Last updated: April 16th, 2026 at 05:21 UTC+02:00
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Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
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Abhijeet Mishra / SamMobile
Samsung introduced major UI design changes with One UI 7. It also debuted new features like Now Bar and Now Brief, which display relevant information based on time and context. It now appears that some Chinese smartphone brands have taken a liking to Now Bar and are working on a similar feature for their in-house software.
OPPO is expected to unveil the next version of its smartphone software, ColorOS 16.1, in China today. The company recently released a teaser video (via X user @sunnny1583) highlighting new features and UI changes, including a Now Bar-like element. This feature is reportedly called “Lockscreen Island.”
OPPO
Alarm Lockscreen Island in ColorOS 16.1 – Source: OPPO
OPPO
Voice Recorder Lockscreen Island in ColorOS 16.1 – Source: OPPO
OPPO
Music Player Lockscreen Island in ColorOS 16.1 – Source: OPPO
OPPO
Incoming call Lockscreen Island in ColorOS 16.1 – Source: OPPO
It is a pill-shaped UI element that appears at the bottom of the lock screen, positioned between the two shortcuts. It can be expanded with a tap to show more information.
OPPO
Stopwatch Lockscreen Island in ColorOS 16.1 – Source: OPPO
Based on the teaser, Lockscreen Island can display updates from several stock apps, including Calendar, Clock (alarm and timer), e-book reader, OPPO Health, Maps, Phone, Music Player, Timer, Torch, and Weather. Users can swipe left or right to switch between different activities.
OPPO
Lockscreen Island compatible apps in ColorOS 16.1 – Source: OPPO
OPPO
Expanded Music Player Lockscreen Island in ColorOS 16.1 – Source: OPPO
OPPO
Lockscreen Island compatible apps in ColorOS 16.1 – Source: OPPO
OPPO
Maps navigation Lockscreen Island in ColorOS 16.1 – Source: OPPO
OnePlus devices run OxygenOS, which is based on OPPO’s ColorOS. So, OxygenOS 16.1 is expected to include the same feature.
In comparison, Samsung’s Now Bar can display ongoing information from a wide range of apps and services in One UI 8.5. They are listed below.
Samsung is expected to further expand the capabilities of Now Bar and Now Brief with the upcoming One UI 9 update.
Asif is a computer engineer turned technology journalist. He has been using Samsung phones since 2004, and his current smartphone is the Galaxy S23 Ultra. He loves headphones, mechanical keyboards, and PC hardware. When not writing about technology, he likes watching crime and science fiction movies and TV shows.
