In the great iOS vs Android debate, you’ll often hear Apple fans bringing up Airdrop as one of the iPhone’s key advantages. However, it seems OnePlus is hoping to bring AirDrop-style sharing and drag-and-drop file transfers to its Android phones.
O+ Connect, which comprises a feature built into OnePlus’ OxygenOS Android wrapper and an app for compatible third-party devices, brings these features to OnePlus devices, starting with the OnePlus 13R.
As for the flagship OnePlus 13, the company has confirmed O+ Connect support is on the way, but we don’t know exactly when yet. Additionally, the feature is only available for UK and EU users at the moment.
This enables users to view and transfer files between their OnePlus phone and iPhone, iPad, or Mac wirelessly, which is usually impossible without using an intermediary like Google Drive or WeTransfer.
The corresponding O+ Connect app can be found on an official OnePlus website or on the iOS App Store.
Curiously, the O+ Connect app supports macOS all the way back to version 10.4, released in 2005 as macOS X Tiger – this means that any Mac released in the last 20 years should be supported; talk about backwards compatibility.
It’s worth mentioning that the O+ Connect app was originally released under the same name for Oppo phones. Oppo and OnePlus are both owned by parent company BBK Electronics, and while the two companies often share designs and features, they are distinct. It’s something to keep in mind if you use both OnePlus and Oppo devices.
Building bridges
According to OnePlus, the integration of the O+ Connect app marks the start of an ecosystem that will aim to connect OnePlus users with devices from multiple other brands – not just Apple.
Personally speaking, I’ve experienced the sheer horror of trying to move a large video from an Android phone to my MacBook, or from an iPhone to an Android device, one too many times.
Though third-party solutions like LocalSend are very effective, I welcome OnePlus’ addition of O+ Connect – it’s great to see phone makers tackling this issue with first-party solutions.
I think phone makers have some right to protect and encircle their own ecosystems, but making file sharing easier really has no downside from a consumer perspective. I’m glad to see OnePlus leading the way on this.
O+ Connect is on its way to the OnePlus 13, but I’m hoping it’ll come to more of the best OnePlus phones soon. Let us know if you’ll be using this new feature in the comments below.
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jamie.richards@futurenet.com (Jamie Richards)
