OnePlus 3 Review: Premium smartphone with-in your budget

OnePlus 3 Smartphone was launched launched last week and soon after its launch, the smartphone is rated to be one of the high- end device in terms of specifications and performance that comes under your budget. The OnePlus 3 smartphone is priced US $399 or £309 that is approx Rs 27,000. At this price range, you get a top-of-the-line processor, a nimble 16-megapixel camera and a long-lasting battery. You also get a speedy performance that rivals reigning (and more expensive) Android champs such as the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the LG G5.

Image Source: Android Central

Image Source: Android Central

Like all OnePlus phones, the handset only works with carriers using GSM technology. unlike previous launches, you won’t have to wait for an invitation to get your hands on it. OnePlus is releasing it to the masses right at launch and you can order it from the OnePlus website. The Smartphone is also available on Amazon and Amazon India for Indian customers and is priced Rs 27,999.

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OnePlus 3

Design

With a new aluminum uni-body design, the OnePlus 3 looks better than all of OnePlus’ past devices (which either had a plastic or glass backing). It still looks similar to the HTC 10 and other smartphones. If you’re not into the metal look of this slim and attractive device, OnePlus offers snap-on covers made of wood, bamboo and other materials.

Image Source: Android Pit

Image Source: Android Pit

On the right edge is OnePlus’ familiar toggle. You can not only slide this to turn notifications on and off, but also to turn on priority notifications. Below the display, the home button doubles as a fingerprint sensor, and on the bottom edge are the speaker, headphone jack and USB Type-C port for charging.

Image Source: BGR

Image Source: BGR

On the back is the rear camera, which bulges outward from the surface of the handset. Many well-known phones do this too, including the iPhone 6 S. It doesn’t damage the camera or hinder your use of it, but OnePlus 3’s camera bulge is quite thick and a bit unseemly.

Display

The OnePlus 3 Smartphone features a 5.5-inch, 1080p resolution display which is quite bright and sharp, and we like the way its edges smoothly curve down into the bezel. There are also chamfered details around the display and charging port, which catch and reflect light in interesting ways.

Image Source: GSM Arena

Image Source: GSM Arena

OnePlus 3 has a truly elevated aesthetic compared to its predecessors, and it’s good-looking enough to beat most budget phones. Not only does it have premium specs on the inside, but with its aluminum construction and subtle detailing, it now flaunts a premium exterior to match.

Software

The device features OnePlus’ own Oxygen OS interface that runs on top of Google Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow that can be upgraded to Android N at a later date. Apart from a few choice Google services, the handset barely has any pre-installed apps. And you can download and install anything you’re missing from the Google Play Store. You’ll also get OnePlus’ signature Shelf feature. Shelf is an extra homepage that gives you access to your recent apps, favorite contacts and any other widgets you want to add. And yes, if you want than you can disable this features.

Image Source: Android Pit

Image Source: Android Pit

Now, coming to Oxygen OS, there’s plenty of room for you to customize the interface. You can choose different accent colors for the menu items and change the color of the LED notifications light. You can also load your own icon packs and turn on on-screen control buttons. There are also plenty of gesture controls, such as double tapping to wake up the screen or drawing an O shape to launch the camera.

Image Source: Fone Arena

Image Source: Fone Arena

Finally, the OnePlus 3 will see the return of the Near Field Communication chip as it was missing from the last two OnePlus flagships. These days, NFC is considered a standard among smartphones, and it allows them to communicate wirelessly with other NFC-enabled objects.

Hardware

The OnePlus 3 smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor that comes with 6 GB RAM and 64 GB inbuilt storage and comes with Adreno 530 GPU. Tasks like launching Google Now, calling up the keyboard and opening the app drawer were noticeably swift. Even during the setup process, when it populated the homescreen with the previous apps, rebooted or registered fingerprints, it was all done quickly and seamlessly.

Image Source: Android Community

Image Source: Android Community

The phone didn’t heat up much when running benchmarks, either. The device managed to stay quite cool during the process and it didn’t warm up during charging (more on that later). This means that its processor and battery aren’t working overtime to perform the task at hand, giving you a more efficient device.

Image Source: Android Pit

Image Source: Android Pit

Camera

On the camera front, the handset houses a 16 mega-pixel Sony IMX298 auto-focus rear camera with optical image stabilization for better shots and videos, LED flash, and an 8 mega-pixel Sony IMX179 front-facing camera. It also has the ability to record videos in 4K resolution.

Image Source: GSM Arena

Image Source: GSM Arena

Picture quality on the device’s 16 mega-pixel camera was solid. In well-lit situations, colors were true-to-life (especially the white hues), and objects were sharp and in focus. In dimmer settings or environments with tricky lighting, photos still turned out clear and evenly exposed.

Image Source: Android Pit

Image Source: Android Pit

Battery Life

The phone has a 3,000 mAh non-removable battery that easily lasts the workday with mild to high usage. As per the lab test done by Cnet.com for continuous video playback (on Airplane mode), it lasted an average of 14 hours and 17 minutes, which is much longer than nearly all its competitors (though it doesn’t beat the Galaxy S7’s time of 16 hours).

Image Source: Fone Arena

Image Source: Fone Arena

The device also features Dash Charging Technology, which is a charging technology trademarked by OnePlus. It basically means that the battery charges super quick, but doesn’t overheat. As per the Cnet.com, phone charged up from 0 to 65 percent after 30 minutes and 96 percent after an hour. The OnePlus 3 also stayed relatively cool during the charging process. A full charge took about 1 hour 15 minutes, which is pretty fast considering other phones with Quick Charge 3.0 take about 1.5 to 2 hours to fully charge.

Image Source: Fone Arena

Image Source: Fone Arena

Verdict

Like its first two flagships, the OnePlus 3 also lives up to its promise. The company is providing a relatively much affordable smartphone considering its specifications, performance and price tag. You don’t get the likes of OnePlus 3 smartphone from any other Smartphone at such price tag.

However, even with such config, the smartphone won’t satisfy everyone. It won’t work with carriers using CDMA technology, and it isn’t water resistant like the Galaxy S7 and certain Sony Xperia and Motorola Moto handsets. Many users won’t like its lack of a removable battery or expandable storage either. But if these things aren’t a top priority for you, the OnePlus 3 should be your next phone.

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OnePlus 3