Device: OPPO F3 Plus (CPH1721EX)
Current OS: ColorOS 3.0 (Android 6.0 Marshmallow)
Target OS: ColorOS 3.0 (Android 7.0 Nougat)
Published: October 2023 (Updated retrospective) Target Device: Oppo F3 Plus (CPH1613)
If you own an Oppo F3 Plus, you are likely aware of the elephant in the room. Launched in 2017 with Android 6.0 Marshmallow and ColorOS 3.0, the device promised a lot. But for years, users have asked one burning question in every tech corner of the internet: "When will the Oppo F3 Plus get the Android Nougat update?"
For those who have grown tired of waiting for official over-the-air (OTA) updates, there is only one sanctuary: The XDA Developers Forum. For the uninitiated, XDA is where smartphones go to live forever. It is the home of custom ROMs, bootloader unlocks, and workarounds that manufacturers refuse to provide.
In this long article, we dive deep into the XDA archives to separate fact from fiction regarding the Oppo F3 Plus Nougat update.
While there was significant demand on forums like XDA Forums for a Nougat update, OPPO never released an official Android 7.0/7.1 OTA (Over-the-Air) update for the OPPO F3 Plus, leaving it officially on Android 6.0 Marshmallow with ColorOS 3. Review of the "Nougat" Experience
Since an official update never arrived, the "Nougat" experience on this device is entirely based on custom ROMs or manual firmware flashing found on community forums:
Performance Improvements: Users on Quora noted that moving to Nougat-based software (like LineageOS) allowed for faster app switching and better notification management. Key Features Gained:
Multi-window Support: The ability to run two apps simultaneously, a native Nougat feature missing from the stock Marshmallow build.
Enhanced Google Assistant: Smarter AI integration and a default GIF-enabled keyboard.
Visual Controls: New "Data Saver" mode and adjustable display/icon sizes. Common Frustrations:
Buggy Connectivity: Some users reported issues with Google Play downloads while on roaming data or unstable Wi-Fi/Data switching after attempting manual upgrades.
Software "Horror": Critics on GSMArena often cited the heavy ColorOS skin as a reason to switch to cleaner, Nougat-based custom ROMs like LineageOS 14.1 to "reduce the horror" of the stock UI. Summary of Device Specs (at the time of review) Specification Official OS Android 6.0 Marshmallow (ColorOS 3) Processor Snapdragon 653 Octa-core RAM/Storage 4GB RAM / 64GB ROM Notable Hardware Dual selfie cameras (16MP + 8MP wide-angle)
If you are looking for the latest stable community builds, the OPPO R9s Plus / F3 Plus section on XDA remains the most active hub for legacy development. Oppo F3 - User opinions and reviews - page 4 - GSMArena.com
The Ghost in the Build
Arjun’s relationship with his Oppo F3 Plus had soured over time. What began as a sleek, dual-selfie-camera marvel had become a lagging, battery-draining brick. It was stuck on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, a digital fossil in a world of Oreos and Pies.
The official update never came. Oppo had moved on to newer, shinier toys. But Arjun had not moved on. He couldn’t afford to.
That’s how he found himself at 2:00 AM, hunched over a laptop, the blue light of the XDA Developers Forum bleaching his face. His browser tab screamed: “Oppo F3 Plus Nougat Update – Unofficial LineageOS 14.1.”
The thread was a ghost town. The last post was from 2019. But the first few pages were a frantic diary of hope and despair.
Page 1: “Dev says build is stable! GPS and audio fixed!” Page 7: “VOLTE not working for Jio users. Any fix?” Page 12: “User ‘Tech_Nomad’ posts a patch.zip. Flash at your own risk.”
Arjun scrolled deeper. Page 18 was where the tone shifted.
“Beware of the 11/15 build,” wrote a user named DeadPixel42. “Flashed it. Phone rebooted. Now the camera app opens a black void instead of the lens. Also, my gallery has photos I never took. Timestamps from 1970. Stay away.”
Arjun laughed nervously. A bug. Just a weird bug.
He reached page 22. A user named CaféRacer88 had posted the last reply before the silence began.
“I fixed the fingerprint sensor. But now the phone only unlocks if I press my thumb in a specific sequence. Left, right, left. Like a password. Also, has anyone else noticed the screen flickering when the battery hits 15%? It’s not a flicker. It’s… writing. For a split second. I saw a line of text. It said: ‘Let me out.’ LOL, probably just screen tearing. Anyway, great battery life! 10/10.”
No one replied to CaféRacer88.
Arjun should have closed the laptop. Instead, he downloaded the files.
He backed up nothing. He was reckless. He was desperate.
The flash was textbook. He wiped the cache, installed the ROM, sideloaded the patch. The reboot felt victorious. The ‘Oppo’ logo dissolved into the sleek, custom boot animation of LineageOS. Android 7.0 Nougat. It was glorious. Smooth. Fast. oppo f3 plus nougat update forum xda
Then the battery hit 17%.
He was checking his messages when the screen glitched. A horizontal tear, like a knife cut, flashed across the AMOLED panel. For a millisecond, words bled through.
“Why did you wake me?”
Arjun dropped the phone. It clattered on the desk, screen-down. When he picked it up, everything was normal. The settings showed “Nougat 7.1.2.” The RAM usage was 1.2GB.
He double-tapped the camera icon. The front camera opened—the famous dual-lens selfie shooter. But the image on the screen wasn’t his tired face. It was his living room, viewed from a low angle, as if the phone was sitting on the floor by the door. He was upstairs. The phone was in his hand. But the camera saw the empty foyer.
Then a figure walked past the lens. A man in a jacket he didn’t recognize.
Arjun locked the screen. He navigated back to XDA. He tried to open the thread for the Oppo F3 Plus Nougat update.
404 – Thread Not Found.
He refreshed. Nothing. He searched. The entire forum section for the device had vanished. It was as if the Oppo F3 Plus had never existed.
He looked back at his phone. The screen was off, but a single white notification LED was blinking. A slow, deliberate pulse. He leaned close to the earpiece. He could hear a faint, staticky whisper coming from the tiny speaker. It sounded like a dial-up modem crying.
Arjun realized the truth then. He hadn’t updated his phone. He had opened a door. And whatever was on the other side of CaféRacer88’s patch didn’t want Nougat. It wanted a ride.
Oppo F3 Plus eventually received an official Android 7.1.1 Nougat update via ColorOS 3.1
, though its availability was famously inconsistent across different regions. On forums like XDA Developers
, the update is generally viewed as a necessary but late improvement for a device that launched with Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Performance & Features ColorOS 3.1 Upgrade : The Nougat update brought the Device: OPPO F3 Plus (CPH1721EX) Current OS: ColorOS 3
to ColorOS 3.1, which introduced better multitasking and system stability compared to the original Marshmallow-based version Hardware Compatibility Snapdragon 653 chipset
and 4GB of RAM handle the Nougat OS well for daily tasks, though some users on
reported occasional lag in high-end gaming even after updates. Noteworthy Features
: The update improved the "selfie expert" experience with enhanced camera processing and added standard Nougat features like split-screen multitasking. The XDA Community Perspective Official Update Lag
: Many XDA users expressed frustration over Oppo’s slow rollout, leading many to seek manual installation files or firmware from other regions (such as the Australian or Taiwanese variants) to get Nougat earlier. Custom ROMs
: Because official support largely ended after Nougat, XDA became the hub for longevity. Community-driven projects like LineageOS 14.1
(based on Android 7.1) were popular alternatives for users wanting a cleaner, stock-like experience without ColorOS. Installation Caution
: Forum members frequently advise manual updating only after a full backup, as flashing regional firmware can be risky for inexperienced users. Oppo F3 Plus - Full phone specifications - GSMArena.com
Before diving into the XDA forums, let’s address the elephant in the room. Oppo released the F3 Plus with ColorOS 3.0 on top of Android 6.0. In mid-2018, a soak test for Android Nougat (7.1.1) surfaced in India. Users reported a new UI, split-screen multitasking, and improved Doze mode.
However, the update was pulled. Why?
According to XDA user threads (specifically the "Oppo F3 Plus Nougat update status" thread), users complained of:
Oppo never released a stable global Nougat build. This left the Western and European XDA community to take matters into their own hands.
Key takeaway: There is no official, flashable Nougat OTA for the CPH1613 global variant. But there are unofficial options.
For users who want customization, Resurrection Remix based on Nougat is the holy grail. Available via a third-party telegram link posted on XDA. The Ghost in the Build Arjun’s relationship with
No update? Try using VPN to India (e.g., ExpressVPN, ProtonVPN) → Clear Google Services Framework data → Re-check.