Borrowing from Apple but refusing to be bound by it
As the boundaries between competing design philosophies continue to blur, Oppo prepares to release ColorOS 17 — a software layer built atop Android 17 that draws deliberate inspiration from Apple's Liquid Glass aesthetic, reinterpreted as 'liquid acrylic' for the practical realities of battery life and legibility. The move is less an act of imitation than one of translation: taking a visual language born in one ecosystem and reshaping it to serve another. It speaks to a quiet truth in the technology industry — that originality and influence are rarely opposites, and that the most enduring designs are often those that borrow wisely rather than copy blindly.
- Oppo is openly adapting Apple's signature Liquid Glass UI for ColorOS 17, a move that raises immediate questions about where inspiration ends and imitation begins.
- The stakes are real: in a crowded Android market, interface design has become one of the last frontiers for meaningful differentiation, and getting it wrong risks alienating users.
- Oppo's deliberate choice to weaken the refraction effect — trading visual drama for battery efficiency and readability — signals a pragmatic rather than purely aesthetic ambition.
- Features like Dynamic Island-style notifications and music-reactive visual effects suggest Oppo is assembling a mosaic of borrowed ideas, each adapted to its own context.
- With Android 17's release imminent, the industry is watching to see whether Oppo's toned-down interpretation will feel like a thoughtful evolution or a pale echo of Apple's bolder vision.
Oppo's next major software release, ColorOS 17, is arriving built on Android 17 — and it carries unmistakable fingerprints of Apple's Liquid Glass interface, the visual system that debuted with iOS 26. But Oppo is not simply replicating what Apple built. The company is crafting its own interpretation, internally described as 'liquid acrylic,' a softer rendering of the same idea.
The critical distinction is in the refraction. Apple's Liquid Glass creates pronounced visual depth; Oppo's version deliberately pulls back that intensity. The reasoning is practical: weaker refraction means lower power consumption and better readability — two concerns that matter deeply to Android users who have long complained about battery life and cluttered interfaces. The visual effect will still carry the Liquid Glass DNA, but it will feel like a considered adaptation rather than a direct copy.
Beyond the glass effect itself, ColorOS 17 will introduce more harmonious rounded corners across the system, real-time lighting effects in notification pop-ups, a Dynamic Island-style interactive notification area, and visual animations that respond to music playback. Together, these elements suggest Oppo is assembling a cohesive design language rather than grafting features onto an existing one.
The broader context matters here. As Android matures and hardware differences narrow, manufacturers are increasingly turning to software design as a competitive tool. Oppo's approach — adapting rather than imitating — reflects an understanding that borrowed ideas only resonate when they are reshaped with intention.
Google is expected to release Android 17 very soon, after which Oppo will likely begin teasing ColorOS 17 publicly. That is when the real test begins: whether the battery savings hold, whether the readability delivers, and whether users will embrace a design that learns from Apple without being defined by it.
Oppo is preparing to borrow from Apple's playbook. The Chinese phone maker's next major software release, ColorOS 17, will arrive in the coming months built on Android 17, and according to reports emerging from China, it will draw design inspiration directly from Apple's Liquid Glass interface—the visual system that debuted with iOS 26 last year. But Oppo isn't simply copying. The company is adapting the concept into what insiders are calling "liquid acrylic," a deliberately softened interpretation that trades some of Apple's visual punch for practical gains.
The key difference lies in how the effect behaves on screen. Where Apple's Liquid Glass creates strong refraction and visual depth, Oppo's version operates with what sources describe as relatively weak refraction. This isn't a limitation born of technical inability—it's a deliberate choice. By dialing back the intensity, Oppo gains two concrete advantages: the interface consumes less power, and text and UI elements remain easier to read. In a market where battery life remains a persistent consumer complaint, this trade-off makes sense.
The visual impact won't be as dramatic as what Apple achieved, and that's the honest assessment from those familiar with the plans. Users will still recognize the Liquid Glass DNA running through ColorOS 17, but it will feel like a cousin rather than a clone. Beyond the refracted glass effect itself, Oppo is planning additional refinements throughout the interface. Rounded corners will be more consistent and harmonious across the entire system, creating a more unified visual language. Notification pop-ups will feature real-time lighting effects that respond to the content being displayed. The company is also incorporating a Dynamic Island equivalent—Apple's pill-shaped interactive notification area that has become a status symbol in smartphone design—along with visual effects that trigger and animate in real time when music is playing.
This move reflects a broader pattern in the Android ecosystem. As Google's operating system matures and differentiation becomes harder to achieve through raw features, manufacturers are increasingly looking to interface design as a way to stand out. Oppo's willingness to adapt rather than imitate suggests the company understands that wholesale copying rarely resonates; instead, taking an idea and reshaping it for your own constraints and priorities can feel fresh and intentional.
The timing suggests Oppo is moving quickly. Google is expected to release Android 17 very soon, and once that arrives, Oppo will likely begin teasing ColorOS 17 publicly in the weeks that follow. That's when we'll see whether the company's vision for a toned-down Liquid Glass actually delivers on its promises—whether the battery savings are real, whether the readability holds up, and whether users will embrace a design that borrows from Apple but refuses to be bound by it.
Citas Notables
Oppo's version is more 'liquid acrylic' than 'liquid glass', with relatively weak refraction on UI elements— Chinese sources familiar with ColorOS 17 plans
The advantage of choosing this option is allegedly lower power consumption and better readability— Reports on ColorOS 17 design strategy
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why would Oppo deliberately weaken the Liquid Glass effect instead of just copying Apple's version directly?
Because the straight copy would drain battery faster and make text harder to read on their devices. They're optimizing for real-world use, not just visual spectacle.
So this "liquid acrylic" thing—is that just marketing speak for a watered-down effect?
Not entirely. It's a genuine technical choice. Weaker refraction means less processing power needed to render those effects in real time. On a phone you use all day, that compounds.
Will people even notice the difference between what Apple did and what Oppo is doing?
They'll recognize it as inspired by Liquid Glass, but it won't have the same visual drama. It's more subtle. Some will prefer that; others might feel like they're getting the knockoff version.
What about the other stuff—the rounded corners, the Dynamic Island copy, the music effects?
Those are the supporting cast. They're building a complete visual system, not just borrowing one element. The rounded corners especially suggest they're thinking about consistency across the whole interface.
When will we actually see this?
Once Google releases Android 17, probably within weeks. That's when Oppo will start showing it off publicly and we'll know if the theory holds up in practice.