Not all phones have a customizable music experience, especially for big platforms like Spotify.
The music streaming app has announced a partnership with Chinese phone-maker OPPO, which will see OPPO users have a unique experience on the app. This development will take shape once OPPO starts rolling out ColorOS 13, which is based on Android 13.
The primary additions to the Spotify app on ColorOS 13 include a smart always-on-display, a shelf, and home screen widgets.
Specifically, local Spotify listeners have a new way to keep their music, podcasts, and audiobooks at their fingertips.
They can now know what Spotify content is playing simply by glancing at the AOD and double-clicking on the music control panel, without the need to wake the device up.
READ MORE: How To Stream Music in Kenya, Including on Spotify and Apple Music
The AOD integration also allows users to access and control the playback of their favourite audio content from Spotify and access Spotify content recommendations, all without unlocking the device.
Furthermore, the new Shelf feature in ColorOS 13 includes an in-built Spotify Card containing Spotify content recommendations and through which Kenyan OPPO users have access to their favourite music on the Spotify app just a slide away.
The Spotify widget can also be added to the ColorOS 13 home screen to provide quick and easy access to the Spotify app.
There is also an alarm integration in the ColorOS 13 Clock app that enables users to wake up every morning to their favorite Spotify tracks, playlists, and podcasts.
In 2021, Kenyans joined over 300 million other monthly active listeners to stream music from Spotify. This was after long-term complaints from music lovers in many other African markets who had been before then using backdoor means like Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass geographical restrictions by Spotify.
READ MORE: Spotify Senior Product Manager on The Rollout of Streaming Service to Africa
OPPO is also testing ColorOS 13 on select devices. The official rollout to the majority of its devices should be happening before the year ends.
“Our partnership with Spotify represents a new exploration into the possibilities of smartphone operating systems,” said Gary Chen, Head of OPPO Software Product. “Through smart, convenient, and human-centric features developed with our partners, we are bringing a more intelligent and efficient operating system to users, enabling them to spend more time enjoying music and the other most-loved features on the OPPO smartphones.”