Recently, the news about Android 9.0 for OnePlus 6 has exploded on the forums. As a user of the OnePlus 2, I couldn’t help but want to experience Android 9.0. However, the official updates are no longer available, so I had to resort to alternative methods by flashing a third-party ROM to experience Android P.
First, prepare for flashing by finding the ROM package. In China, a well-known open-source Android ROM is Moke, but the most minimalistic and rapidly updated one is undoubtedly Lineage OS, which is the successor to the famous CyanogenMod. Luckily, there was an unofficial version of Lineage OS Android 9.0 available on the forum, so I checked the official site and downloaded the latest version from October 7th, Lineage OS 16. Here is a list of supported models for Lineage OS 16, so users who enjoy flashing can check if their phones are supported.
List of supported models for Lineage OS 16
Without further ado, let’s start flashing. In fact, flashing is very simple; as long as you can find a way to flash a third-party recovery onto your phone, the rest is just finding the flashing package and installing it on the phone. Flashing in progress…
Now, let’s take a look at the first boot screen after flashing.
Lineage OS 16 Desktop
This ROM package is only 533M, which is relatively small compared to domestic customized ROMs. However, after flashing, I found that this ROM package has already integrated Google apps, so there’s no need to flash GApps again. Let’s see what built-in software this ROM has.
Built-in Software of Lineage OS 16
It can be seen that it is quite considerate, without unnecessary software included. Although it is more streamlined compared to most domestic customized systems, its functionality is also quite basic. For example, there’s no attractive desktop (after all, the interface appearance is important as it is directly presented to your eyes; a good interface always brings a pleasant mood), and there are no complex or user-friendly operational features. But the fun of playing with the device lies in this; it’s like a painting, giving you a blank canvas allows you to have fun in the creative process. If you are directly given a completed painting to appreciate, I believe most of us are not artists, and being hands-on is much more interesting than just looking with our eyes.
Storage Usage of Lineage OS 16
Although the ROM package is small, after flashing, you won’t feel that it is small at all. The system occupies 4.9G of storage, and the built-in applications take up 1.5G of storage space.
Version Information of Lineage OS 16
Here is the version information of Lineage OS 16, which shows that it is the unofficial version of Android 9.0.
Without installing any other software, I tried out Lineage OS and found that it is relatively smoother compared to the ROMs I had flashed before, just as I titled it, smooth as silk (of course, there is a bit of exaggeration). This smoothness is reflected in the speed of application installation, opening, and transition animations. In terms of application installation speed, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is comparable to my OnePlus 5. Compared to Android 7.0 and 8.0, there is indeed a significant improvement. The transition animations are also very smooth, without the lag that was present before, and it feels very responsive. During the experience, I also discovered some interesting settings:
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In the status bar settings, you can set quick pull-down. We know that generally, when we pull down the status bar, we can only see one line of content, and to display all content, we need to pull down a second time. Here, we can set the left or right side of the screen to achieve a quick pull-down, allowing us to pull down from either side of the screen to bring up the entire status bar.
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The second feature is the volume key. Previously, when we pressed the volume key, we could only adjust the volume level. However, in Android 9.0, when you press the volume key, four control areas will appear from top to bottom: phone status settings, volume adjustment status bar, one-click mute, and quick entry into sound settings.
Interface after pressing the volume key
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The last feature is the power key function. After pressing the power key, in addition to the options to shut down and restart, there is also a screenshot function. Compared to the method of simultaneously pressing the power key and volume down key to take a screenshot, this is simpler, but compared to knuckle screenshot and three-finger swipe screenshot, it is slightly more complex.
Here, I would like to emphasize the Digital Wellbeing feature of Android 9.0. When I first saw these two English words in the settings, I really didn’t know what they meant, so I searched online. This is one of the key features of Android 9.0, translated as “Digital Wellbeing.” What is the purpose of this feature? It is not an exaggeration to say that the phone has become our second body, which we find difficult to part with, as it serves as a converging terminal platform where each of us can find what we want and like. We cannot deny that most of us are trapped in a pathological state of spending too much time on our phones. Google launched this feature to help us use our phones in moderation.
Digital Wellbeing
Digital Wellbeing will track three data points: screen usage time, phone unlock counts, and notification counts. Through the analysis of these three data points, it informs you about your dependence on your phone and where your time is spent. If you want to create a healthy phone usage plan, you can use this data to limit application usage time.
Digital Wellbeing
When you don’t want to spend too much time using various applications or don’t want to be disturbed by too many notifications, you can use the features “ways to disconnect” and “reduce interruption” to limit application usage time and reduce notification disturbances. In terms of this feature, I think it is very user-friendly; if used well, it can definitely help us use our phones more healthily.
Finally, after experiencing pure Lineage OS, I flashed the Magisk framework and installed Nova Launcher and other applications to beautify my phone a bit. I thought the phone might slow down after all this, but once everything was done, the phone was still as smooth as silk!
Simple Desktop Beautification
(Article from the internet, please delete if infringed)
