Oppo Android 9 Pie update: Device list and expected release date

Oppo should be your last option when looking to buy from a smartphone vendor that takes software updates serious. In fact, it was a surprise to see the Oppo R15 Pro make it to Android Pie beta testing program, but to typify the Chinese company, there has been little progress since then.

Still, we have some hopes that at least the Oppo R15 will join the Pro variant in getting the Pie update, although the company has yet to go official with any details regarding Oppo Android 9 Pie update. With Google’s Project Treble supported on a good number of Oreo-powered Oppo phones, the least the company can do is give these devices a deserved update to Android Pie, but of course, we don’t make the final decisions.

Related:

• Samsung Android 9 Pie device list
• Sony Android 9 Pie device list
• Vivo Android Pie update device list

Device list

Oppo is one of the leading smartphone vendors not just in China, but also across the globe. The company has phones in Asia, some parts of Europe and Africa, and we expect that some of these devices will be considered for the Oppo Android 9 Pie update. Note that Oppo hasn’t made its official plans known, so this is just us making a guestimate that might materialize or not.

Related:

• The best Oppo phones in 2018
• The best budget Android phones under $300
• The best $400 budget Android phones

Expected release date

Even without a confirmation of the release date, the fact that the Oppo R15 Pro already has access to Android Pie beta means it will get the stable version, most probably alongside the standard R15. These two should be the first to taste Pie ahead of the iconic Oppo Find X if at all the company has plans to keep supporting it with regular software updates.

We are looking at a possible Q4 2018 or maybe Q1 2019 release date for the Oppo Android 9 Pie update, but we are also open to surprises, just in case.

Related: New features in Android Pie

What to expect

Oppo phones come skinned with ColorOS on top of stock Android. The latest version is ColorOS 5.2, but this version is still in beta. The stable version is ColorOS 5.1, which is based on Android 8.1 Oreo, the OS that powers most Oppo phones from the recent past.

With ColorOS, you are getting plenty of customizations, right from the UI and deep into functionality, but fans of Oppo should already be used to this. It is these customizations that are likely to force owners of eligible devices to wait until 2019 before Oppo Android 9 Pie update arrives.

Still, the update will bring core Android 9 Pie features such as app actions, app slices, gestures for navigation, digital wellbeing, smart replies, better notification management, and so on. You can check out all the new Android Pie features here. You can also take a quick peek at what the future holds in Android Q.

Unofficial Android Pie update

• Android Pie GSI download (unofficial update)
• LineageOS 16 device list
• Android 9 Pie Gapps

Like any other Android device, it is possible to play around with Oppo phones and install custom ROMs, however, the popularity of these phones in major developer forums such as XDA Developers is still wanting. This also means that you won’t find so many custom ROMs for your Oppo phone, but this doesn’t mean there aren’t any.

Android Pie-based LineageOS 16 is on the way and is expected to include support for various Oppo phones, but the wait for this update could go all the way into Q1 2019 or thereafter. Still, the presence of Project Treble has helped hasten the development process and thus it shouldn’t be long before some Oppo phones start jumping on the Android 9 Pie ports’ ship.

Considering the uncertainties surrounding Oppo Android 9 Pie update, getting an unofficial update might just be your only option of getting a taste of Pie, so we’ll make sure to keep an eye on this one for you.