OnePlus dropping ColorOS in China for in-house ROM

Two months afterÂ OnePlus officially announced its anticipated Android smartphone, the OnePlus One, in May, reports have come up stating that OnePlus is working on building its own ROM out of Taiwan to replace its current Color OS ROM (used in its phones in China). This ROM will be exclusively made for the China market while international models will still be using CyanogenMod 11S.

Normally, Chinese mobile manufacturers like Oppo, Xiaomi, and Coolpad use bifurcated versions of AndroidÂ in China, as stock Android ROMs don’t offer enough functionality due to China’s firewall blocking the working of Google products mostly.

Despite the rumors doing rounds on the internet, OnePlus is not parting ways with CyanogenMod, as CM 11S isn’t on OnePlus devices in China in the first place; their partnership with CyanogenMod was a devised strategy for international markets, and the partnership has proved to be fruitful according to the makers of OnePlus.

In talks with media, Pete Lau, CEO of OnePlus, explained that the decision to move its design and engineering teams to Taiwan is the direct result of recognizing the abundance of user-interface design and ROM engineering talent within the country. He further added that OnePlus plans on offering a China-focused ROM that’s built in-house for OnePlus’s second generation flagship phone.

According toÂ OnePlus founder Liu Zuohu, the North American market is the catalyst which is launching and nurturing the global brands like Apple, Uber, Facebook, and Google. Based on the similar premise, Zuohu says that CyanogenMod played a vital role in OnePlus’s global presence particularly at launch. OnePlus’s association with a globally recognized ROM like Cyanogen has helped in establishing OnePlus’s name as an internationally competitive brand.