Among the powerful smartphones, OnePlus 3 holds a killer spec that includes a flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip, 6 GB of RAM, a high-performance Adreno 530 GPU and we’re seeing significant improvements compared to OnePlus 2. If you look back earlier and compare the current smartphones, 2016 is way more spec-oriented.
With its promising hardware, OnePlus 3 can be a great deal for you. Available at a modest price of ₹27,999 with no invite needed to purchase, OnePlus 3 could be the only flagship you’d ever need. Here’s our OnePlus 3 hands-on images and first impressions below.
OnePlus 3 Specifications:
- Display: 5.5-inch Full HD Optic AMOLED Display (1920 x 1080 pixels resolution | 401 ppi pixel density) protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4
- Software: Oxygen OS based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, at the Home button
- CPU: Up to 2.15 GHz quad-core Kyro processor, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (MSM8996) SoC
- GPU: Adreno 530
- Memory: 6 GB LPDDR4
- Storage: 64 GB internal storage, No MicroSD slot
- Main Camera: 16 MP (Sony IMX298) autofocus camera, f/2.0 aperture, OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) support, LED flash, 4K Video @30fps
- Front Camera: 8 MP (Sony IMX179), f/2.0 aperture
- Connectivity: USB Type-C 1.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS,
- Network: 4G LTE support, Dual nano-SIM cards (GSM + GSM)
- Others: Dash Charge
- Battery: 3000 mAh (non-removable)
- Dimensions: 152.7 mm x 74.7 mm x 7.4 mm
- Weight: 158 grams
- Colors: Graphite, Soft Gold
- Price: ₹27,999
Taking a closer look at the design, OnePlus 3 has a really elegant design and thin metallic body that looks so astonishing. Having a robust build quality, OnePlus managed to deliver a premium build. Pure unibody, no gaps to be found and sleek finishing, however, unibody means you can’t remove the back cover but that’s not an issue. But where’s the Sandstone cover? OnePlus still provides five interchangeable cases that you can put on for a different look.
I fancy the appearance which I did like it at the first glance. Holding it in the hands give you a pleasant feeling and no matter how you hold, you still get its premium feel. As light as 158 grams in weight and as thin as 7.4 mm, the curve edges provide you a good grip to hold in one hand. You get the 2.5D curved glass from the Corning Gorilla Glass 4 on its 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED display. While the display isn’t boasting a 2K resolution like others did, 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution should do the job. It also acts as a battery saver since a larger resolution display can consume more battery in this regard. We certainly liked its neat display including the very thin bezels.
With its powerful CPU and GPU, there won’t be any bottlenecking in the performance area so far we know. Now here comes the stunner, the whopping 6 GB RAM on OnePlus 3 may sound remarkable but can be of no use to an average user who runs and uses apps daily basis but if you are a multi-tasker and do heavy use of the apps, it can be useful for you. But more amount of RAM involves draining the battery with a small percentage, if not huge, as it draws the power to maintain the data integrity. Nevertheless, it’s a flagship killer, so deal with that.
As you can see the back area has some lines over the top and bottom for antennas which somewhat looks like HTC One M9 design. You can see the sparkling OnePlus logo at the back which reflects the brand.
On the front side, there resides a fingerprint scanner on the home button which actually is a touch button not pushable, all the three buttons are capacitive. The home button acts as a fingerprint scanner was also there on the OnePlus 2, however, the button is ceramic coated giving you a long lasting usage and improves the overall accuracy. Want to know more about the fingerprint scanner? See OnePlus 3 fingerprint scanner overview.
The main camera is 16 MP with Sony IMX298 sensor, supporting optical image stabilization along with a single LED flash. On the front end, there is an 8 MP camera with Sony IMX179 sensor. The camera hump can be disturbing for some people but applying a OnePlus case can solve the issue.
The left side carries a volume rocker button and a silent/mute switch. What I believe is other manufacturers should adopt the physical switch, iPhones have it too. On the right, there is a power button and a Dual SIM tray carrying two nano SIM slots. The smartphone supports 4G Network.
The bottom has a USB Type-C port, a 3.5 mm audio jack for headphones, a microphone, and loudspeakers. The second microphone is at the back above the main camera. Moving to the top, you won’t find anything as the area is made clean with no connectivity ports.
Software and User Interface
OnePlus 3 runs on OxygenOS (version 3.1.2) based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow that means it has the support for the Doze feature, app permissions, and Google now on tap. The user interface in our initial impressions didn’t feel sluggish, but buttery smooth. It did hang on surfing and browsing the websites on Google Chrome browser a few times still we think we think there could be something with the software updates and it would be too early for us to pass the judgement. Nevertheless, we will talk about the user interface in our full OnePlus 3 review.
OxygenOS offers much more customization than the regular stock user interface as you see. The navigation buttons can be interchanged i.e. you have the option to change the recent and back button according to the needs.
OnePlus 3 Camera Samples
OnePlus 3 comes with a new 16 MP (Sony IMX298) autofocus camera having f/2.0 aperture. It supports OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) which I do prefer it on flagships and comes with a single LED flash. The camera can record up to 4K video @30fps. The front camera is 8 MP (Sony IMX179) with f/2.0 aperture.
We were checking out the camera when we got the device so we are going to share a few shots with you. Check the photos captured from OnePlus 3 rear camera below.
Early Verdict
In our first impressions, the smartphone performed extremely well. We liked the camera, the performance of the apps, and with 6 GB mammoth RAM, multitasking would be as snappy. For the battery life, we think due to its powerful CPU, the battery life could be one of the affected areas, however, it would be too early to pass final judgement. We will cover other aspects of the phone in our full review soon, so in the meantime, drop us your queries about the phone, we will try to address it in the review. Share us your views about the OnePlus 3 in the comments below.