Even as OnePlus and OPPO merge their internal teams, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau assures its users that its OxygenOS platform will continue to be available on its global devices. But while that may be the case now, we aren't entirely sure that it won't change in the future. The Android 12 Beta on the OnePlus 9 shows ColorOS at its core, which Max Weinbach has pointed out in a tweet. In China, OnePlus devices already ship with OPPO's ColorOS since last year.
In case you didn't know, OPPO and OnePlus (along with brands like Vivo and Realme) are all brands under the Chinese multinational conglomerate BBK Electronics. Since last year, Lau has taken on a more significant role in overseeing parts of both OnePlus and OPPO. Now, he's merging more teams in both companies internally with a promise of improved efficiency and faster software updates for their users. It would make sense to join operating systems in the future eventually. For now, we have to wait and see what Lau and his team decide to do.
Source: 9to5Google