The OnePlus 3 has started to arrive for customers in the UK, and that includes Mobile Fun! I borrowed the phone for an afternoon; here are my impressions, on the phone’s design, hardware, software, camera and value. Let’s get right into it.
Design
The OnePlus 3 is gorgeous to behold, with an all-metal design that seems to combine elements of HTC’s One series and the iPhone 6. It feels much more premium in-hand than the sandstone finish of the OnePlus 1 and 2, although it’s also a little more slippery as a result. The camera also protrudes from the back of the phone, but there’s a bit of a bevel around the lens to prevent it from getting too scratched up.
The side buttons are a little stiff, but the inclusion of the alerts switch more than makes up for it. This switch allows you to be alerted for all notifications, just priority ones, or none at all. This is really handy; a similar switch has been on the iPhone for ages and I use it constantly. It doesn’t really make sense that no alerts is the top-most setting, but it’s not a big deal.
Hardware
I haven’t had too much of a chance to stress test the OnePlus 3, but it’s been quite speedy thus far. The phone downloads and installs apps quickly, multi-tasks well (after the update) and should handle the most demanding apps and games available. There’s a Snapdragon 820 on board, backed with 6GB (!) of RAM and 64GB of storage, and that’s awesome for the price.
The display is the other major topic when it comes to hardware. Out of the box, the display isn’t as well-calibrated as past OnePlus smartphones. This has been solved by a recent update, which adds an sRGB mode which makes the phone one of the best calibrated on the market. It’s unusual for this step to be undertaken post-sale, but better late than never. The 5.5-inch screen uses a Pentile layout, which likely keeps costs down for OnePlus, but does mean that areas of solid colour and text glyphs don’t appear as sharp as on non-Pentile displays of an equal size and resolution.
Software
The phone runs 6.0.1 Marshmallow, the latest version of Android to get a full release (Android 7.0 Nougat is currently available as a developer beta on some phones). OnePlus have made only minor modifications to the OS, mostly in the form of extra options and functionality. This felt like the right approach on the original OnePlus One, and it’s just as welcome on the OnePlus 3.
Camera
I took the camera for a brief tour around the office and outside, and despite the gray British day the results were quite passable. Colours are a bit muted and the photos aren’t super detailed, but they’re not over or under-exposed, and generally look quite decent. These were all taken on full-auto settings, so improvements could be made by a skilled operator to improve things.
Accessories
The OnePlus 3 comes with a USB-C to USB cable and Dash charger in the box. It’s worth noting that you’ll need to use these cables (or those of a similar quality) to ensure rapid charging; using any old cable may reduce charging speeds.
We’ve got a full range of OnePlus 3 cases and accessories, of course.
Wrapping up
The OnePlus 3 is an impressive smartphone, no doubt. For a flagship phone, alongside the Galaxy S7 Edge and LG G5, it holds its own. At £309, it’s almost magical. The critics agreed too – the OnePlus 3 is one of our highest reviewed phones ever. If you’re looking for a high-end phone at a mid-range price, you can’t do much better than this.
What are your thoughts on the OnePlus 3? Let us know in the comments below! If you have any questions, you can also reach me on Twitter below.
What a beauty! Hi @oneplus 3! pic.twitter.com/hiMnLYi4JS
— Will Judd (@AcerWill) July 1, 2016