OnePlus 3

The OnePlus 3 follows the OnePlus 2, OnePlus X and the OnePlus One as the fourth major smartphone to be released by OnePlus. As expected from a OnePlus smartphone, the OnePlus 3 packs a powerful punch when it comes to specifications, while costing just a shade more than half of what a true flagship of 2016 like the Samsung Galaxy S7 or the LG G5 would cost. The OnePlus 3 was the first smartphone to launch with a “global VR shopping experience” as it was available exclusively via the Loop VR app.

Display & Design

The OnePlus 3 comes with a premium build quality, very different from any that we have seen on any OnePlus device so far. While the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2 featured a sandstone back, the OnePlus 3 replaces it with a metallic back giving that extra bit of premium-ness. The front of the phone is dominated by a 5.5 inch Full HD display. The screen on the OnePlus 3 uses an Optic AMOLED display. The edges of the phone are nicely curved so that the phone does not feel sharp on the palm, a stark improvement from the OnePlus One and the OnePlus 2.

Hardware and Features

The OnePlus 3 is powered by the latest flagship chipset from Qualcomm in the form of Snapdragon 820 chipset. The Snapdragon 820 chipset is coupled with a 6GB of RAM on board, to ensure a lightning fast performance from the device. In terms of features, the phone comes with a fingerprint scanner that is embedded in the home button of the phone. The fingerprint scanner claims to unlock your OnePlus 3 in less than .2 seconds. The phone in India will be shipped with introductory bundled offers with Saavn, Kindle as well as an option to pick an accidental warranty with the device. The OnePlus 3 also is the first smartphone from OnePlus that at launch will not be on an invite only model.

Camera & Storage

The rear camera on the OnePlus 3 is a 16MP sensor with a single LED flash. The front facing snapper is a 8MP shooter that should suffice for the selfies and video chat requirements. The rear camera is capable of shooting videos in 4K and has OIS, so that the shots come out without any blur. The OnePlus 3 is available with a 64GB internal storage. There is no slot for a MicroSD card here, so you have what you have and cannot expand the memory. Although 64GB should be sufficient for most of the things you want to store, else you could always look at backing up your things on the cloud to make more storage space.

Battery and Connectivity

The OnePlus 3 comes with a 3,000 mAh battery, which is non-removable. It comes with a quick charging technology that OnePlus is calling ‘Dash Charging’. On the connectivity front you have a Dual SIM card slot with Nano-SIM cards. This is not a hybrid SIM slot, so do not end up inserting your MicroSD card here. You have LTE support on both the SIM cards as well as the usual array of connectivity options including WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC. There is no radio here, though you will get a USB Type-C port for charging and syncing.

Competition

The closest competition to OnePlus 3 comes from the Xiaomi Mi5 as both the phones are powered by Snapdragon 820. However, the Mi5 features a significantly lower RAM than the OnePlus 3. The LeEco Le Max 2 would be an interesting alternative to the OnePlus 3 too, if you are looking to pick a phone with strong specs at a reasonable price point. If not, all the flagship devices like the LG G5, Samsung Galaxy S7 and HTC 10 would make for good choices.