EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ONEPLUS 3

The OnePlus 3 is official, and it's even better than we expected. Here’s what we know, including the OnePlus 3 release date, specs, features, and price.

The OnePlus 3 has officially launched. We now know all of the major details about the new handset so here’s the full list of OnePlus 3 specs:

• 5.5-inch screen
• 1,920 x 1,080 pixel display (401ppi)
• Dimensions: 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.4mm
• Weight: 158 grams
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
• Adreno 530 GPU
• 6GB RAM
• 64GB storage (32GB variant may be offered in some markets)
• 16MP main camera
• 8MP selfie camera
• USB-C port (Dash Charge 5V/4A)
• 3,000mAh battery
• Fingerprint scanner
• NFC
• Dual-SIM
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• Oxygen OS (Android 6.0.1)

ONEPLUS 3 – DESIGN

We don’t blame you if you’re feeling a sense of deja-vu when looking at the OnePlus 3 – it looks a lot like an HTC One.

Related: Best Android Smartphones 2016

From that large camera sensor in the middle, to the antenna lines running around it, everything feels very familiar. We’re not really saying it’s a bad thing, but it feels very safe.

The fingerprint sensor from the OnePlus 2 has also returned, and the whole front of the handset looks very similar, identical even, to its predecessor. The screen is covered in Gorilla Glass 4 and there's a bottom firing speaker alongside the USB Type-C port on the base of the handset.

Made using an anodized aluminium unibody the phone looks slightly sleeker than the previous OnePlus models with its rounded design, and comes in two colours: Graphite and Soft Gold.

ONEPLUS 3 SPECS

The OnePlus 3 comes a robust 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. In terms of processing power, the new handset packs in a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip – the same processor that can be found in many top-end handsets, including US versions of the Galaxy S7. That should ensure some seriously speedy performance, especially in combination with the 6GB of RAM.

And when it comes to the display, there's lots to be excited about. Although OnePlus has kept the resolution at 1080p, the 5.5-inch screen is now made using AMOLED technology. That means each individual pixel emits its own light, as opposed to LCD, which uses a backlight to illuminate the pixels. It should result in deeper blacks, more vibrant colours, and better energy efficiency.

The 5.5-inch screen is the same form factor as the iPhone 6S Plus, which means it’s near the top-end of what most people are willing to hold. Unfortunately, the Full HD display won’t be as VR-capable as QHD rivals, like the Galaxy S7.

Still, it's great to see OLED tech finally make it to the OnePlus series and the Full HD display and 401ppi density is going to offer more than enough sharpness for the average user.

ONEPLUS 3 – CAMERA

OnePlus has also loaded its new handset with a 16-megapixel rear camera. That's more than the Galaxy S7 but, as we've seen with several phones this year, more pixels doesn't always mean better photos. We'll have to wait until we get our hands on a review model to see how the OnePlus 3 camera stacks up against others on the market.

The new sensor also features optical image stabilisation (OIS), which should make for sharper shots.

We've seen a number of official camera samples from OnePlus in the run up to the OnePlus 3 launch. Bear in mind that these images may have been taken on pre-production models, and thus aren't necessarily representative of the final product:

^{nePlus CEO taking a selfie with the OnePlus 3's front-facing camera}

On the front of the OnePlus 3 you'll find an 8MP selfie shooter, which, again, is more megapixels than you'll find on top-end handsets such as the S7, but as always, we'll have to wait until we can put the sensor through its paces to see what that amounts to in practice.

ONEPLUS 3 SOFTWARE – ANDROID 6.0, CERTAINLY NOT ANDROID N

The OnePlus 3 is going to run Android 6.0.1 with OnePlus' Oxygen OS skin overlaid. Thankfully OnePlus has always done this well in the past, adding just enough new software tweaks to keep it fresh without taking away from what makes Android great.

The release comes far too soon for Android N, which is set to be the next version of Google’s OS. You can install N on a bunch of Nexus device right now, but it’s very much a beta and won’t hit consumer devices until later in 2016.

ONEPLUS 3 – BATTERY LIFE

The OnePlus 2 offered a formidable day-and-a-half of usage between charges, which is par for the course with flagship phones.

That was thanks to a 3,300mAh battery, paired with reasonably efficient components like a Full HD display and the Snapdragon 810. The OnePlus 3 has a slightly smaller 3,000mAh battery, but seeing as it hasn't made the jump to a QHD or 4K panel, we’d expect to see similar battery life once again.

What’s more, the Snapdragon 820 offers significant efficiency improvements over the Snapdragon 810, and Android 6.0 Marshmallow also improves battery management. All in all, there’s plenty of scope for a solid OnePlus 3 battery life, but we'll have to test it ourselves to know for sure.

ONEPLUS 3 PRICE AND HOW TO BUY

The OnePlus 3 is on-sale for £309 – pretty good considering the internals are on-par with most high-end handsets.

Our main issue with each OnePlus phone to date was the invite system that went along with its release. Instead of just heading to the OnePlus website and clicking ‘buy’, you had to apply for an invite, join a queue and then wait for that invite to arrive in your email inbox. With so many fans eager to pick up the budget blower, that queue grew rather large very fast.

Thankfully, with the OnePlus 3, the invite system has been scrapped. That's right, the phone is available to all.

ONEPLUS 3 – WHAT IS LOOP VR?

Instead of simply unveiling the OnePlus 3 with a press-release, the Chinese brand held the launch event in VR. That’s nothing new, in-fact the OnePlus 2 launch happened the same way, but this time we had a dedicated VR headset tie-in.

OnePlus gave away the Loop VR for free, but it sold out in a matter of minutes.

Related: Everything we know about the iPhone 7

p VR

We’re not sure whether Loop VR will have a deeper purpose now the OnePlus 3 has been announced. Will it work in a similar way to Gear VR and the Samsung Galaxy S7? Will OnePlus make bespoke content, or is simply a marketing gimmick to sell the phone? We’d hope the former but we’ll have to wait and see.

SHOULD I BUY THE ONEPLUS 3?

It’s usually pretty easy to recommend OnePlus phones because they’re so cheap. But this year has played host to some seriously formidable smartphones, so OnePlus faces stiff competition.

Some of the top-tier smartphones on offer right now include the Samsung Galaxy S7, the LG G5, and the Nexus 6P – and they’re just from the Android camp. There’s also the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, both of which have received strong critical reception.

The advantage OnePlus has is its wallet-friendly pricing. At £309, there isn’t really anything that will compete at that price. You’ve got the Xiaomi Mi5, that’s powerful and costs about £275, but you’ll need to import it from a site like Gearbest.com.

It might not be the very best phone you can buy, but it's combination of high-end specs and low price make it a seriously tempting offer for anyone looking for a new