OnePlus 3: Prices and specs for the flagship killer

OnePlus has unveiled its latest flagship-killing smartphone, the OnePlus 3.

Since bursting onto the scene in 2013, the Chinese firm has delivered three phones - the original OnePlus; successor the OnePlus 2 and the OnePlus X – and gained a reputation for delivering high-spec handsets at a fraction of the price of its big-name rivals.

The phone works on the exact same ethos and while the price is up, it is still punching above its weight. Here are the details.

Design

The OnePlus 3 has a large, slate form factor with a refreshed backplate and camera module - a large, square-shaped bump similar to that of the HTC One M9, although the LED flash is housed underneath.

Antenna bands loop around the top and bottom of the rear and the backplate tapers into curves at the edges. It's a metal casing, with long, thin, pill-shaped buttons running down the sides. Around the front is a full glass design, with the home button embedded into the bottom. Overall, it's 0.29ins thick, and weighs 5.5oz. The only colour option for now is graphite silver, although a soft gold will be available soon.

Display

Screen size stays at an iPhone 6S Plus-rivalling 5.5ins, with a 1080p full HD AMOLED panel and 401ppi. According to PC Advisor, OnePlus claims it looks better in terms of contrast and colour.

The Guardian has had a hands-on and says the screen is "vibrant, with inky blacks and excellently white whites". While the specs can't match the quality of more expensive Android flagships such as the Samsung Galaxy S7, nor is the picture quality the sharpest in a VR headset, most buyers will be satisfied.

Camera

As predicted by Alphr, the OnePlus 3 gets a 16-megapixel main camera, with an eight-megapixel selfie lens in front.

The main camera is a Sony sourced sensor and gets optical and electronic image stabilisation, as well as phase detection autofocus. It can shoot videos in 4K quality and snap pictures in RAW format, too. The font-facing camera records video in 1080p quality at 30fps and comes with "Smile Capture", which takes photos automatically via facial detection. 

The Guardian adds that the camera hardware is by no stretch of the imagination the best around, but "it's still up there".

TechRadar pitted the OnePlus 3's camera up against what it says is the best lens on the market, the Samsung Galaxy S7, in a direct head-to-head to see if the 16-megapixel snapper can compete with the thoroughly optimised 12-megapixel setup of its far more expensive rival.

It concludes that while the OnePlus 3's camera isn't of the standard of Galaxy S7, it is "easily the second best Android camera around". In terms of raw performance, it boasts rapid autofocus capabilities and very nearly matches the S7 in good lighting conditions.

It is when things get dark that the camera's weaknesses are exposed – shooting pictures in dim conditions is still something that should be left to the more expensive phones, says the site.

Software

The OnePlus 3 comes with OxygenOS 3.1.2, the company's customised version of Android 6.0.1, but the user interface is very similar to stock Android.

Recombu likes that and points out several tips and tricks users can do. Flicking right brings up the "Shelf", a customisable hub for your favourite apps, contacts and widgets, it says, and you can also play with the layout of the buttons used for navigating menus, swapping home for the back button, for example. There's also a dark mode, which changes the colour scheme from mostly white to black, as well as a set of gestures you can set up and modify to access certain features while the phone is sleeping.

Hardware

In terms of hardware, the phone gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, placing it on par with flagship rivals the LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7. However, it's mated to 6GB RAM, which is more than you'll find in many of its expensive rivals. In terms of power, "there's no performance issues or hiccups", and The Verge says – it's a fast, responsive device that can handle multiple tasks with ease.

Other hardware additions include a fingerprint scanner and an NFC chip, so the OnePlus 3 is Android Pay compliant. It comes with a 3,000mAh battery, mated to patented Dash Charge technology – the battery can be filled to 60 per cent in just 30 minutes.

There's no expandable storage – the device is locked to 64GB internal memory – but there are dual-SIM capabilities. A USB-C port sits on the bottom of the handset.

Price and verdict 

Available right now, the OnePlus 3 can be bought through OnePlus for £309. That represents a price hike over the OnePlus 2, which was £289 at release, but is considerably cheaper than many flagships out there: the Galaxy S7 Edge comes in at £639 and the iPhone 6S Plus starts from £619.

Summing up, the Guardian says the phone isn't quite the "flagship killer" it claims to be, but is still very good and for the price, users will get a beautiful device with snappy performance.

Wired is also impressed and says the OnePlus 3 is "almost perfect". It adds: "We challenge anyone who currently has an iPhone not to be impressed with this device."

Alphr gives the phone five stars out of five, saying it feels like a quality item: "If you gave this to me and blanked out the logo, I'd guess it was a far more expensive handset, closer to £600 than £309."

With its "killer combination of price, performance, and design", there are very few phones on the market that can match it, it concludes.

In their review, TechRadar says "the OnePlus 3 is excellent" and that despite the price hike, it's still cheap enough to keep the more established names on their toes.

"There are a few shortcomings, but some compromises are essential in a US$399/£309 smartphone with this level of spec," it says. Nor does it find the compromises massively limiting factors. The site likes the OnePlus 3's powerful credentials and says that despite the display being a 1080p unit in a world of smartphones now using Quad HD panels, the AMOLED screen provides vibrant colours.

However, the lack of expandable storage, locking users to the 64GB base, plus a camera that, while not a poor offering, aren't as strong as OnePlus promises. But while the OnePlus 3 isn't quite a no-brainer, it's definitely worth considering.

How does it compare to the OnePlus 2?

The OnePlus 3 arrives less than a year after the OnePlus 2 first went on sale in Europe so comparing the two is interesting given the proximity of their launches. Does the new kid on the block move the game on significantly enough to warrant upgrading?

Stuff highlights the design as one of most improved areas, saying the newer phone plays up much more to the firm's flagship-killer standards. The sleek, aluminium unibody casing offers a premium feeling and while not something that could drive an upgrade alone, the new look grabs attention, it adds.

The leap from LCD technology to an OLED display is welcome, the site continues, but comes with no change in the overall size of the screen nor improvements in resolution. While the new display tech makes for deeper blacks and some energy savings, overall it's not a huge reason to upgrade. Nor does it feel that the performance of the new phone, while faster, is enough to warrant a move.

However, Stuff feels the camera marks a big improvement and if that is high on your list, the 16 megapixels of the OnePlus 3 definitely outsmarts the 13-megapixel sensor found on the older phone. The eight-megapixel selfie camera is "no slouch, either".

Overall, considering the value the two phones represent, the site finds it hard to recommend upgrading right now, concluding that the improvements on the OnePlus 3 are "meaningful" and make it the one to go for if you're new to OnePlus phones, but that OnePlus 2 owners should wait it out until 2017 to see how the company can top its current efforts.

New models soon?

New versions could be on the way soon, if leaks picked up by Trusted Reviews are accurate. The site has pictures of a never-seen-before red model accidentally posted on the Chinese language version of OnePlus's website.

The listing has since been taken down, but it's expected that the red version could launch later on this year, possibly to complement the gold version already confirmed.

Thinking ahead, TechRadar points out what it wants to see on next year's OnePlus 4, saying that in order to make an impression, OnePlus will have to step its display game up further, by offering a cut-price phone with a quad HD AMOLED display on par with the likes of the Galaxy S7.

It may be necessary – smartphone virtual reality headsets are growing in popularity and phones with the best display technologies stand to gain the most by offering the crispest experiences. Rumours are thin for now, but it should arrive around mid-2017. 

OnePlus 3: Fans get free VR headset for launch

24 May

Chinese smartphone-maker OnePlus will unveil its next device, the OnePlus 3, through a free virtual reality headset - with 30,000 Loop VR viewers going to fans.

According to the Telegraph, OnePlus is known for making Android devices with "relatively high specs" and significantly smaller price tags than many well-established phones. Its OnePlus 2, which was also revealed through a virtual reality event, is priced from just £239.00, some £220 less than an iPhone 6.

No date has been set for the launch event, but the headsets won't ship until 6 June. Fans tuning in will see the phone unveiled onboard a virtual spaceship.

Early details about the phone suggest the display could get a big upgrade. At present, the OnePlus 2 makes use of an LCD unit with 1080p resolution. However, serial smartphone leaker Evan Bliss says the OnePlus 3 will get a new OLED panel. He adds that a 3,000mAh battery is also on the cards.

TechRadar reports there will be two versions of the budget smartphone, one making use of 4GB RAM while the other will be on par with the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 6, featuring a huge 6GB RAM. Both will be mated to a Snapdragon 820 processor.

Other introductions listed by the site include an all new design, a 16-megapixel rear camera and an eight-megapixel front-facing lens. The OnePlus 3 should also get an NFC chip for contactless payment.

Prices are expected to be in line with the firm's current offering at around the £240 mark.

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