Nano Alerts.”
With nano alerts, you can be updated on weather, messages, flight information, etc. Inside the widget, users can tap to view more details.
OriginOS home screen
Fresh wallpapers are also included, all inspired by nature. These are also dynamic and can mimic winds, time of the day, and more.
Under the hood, Vivo has included Multi-Turbo 5.0, which acts as a memory optimization tool to improve device performance. Other small changes have been packed inside, making it stand out from the predecessor, FunTouch OS.
Besides, users can reportedly toggle between the two skins – Funtouch and Origin OS.
OriginOS Rollout
Vivo plans to begin seeding out OriginOS from the end of January next year, 2021. The rollout will be done in three phases, and the first batch will include the following devices;
- Vivo Nex 3S
- Vivo X50 (including the Pro and Pro Plus variants)
- Vivo S7
- Qiao 5 Pro
- Qiao 5
- Qiao 3
- Qiao Pro
- Qiao
- Qiao Neo 3
The second batch will kick off in mid-February and will see these devices updated;
- Vivo Nex 3 and Nex 3 5G
- Vivo X30 and X30 Pro
- Qiao Neo series
The final batch will cover these devices;
- Vivo X27 and X27 Pro
- Vivo S1, S1 Pro, S5, and S6
- Vivo Z5, Z5x, Z5i, and Z6
- Qiao Z1x
- Qiao Z1, and Z1x
- Vivo and Vivo Nex S
From the roadmap, devices from the Vivo Y-series and V-series have not been included, which means most Kenyans using the company’s phones will miss out on the update.
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