Review: the OnePlus 3 – not the perfect smartphone but there’s plenty to like
Despite its shortcomings, this handset has curves in all the right places, making it feel slimmer than it is, has a superfast UI and great battery life; the camera is nothing special, though
Gone is their gimmicky “invitation-only” sales and marketing tactic, words on OnePlus’ latest offering have, in general, been favourable. But can the brand finally realise its ambition to be the “flagship killer” with the OnePlus 3?
Design and hardware
The OnePlus 3 is an all-aluminium unibody phone. Another large boring slab, you think. Not quite. This model is different, as it has curves in all the right places that not only add to the aesthetics but also hugely improve on the ergonomics.
Apart from the typical power and volume buttons on the side, there is also the iPhone-like silence switcher. It’s a three-step switch that corresponds to Android’s volume control scheme: one for off, one for priority and one for silence, a feature that I have known and loved since it was first bestowed on the OnePlus 2.
One look at the side profile and you know you’ve a seriously slim phone. Having the OnePlus 3 in hand confirms that fact. It’s not the slimmest phone in the world, at 7.4mm, and OnePlus isn’t even trying (because the slimmest is 4.85mm). What they have done is to make it seem and feel like it’s slimmer than it actually is. The back of the phone curves in towards the sides just right, just enough to give that optical illusion and at the same time make it comfortable to hold in the hand.