OnePlus 3 Review

The OnePlus 3 is the perfect smartphone for users who want power and style at a great price. Although the OnePlus 3 is only $399, this isn’t a budget smartphone that cuts corners and leaves owners wanting more. There are more than enough specs and features to compete with the Samsung Galaxy S7 and iPhone 6s.

Building on the successes of previous OnePlus models this year, the OnePlus 3 feels like a real competitor to established gamers.

We’ve been using the $399 smartphone for over a month, along with the iPhone 6s, Galaxy S7, and HTC 10 to see how it stacks up. Here’s what you need to know before buying the OnePlus 3.

If you want expandable storage and a QHD display, this phone is not for you. However, 64GB is the optimal spot for many users, and this 1080P HD display isn’t droopy.

We especially liked the OnePlus 3’s design, fast charging, overall battery life, and the speed this phone offers. The camera is also quite impressive in various settings.

The OnePlus 3 is available for $399 without invitation and works on AT&T and T-Mobile, among other GSM carriers. It won’t work on Verizon or Sprint. You can do Buy OnePlus 3 directly from OnePlus.

OnePlus 3 Design

Add to the design with official OnePlus 3 cases.

The all-metal OnePlus 3 body looks nice and feels good to hold while using the phone or playing games. It’s a larger phone with a 5.5-inch screen, but noticeably smaller than the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and iPhone 6s Plus.

OnePlus opted for a metal body with antenna lines, a familiar look on many smartphones this year. Although it is familiar, it looks beautiful. OnePlus also sells a number of official OnePlus 3 cases that look and feel great on the smartphone. Personally, Carbon Fiber and wood grain cases are my favourites.

Complete the design with a colorful case.

The OnePlus 3 has two touch buttons on the front and a home button with a fingerprint reader. Fingerprint reader is accurate and fast. Users can choose to use the two touch-sensitive buttons or use the on-screen buttons. There’s also the option to choose which button does what, in case you’re used to swapping the back and menu buttons.

Use the onscreen buttons next to the fast fingerprint reader or the ones built into the bottom edge.

There’s no room for a microSD card, but the phone supports two SIM cards if you need to change carriers regularly.

My favorite little touch is the slider on the left side of the phone that lets you control notifications. The slider is integrated with Android notification controls so you get all notifications, priority notifications or not. It also has standard volume controls and a power button.

This slider is an excellent way to control notifications on Android.

On the bottom edge of the phone you’ll find a USB C connection, speakers and a headphone jack. The USB C connection enables Dash charging, which can add 63% battery life with a 30-minute charge.

OnePlus 3 Display

The OnePlus 3 screen doesn’t have as many pixels as the Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge, but it’s the same as the iPhone 6s Plus.

A high-quality display is essential for a great smartphone experience, but that doesn’t mean you always need the highest resolution. After staring at the 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution Super AMOLED display last month, I either want more of the screen or have to go back to competing phones with a sigh of relief.

The OnePlus 3 screen looks very good.

The OnePlus 3 screen looks great, works very well outdoors and offers good colours.

Thanks to its Super AMOLED technology, the phone also includes the option to show you notifications when your hand is on top, without affecting battery life. This makes it easy to catch missed notifications without picking up your phone.

OnePlus ships a bubble-free screen protector on the phone that does not interfere with touch functions. It can be peeled off without leaving any residue.

OnePlus 3 Camera

The OnePlus 3 has a 16MP camera on the back that performs very well in many situations. Competing phones may dwarf the OnePlus 3 at some settings, but for an all-round camera it works very well. The front of the phone has an 8MP camera for selfies and video conferencing.

It’s not the best camera on a smartphone in 2016, but it’s very capable.

The camera performs fast autofocus, includes Auto HDR and records in 4K. Users can choose to shoot in RAW and enter manual mode for greater control over ISO, white balance and shutter speed.

It includes a simple default camera app, easy access to key controls, and supports modes like Time-lapse, Slow-motion, and Panorama, in addition to Photo, Video, and Manual.

Like most smartphones, the OnePlus 3 camera shines in good light, where you can take pictures without thinking too much and get great results. In low light, you need to slow down and be more careful, otherwise the photos will be blurry. This isn’t unique to the OnePlus 3, but it was a bigger issue than it was with our iPhone 6s.

The shutter speed is fast and the phone keeps focus well. Check out the sample photos below.

The front-facing camera takes beautiful photos and includes the option to take a photo three seconds after you smile, as well as a beauty mode that makes your selfies look prettier.

OnePlus 3 Performance and Software

The OnePlus 3 is a fast phone thanks to the Snapdragon 820 processor and 6GB of RAM. Whether you’re playing Pokémon Go, gaming on your couch, or just getting some work done, this phone shines fast.

We don’t need to run speed tests and graphics comparisons to know this phone is fast. Thanks to 6GB of RAM, the phone is now ready for your needs and on the way with software updates and apps that may need more power next year.

The OnePlus 3 is fast and runs close to a stock-looking version of Android with useful upgrades.

Users can only buy the OnePlus 3 with 64GB of storage and there is no way to add more via MicroSD card. For most users, this is the right amount of storage, but if you need more, start looking at a Samsung or a more expensive iPhone.

OnePlus 3 includes support for NFC to Beam to other Android devices and in-store payments.

OnePlus installs an Oxygen OS running on Android Marshmallow. It’s very similar to stock Android, but there’s more customization users can make to the look and feel. There are all the Android Marshmallow features you want and some additional options like Shelf to keep your items organized on the left of the home screen.

OnePlus includes on-screen gestures to turn on the flashlight while sleeping, turn on the camera, or double-tap to wake the screen.

The OnePlus 3’s bottom edge speaker is capable, but we’ve often paired it with the Bose SoundLink Mini II to get more room-filling sound.

OnePlus 3 Battery Life

OnePlus 3 battery life is solid thanks to a 3,000mAh battery housed in a slim body. It was hard for me to run out of battery in a full day of use unless I combined using the phone as a hotspot and playing Pokémon Go. Even then, OnePlus 3 battery life is impressive.

Use Quick Charge to get 60% battery life on the charger in 30 minutes.

I love dash charging. When you use the Dash wall charger or the Dash Car charger, you can get over 60% battery life with a 30-minute charge. That’s more than enough to spend a very busy day in the car charging or before heading out for the evening.

This is faster than fast charging on some other phones and you can use the phone while the Dash is charging. The heat-generating part of this fast charging takes place in the charger instead of the phone.

Is OnePlus 3 Worth Buying?

The value of the OnePlus 3 is hard to beat. For $399, buyers get a great smartphone that can hang with the big names on the block.

When you consider everything the OnePlus 3 does, the sacrifices you make to save $250 compared to the iPhone 6s or Galaxy S7 are small.

OnePlus this is an impressive phone.

With regular updates and non-trivial features, the Oxygen OS helps the OnePlus 3 stand out even for shoppers who just don’t want to save money.

There is no way to add more storage, but for millions of users this is not an issue and the OnePlus 3 includes the 64GB standard, which is enough for many users.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 camera stands out, but the OnePlus 3 camera is still capable.

Overall, the OnePlus 3 is an impressive phone that’s definitely worth it. $399 sticker price – even if you can afford a more expensive phone.