OnePlus 15 ColorOS beta opens, but not for everyone

There’s one important catch, though. While both the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 15R are available in the US, the inaugural ColorOS beta is currently reserved exclusively for Indian variants of the two phones. There’s no mention of the base OS, but Android 17 is expected, given that OnePlus has been testing the OS on the OnePlus 15 since March.

For now, OnePlus is accepting 300 testers each for the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 15R. Applicants must own the Indian variant, be registered members of the OnePlus Community, sign a non-disclosure agreement, and join a dedicated Telegram group to communicate directly with the software team. The application window runs from August 6 through August 7.

The company is making it clear that this is an early build. Testers are prohibited from sharing screenshots, interface details, benchmark results, update packages, or virtually anything related to the software. ColorOS beta builds will also automatically enable Experience Improvement Programs and overnight automatic updates, while OnePlus warns that participants should expect bugs and back up their data before installing.

For US and European users, the region lock is likely to be the biggest disappointment. While previous OxygenOS beta programs routinely accepted participants from these regions, last year’s OxygenOS 16 beta was limited to India, so  I wouldn’t be surprised if OnePlus limits this ColorOS testing to the Indian market.

That said, OnePlus hasn’t announced plans to open the ColorOS beta to US devices, nor has it provided a timeline for a wider rollout. But if last year’s strategy is anything to go by, US and global OnePlus users may have to sit back and wait for the stable ColorOS to arrive later this year.