The OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro are two of the best Android phones of the year, thanks to a combination of powerful hardware and great software. OnePlus recently released the long-awaited OxygenOS 12 update, bringing Android 12 to its users.

However, not all is well, and many users have voiced some issues. Bugs, inconsistencies, and broken or missing features all speak to a really bad update for the OnePlus 9. And considering that OxygenOS 12 has been in beta for a little while now, this half-hearted update is inexcusable - especially since Oppo and OnePlus share software development resources.

If users are to be believed, and we're willing to bet they are, OxygenOS 12 is hardly stable. We have not installed the latest version on our review unit, but we did play with the OxygenOS 12 beta on the OnePlus 9. There was a lot of lag and bugs, which we hoped would be addressed in the final release, but it appears not.

For example, there are reports of problems making and receiving calls, some animations are simply missing, and Wi-Fi speeds are noticeably slower. This is surprising given the history of OxygenOS, one of the most customizable Android skins.

It is no longer possible to change individual app icons, customize status bar icons, disable Google Feed, access the Advanced Reboot menu, or access the call recording app. Of course, using one of the best Android launchers can address some of these, but the default OxygenOS launcher is actually quite good.

OnePlus has released terrible updates before, but this one seems especially bad considering it's for the company's latest flagship phone OxygenOS 12 has an enhanced shelf, Work Life Balance 2.0, reworked icons, adjustable dark mode, and several other new features are promised. We were very excited to actually install the update on our unit, even though it is basically Oppo's ColorOS with a swapped color palette.

Whether OnePlus will withdraw the update and encourage users to downgrade to OxygenOS 11 remains to be seen at this time. It is also possible that they will release a hotfix to address more pressing issues, such as calling problems. For now, those who have not yet updated are strongly advised to wait until OnePlus addresses these issues.