Oppo's latest ColorOS 3.0 is based on Android 5.1 (Lollipop), and was launched last month with the R9 Plus.

It looks flatter and more monotonous than previous versions of ColorOS, with many of the default icons (Browser, Contacts, Email, Files, Weather, Phone and Messages) being in the exact same shade of blue or green.

While not the most aesthetically exciting, what I do appreciate about the ColorOS is that it is very fuss-free, and is reasonably close to stock Android.

It ships with almost no pre-installed software except for the bare essentials such as a music player and a calculator, and a collection of Google apps.

Organising the home screen is easy, as users can move the icons in batches instead of individually. When they select the icons, a small preview of all the available pages appears, so users can see where there is free space to place them.

However, such tools to facilitate management may be necessary, as ColorOS 3.0 does not have an apps drawer. Instead, all installed apps go directly to the home screen, which can get cluttered fast.

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