Open Thread: Let’s talk about the OnePlus 3


oneplus-3-tenaa

It’s no secret that the hype around OnePlus has died down. The young phone maker however is trying to redeem itself by doing away with the invite system, which doesn’t have too many fans around.

Now that the OnePlus 3 is set to launch later this month, does the device fit the bill to be your next flagship? After an unexpectedly successful launch of the OnePlus One, the OnePlus 2 turned out to be a device less radical. There were devices around its price range that could match the OnePlus 2, which made lining up for invites looks like a bad idea.

Then again, it isn’t just the price that OnePlus bet upon. The ‘geek’ factor is a strong one with OnePlus device (except for the OnePlus X).

What is the OnePlus 3 then? Let’s discuss.

OnePlus 3: Specifications

The OnePlus 3 is set to be in line with flagships from this year, with a powerful Snapdragon 820 beating at its core. With that, the OnePlus 3 will have 4GB (and possibly even 6GB of RAM), so OnePlus won’t really be beating around the bush with the specs.

Here’s a gist of the OnePlus 3 specs:

Gizchina News of the week


  • 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080p display (possibly AMOLED)
  • 4GB/6GB RAM variants
  • 32-128GB ROM
  • 16 mega-pixel rear camera
  • Full metal body
  • 3000-3500mAh battery
  • Android Marshmallow based OxygenOS

Here’s a camera sample from the OnePlus 3:

OnePlus 3 camera sample

OnePlus 3: Pricing

Inventory control and a steady supply chain are two things that made pricing a controlled variable for OnePlus. Now that the invite system is gone, OnePlus will definitely have to cushion themselves with a little margin here and there.

Which is why, the OnePlus 3 might not exactly be $299. Perhaps $349, perhaps $319 if they feel adventurous. Then again, that’s what we think.

OnePlus 3: Over to you!

oneplus-3-render-leak

We all pretty much what the OnePlus 3 is going to be. Leaks and renders have given us a very clear look at the upcoming phone. While some thought the design lacked inspiration, others said that it looked like a great 2016 phone.

Which is why this open thread — so each one of us is heard. Let us know about what you think in the comments section below!

Disclaimer: We may be compensated by some of the companies whose products we talk about, but our articles and reviews are always our honest opinions. For more details, you can check out our editorial guidelines and learn about how we use affiliate links.

Previous 6-inch 360 phone has 3 x 13 mega-pixel cameras and Snapdragon 820
Next Coolpad Max (SD617, 4GB RAM) Benchmarks

72 Comments

  1. June 2, 2016

    What I’d like to see on the OnePlus 3 would be a great camera (something even incrementally better than the one on the OnePlus 2 would do for me), solid heat dissipation (unlike the OnePlus 2), and a slim body. The OnePlus 2 was nice but at times it felt a bit too thick for a 2015 phone.

    • Varun Varma
      June 2, 2016

      “solid heat dissipation” would be solved by using the SD820. By the end of last year, it was clear the SD810 had a problem with overheating despite the effort Qualcomm went to deny it.

    • MattD
      June 2, 2016

      More than thickness itself, it was the ridiculous thichness/battery ratio what pissed me the most… At almost 10mm, there was enough room for double the battery, but “nope, let’s just smash a metal slab all over so we can keep everything sealed while selling cover swaps”… Pathetic!

  2. justyfier
    June 2, 2016

    depending on the version. the only thing it has going for it is the sd820. All other specs are already matched and will soon be (out)matched; so they can only gain attention with the price. So I’m expecting it to be cheaper than the previous devices. But the can rely on the brand name now.

  3. realjjj
    June 2, 2016

    Ugly and unoriginal, home button, likely no micorSD ,1080p maybe PenTile…

    More of the same crap -1080p, home button and no microSD like so many other pseudo-flagships this year – and it’s worse than most. What geek factor? OPO had CM when CM still mattered and was high end (still like that device, too bad it had no microSD) ,this one is lower high end at best and looks like a nightmarish cheap clone that mixed up a Samsung and a HTC but didn’t got either quite right.

    Something else true for this one and many others, SD820 devices with 1080p , 3-4GB RAM at 300$ or more are just not worth it anymore. The alternatives are not A53 bases SoCs anymore. The 360 N4 with X20 and 4GB of RAM is 899CNY(137$). Why pay more than 2x for a device that brings very little more. A better GPU , slightly better here and there but at the end of the day very little overall.These China guys decided to just shove a SD820 into anything, charge 300+ and call it high end, with some exceptions like Vivo ofc. These 1080p devices just don’t offer enough upside anymore if priced at 300+ and one of these days someone will figure out that they need to put the best cameras in 150$ phones and even that advantage will be gone.

    OP and many others should have made a proper high end device with an original design and add appealing features instead of crippling it on purpose with no microSD. They pay too much for SD820 , a lot more than the thing is worth given its perf and that’s it, they made a phone!

    In a year form now we might see A73 (so a bit faster than A72) on 16FF in mid range in 2xA73+4xA53 configs.Will be funny to see what these guys do then.

    • hamaidx
      June 2, 2016

      agreed bro… It’s so ugly… just pathetic looking device … best worst looking device 🙂

    • Danny
      June 2, 2016

      fully agree, great post. The OP3 has no identity, if you cover the logo it looks like any other Chinese phone. Feature wise there is nothing exciting, Zuk and LeTV are more interesting… it will all come down to pricing. But Zuk has nice pricing at the moment, LeTV X20 are very nicely priced… SD820 is not that impressive and does not justify the premium pricing we are seeing right now. Ill wait for the reviews and availability in Europe before I pick my summer phone.

  4. Karly Johnston
    June 2, 2016

    If they install a good AMOLED panel at a low price it could stand a chance.

  5. HBK
    June 2, 2016

    Better camera. If its 16mp, Needs to be f1.8 or bigger aperture, And good software.
    128 gb version since there won’t be a micro sd.

    But it will be hard to put a fight against Zuk z2 and Zuk Z2 pro considering their price. And better design of Zuk too.

    • Leonid
      June 2, 2016

      GL using Zuk with chinese os.

      • Adam Irvine
        June 2, 2016

        This is my problem, ideally if ZUK did what they did last time and made an international version or at least an India version like Xiaomi do then it’d be ideal, but with it being just Chinese with no play store etc, I’m not interested…

        • June 2, 2016

          It has band 20, so im guessing there will be some kind of more friendly rom.

        • balcobomber25
          June 2, 2016

          Several resellers mention an international ROM with Google Play support, this could be speculation by them or could mean an international model is coming. Would be a horrible decision from them not to launch it internationally.

          • MaxPower
            June 2, 2016

            Good catch, it doesn’t make any sense including all those bands and then come out with a Chinese only ROM.
            The int’l version will come out probably as soon as they launch globally (like they said early this year)

            • balcobomber25
              June 3, 2016

              Yea I would be shocked if there is not an international ROM just because of those bands, 2 and 4 are really only used in the Americas. But these companies don’t often do things that make sense so who knows lol.

  6. June 2, 2016

    Not really interested in OP device after bad experience with OPO. I had 3 of them…
    So far deciding between the ZUK, Honor V8 or Axon 7. Time (and some reviews) will tell.

    • Adam Irvine
      June 2, 2016

      Bad experience with the OPO? I’m still using mine after 2 years…

      • June 2, 2016

        You’re lucky then;)
        All my OPOs had issues.

      • pa5t1s
        June 2, 2016

        Same here 🙂

      • balcobomber25
        June 2, 2016

        I have about 20 friends that still use theirs and refuse to get any other phone that has come out.

        • June 2, 2016

          Well, i liked mine too, but then i lost patience after 3 dodgy ones and non existent customer support.

          • balcobomber25
            June 2, 2016

            Interesting first person I heard say either of those. Everyone I know raves about the build quality and I have heard mostly good things about CS.

            What were your issues and what did Customer Service do or not do? Always good to hear the other side.

            • June 2, 2016

              First two had minor screen problems, but because I’m a perfectionist, i couldn’t live with it. The third one had some unknown issue that only a few people had. After ~20 mins of usage, when the phone got a bit warm it was being slow and stuttery when scrolling.
              And everybody knows that at the beginning Op’s customer service was shocking.
              I hope that it’s better now cos i might still consider the OP3 if the price is right, has minimum 35000mah battery and amoled screen;)

    • justyfier
      June 2, 2016

      what about vernee apollo?

      • June 2, 2016

        We will see. Don’t really trust start ups…

        • justyfier
          June 2, 2016

          it’s not a start up. its an oem that now brings out its own brand. big difference

          • balcobomber25
            June 2, 2016

            Yes and no. The business side is different than a normal startup but they still face a lot of the same issues with their first phones as many startups face.

            • justyfier
              June 2, 2016

              hence the price/specs. It was the same with OP. Only they have already 100+ people working for them. so in fact it should be less of a gamble. Will probably trade my OPO for the apollo. already bought the lite for a friend. so I should be able to test that one before I buy the other one.

            • balcobomber25
              June 2, 2016

              Anyone can give a 2 year warranty, honoring that warranty is completely differently. In China a warranty is about as equal as toilet paper.

              It is always a gamble when buying a new brand, it doesn’t matter if they have a 1000 people working for them. They have never made their own smartphone before and will face many challenges and problems along the way. Even well known brands like Xiaomi, Meizu, Oppo and Huawei had numerous issues with their first few phones.

            • justyfier
              June 2, 2016

              They’re already giving 2 years of warranty

          • June 2, 2016

            Making parts for who?

      • quodvadis
        June 2, 2016

        The fact that they have open kernel is a huge, huge plus for me. And with that price, there’s no doubt that it’ll be supported by the community for years. Seriously considering one, if only they have a 5″ phone with better spec than Thor, it’d have been a no-brainer for me.

  7. Александр Ригов
    June 2, 2016

    Why are everybody complaining about op3 design? In my opinion, it is quite good (metal body), although it’s not as original as op1&op2’s design. I am worried only about camera and battery: op3 has no laser af and single-tone Led flash. I also really hope that it will have 3500 mah battery, not shitty 3000 mah. If both battery and camera will be good, it will be one of the best this year’s smartphones.

    • balcobomber25
      June 2, 2016

      For many it is because it is a design used by just about every other company so far. OnePlus always kind of stood out among other devices (except for Oppo who they share designs with). It was always unique sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad.

  8. balcobomber25
    June 2, 2016

    I am very interested now that they dropped the foolish invite system. But still need to see some things from OP before I buy it:

    1. 1080P display. I don’t want or need 2k in a phone unless it is over 6 inches. I have used several 2k phones and to me it is a waste of resources for something that looks marginally better or not at all.
    2. Size. I am sick of every flagship now being 5.2 inches. 5.5 is my ideal size.
    3. Camera. I don’t really care about OIS or Laser Focus. Both of those are just as much advertising as anything else. I just want a great camera with a good camera app.
    4. Colors. Make the black version available from day 1. I am so sick of silver phones. 5. Price. Keep the pricing under $400.
    6. Battery. 3000mAh with quick charge is more than enough for me.

    If OnePlus has all this and more I will be a day 1 buyer.

    • justyfier
      June 2, 2016

      2k and higher will be useful for VR

      • balcobomber25
        June 2, 2016

        I don’t use VR. Have no intentions ever to.

        • justyfier
          June 2, 2016

          never say never:)

          • balcobomber25
            June 2, 2016

            Just not for me, I think people look so stupid with those things on their faces. To each their own though

            • Nam Dang
              June 2, 2016

              Try VR porn haha
              I’m also not interested in 2k resolution, even at 6″ or bigger.
              As long I’m satisfied with the display, it could even be 720p.
              I’m actually looking for a Xiaomi Mi5 with bigger screen (Xiaomi Mi Max could be a downgrade solution in terms of camera, LeEco Le Max 2 needs more reviews plus OIS is very shaky).

              Btw I’m currently down to iPhone 4S (3.5″) since my Meizu MX5 died (big rainy chaos in Germany), damn it’s nice to hold with one hand, but too small haha

            • balcobomber25
              June 2, 2016

              I have a wife I have no use for porn lol.

            • Danny
              June 2, 2016

              That is not what your wife tells me… but I have a hard time understanding her with my cock in her mouth.

            • Nam Dang
              June 2, 2016

              Dude, stay classy with jokes, totally went too far.

            • balcobomber25
              June 2, 2016

              So original and mature…

            • Marco Lancaster
              June 2, 2016

              This is stupid, are you here to attack/disrespect people or read about phones.

    • MaxPower
      June 2, 2016

      Agree with most of your points with the only exception of laser focus (I need a quick focus and a no lag shutter)
      and a big battery (3600+ mha)

      This year is to me is down to two phones:
      Le Max 2 and OP3.

      Not happy with the lack of 3.5mm jack and stupid colors of the LeTV phone so for now Oneplus is my first choice (as long as they won’t screw up)

      • balcobomber25
        June 2, 2016

        Personally I would prefer PDAF over Laser Focus, or infrared or a combination of them. The problem with laser focus is it has such a short effective distance. Because of the inherent dangers of using a laser, they use a very low power Class 1 laser. This means it has a very short distance of which it is effective. Anything over about 2-3 feet, it is virtually useless. Within that 2-3 feet it is very effective.

        • MaxPower
          June 2, 2016

          You’re so smart 🙂

          • Danny
            June 2, 2016

            MaxPower gently sucks balcombomber25 dick… cant wait to get that nice creamie cum all over his face.

            • GodZillaa
              June 2, 2016

              Commonplace stuff in the comments section.

              Wait till you see the full-fledged orgy with two additional loons, one of whom is a third world cuckold and the other is (possibly) Baltic gypsy trash.

              I have a feeling they might pay a visit to this thread soon.

            • MaxPower
              June 2, 2016

              Didn’t realize this Chinese phones blog has been followed by gay porn lovers.
              Pretty odd.

            • balcobomber25
              June 2, 2016

              Very, very odd.

              Remember the old days when it was all about arguing/debating about phones?

            • MaxPower
              June 2, 2016

              My studies of philosophy can be handy in these circumstances, let me explain you what just happened:

              I’m pretty positive you have experienced situations where someone starts with personal attacks whenever he can’t sustain a debate.

              Now, we have Danny, who fears homosexuality, and use it in a derogatory way to throw his personal attack.

              According to Jacques Lacan,Danny has this negative attitude towards homosexuality because he craves it but at the same time he thinks that it’s wrong.

              Then we have Godzillaa, who doesn’t hide his arousal coming from the picture of homosexual scene provided by Danny, he actually adds more people into that, to make it stronger.

              We are into a psychopathological field here.
              I would not try to argue with both of them, it will get nasty and very graphic.

            • balcobomber25
              June 2, 2016

              Couldn’t agree more. It’s been my personal experience that people who fear homosexuality or use it too often in jokes usually do so because of their own insecurities about their sexuality. I believe some call it “in the closet”. Danny is trying to do the “straight” thing but seeing as he is not straight he doesn’t know how to properly act. It’s 2016 Danny there is nothing to be afraid of, we don’t judge here.

            • MaxPower
              June 2, 2016

              Looks like you have read Sigmund Freud. Again, you are so smart ?

            • balcobomber25
              June 2, 2016

              I took a little psychology

            • GodZillaa
              June 2, 2016

              Followers aren’t really as much as a problem as the oblivious (or pretending to be oblivious) performers are. The exhibitionism is nauseating, although I have nothing against homosexuals.

              Not a homophobic, but it’s just not my thing, so seeing the comments section become an exhibition ground for such performers is pretty odd, and maybe a tad bit disappointing.

            • Marco Lancaster
              June 2, 2016

              Lol

            • MaxPower
              June 2, 2016

              Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m straight and there’s only friendship between me and him.

              I have nothing against homos, but if you’re into gay porn then you are probably in the wrong place.

              (Both you and the guy that liked your comment)

            • balcobomber25
              June 2, 2016

              You have sick obsessions with gay sex….

              Max is my good friend along with several others here, Rob, Adam, Airyl, Michael, Muhammed etc.

    • Adam Nazifi
      June 2, 2016

      Really surprised of your 2nd, Never used OIS enhanced phone before but i would love to have it because i think its just worth it,

      • balcobomber25
        June 2, 2016

        OIS is very useful for shooting video, but for me it’s really not a huge deal.

        • Adam Nazifi
          June 2, 2016

          Well as a man with so much knowledge on smartphones, i thought it would be a must have for you, turns out we still got our personal preferences

          • balcobomber25
            June 2, 2016

            Problem for me is I am a control freak, especially when it comes to the camera. I like to do everything myself. I don’t use any “auto” modes in camera apps, I prefer to set all the settings (iso, exposure etc) to match the scene I am shooting. I very rarely take any video with my camera so it’s not a huge deal to have OIS for me, as I have a very steady hand for taking photos.

            • illystor
              June 4, 2016

              Do OIS enabled devices not also use OIS to stable the image? For instance, even in a manual mode, if you’re taking a .2, .5 or whatnot second exposure, would OIS not help to eliminate shaky-hand induced blur?

            • balcobomber25
              June 4, 2016

              Depends on the phone and the OIS apparatus not all of them are created equal. Most of them will help when taking pictures though but not all of them will make your pictures or video look better. Sometimes pictures will look distorted and unnatural. But this is also ties into the much larger issue with smartphone cameras: there is no one part more important than the rest, all of them have to work together for beautiful images/video.

    • xi7
      June 2, 2016

      Really ? I have not seen anything special. $349 expensive.

      • balcobomber25
        June 2, 2016

        Of course you didn’t cockroach.

  9. Adam Nazifi
    June 2, 2016

    Even though Zuk z2 pro , meizu pro or the mi5 might be equally on the same level or higher than the upcoming one plus, many people will opt for the OP3 because its got a lot of media attention, almost everyday on every tech web you get mention of OP3 rumours, but little less of other flagships

  10. Simtopia23
    June 2, 2016

    Do we have to be excited about this phone? Here’s why i don’t even care about the Oneplus 3 at this point:

    1) They ditch their iconic design with the sandstone cover to an uninspiring metal unibody design (similar to other 15-20 devices)

    2) Timing is bad: ZTE Axon 7 and Zenfone 3 Deluxe have been recently announced and the Oneplus 3 will be on par or even worse than these two. Also Lenovo will host a huge event with Project Tango and the next Moto Z just a couple of days before;

    2) Most probably it won’t be Daydream ready (which will be the next big thing from google according to Sundar Pichai)

    3) Oneplus is one of the worst company when it comes to software updates (Oneplus X is still stuck with Android Lollipop, Oneplus 2 received MM recently)

  11. balcobomber25
    June 3, 2016

    Didn’t anyone here apply for the review program?