Oneplus 3 display review: Display Analysis — The OnePlus 3 Review

Introduction and DesignSystem PerformanceGPU and NAND PerformanceDisplay AnalysisCamera Architecture and PerformanceBattery Life and Charge TimeFinal Words

Update: OnePlus has since addressed the issues with calibration. Click here for my follow-up article.

One of the most disappointing aspects of the OnePlus 2 was its display. Like the OnePlus One it was a 5.5” IPS LCD display, but the similarities ended there. The OnePlus One shipped with a very well calibrated display, and at the time that wasn’t something you could always expect from devices priced around $300. With the OnePlus 2 the display got a much appreciated boost in peak brightness, but the color accuracy regressed severely. The display was heavily blue shifted, and to say that it tied the Nexus 6 as the most inaccurate display tested in recent years would actually be generous. With how good the display on the OnePlus One was, the OnePlus 2 was a huge letdown.

The OnePlus 3 is a chance for OnePlus to fix the mistakes they made with the OnePlus 2. Like the past two OnePlus flagship devices, we’re still talking about a 5.5” display. However, OnePlus has moved to an AMOLED panel. OnePlus calls this an Optic AMOLED display, although they don’t go into much detail on what that means, beyond claiming that the display uses “Custom-engineered gamma corrections that help create a more natural viewing experience”. It’s generally not a good sign when the description of a technology is very vague and just throws in some technical jargon instead of quantifying and explaining what is actually going on. OnePlus also claims that the display “produces colors that are more vivid and true-to-life than other AMOLED displays”, which sounds like good news given how accurate the AMOLED displays on other smartphones already are.

Before covering display accuracy, I want to comment on OnePlus’s use of a 1080p AMOLED panel. According to comments made by OnePlus, a 1080p display was chosen as it provides superior battery life, and because resolutions above 1080p are not useful outside of VR. I have to respectfully disagree with both points, especially because this is a PenTile AMOLED display. It has been well demonstrated that good battery life is achievable not just with 1440p AMOLED smartphones, but with 1440p LCD smartphones. While I do feel 1080p is a good resolution to choose for a 5.5″ RGB LCD panel, it is simply not adequate for a PenTile AMOLED display.

When you consider the effective resolution of red and blue on the OnePlus 3, you’re really dealing with a display that is roughly equivalent to the iPhone 6s in chroma resolution, except on a 5. 5″ display instead of a 4.7″ one. The resolution for green is equivalent to a 1080p display, and subpixel rendering is what allows you to make the claim that it’s still a 1080p display, but for everything except pure green your effective resolution is going to be lower. In addition to that, the uneven size and spacing of the subpixels, along with their diamond pattern, makes them less than optimal for rendering the latin alphabet which contains many vertical lines. This kind of screen door effect has long been noticed on PenTile displays, and for the most part the push for 1440p AMOLED panels has mitigated those complaints.

On the OnePlus 3 it’s pretty obvious that text is rendered less clearly than the iPhone 6s, which has a pixel density of only 326ppi, well below that of flagship Android devices. With the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2 for comparison it’s completely obvious that the OnePlus 3 has a lower effective resolution, with text exhibiting distracting artifacts, and solid patterns that are red, blue, or white having a crosshatch pattern that simply isn’t visible on OnePlus’s older smartphones. I completely agreed with OnePlus’s choice of 1080p on their past smartphones, but saying that there’s no benefit to going higher on a PenTile AMOLED display is simply false, and there’s no getting around the fact that the OnePlus 3 has a lower effective resolution than its predecessors. 

While OnePlus isn’t off to a great start with their display resolution, there are many other aspects of a display that need to be considered beyond the number of pixels. To examine the OnePlus 3’s display I’ve run our standard display workflow on it. As always, measurements are performed with an i1Pro 2 spectroradiometer, with the exception of contrast which is done with an i1Display Pro colorimeter. Data is collected and managed with SpectraCal’s CalMAN 5 software.

Right out of the gate things are not looking good for the OnePlus 3. Peak brightness only hits 413 nits, which is a huge regression from the OnePlus 2’s 554 nits. The impact that this has on outdoor usability is very significant, with the display being much harder to use in the sun than the OnePlus 2. To make matters worse, there’s no brightness boost mode that activates when you have the auto-brightness on. At this point I really don’t think it’s acceptable to ship a phone that can’t hit 500 nits when you’re in the sun, and Samsung is pushing 600 nits on their AMOLED displays when they boost brightness so OnePlus is well behind the competition.

Given that the OnePlus 3 uses an AMOLED display, you technically have infinite contrast when there’s no ambient light. In practice the OnePlus 3 definitely has better black levels than any LCD device that I own, but the OnePlus 2 still had a great static contrast ratio, and the better blacks weren’t worth sacrificing the 550 nit peak brightness at all.

SpectraCal CalMAN

Greyscale accuracy on the OnePlus 3 is very poor. It’s not as bad as the OnePlus 2, but given how severe the errors are, it’s entirely possible that I just happened to get an exceptionally bad OnePlus 2 unit and an exceptionally good OnePlus 3. Whatever the case may be, the OnePlus 3 still has severe issues with greyscale rendition. Gamma is somewhat more accurate than the OnePlus 2 that I received, but the display has even more severe blue shifting, and it’s immediately apparent right from the very first setup screen when you turn on the phone.

SpectraCal CalMAN

In the saturation sweep test, the OnePlus 3 performs even more poorly than the OnePlus 2. You can tell from the gamut that they’re actually targeting NTSC, which makes me feel like I’ve been sent back in a time machine to 2010 where this was the problem with AMOLED displays on smartphones like the Nexus One and the original Galaxy S. I really thought that we had moved past this, past the point where AMOLED phones would ship with nonsensical gamut targets that you can’t change, but clearly I was wrong.

What I really don’t understand is why the NTSC gamut was chosen as the target. With very old AMOLED phones this was chosen under the mistaken belief that NTSC was the correct gamut to use for displaying videos on smartphones, which was absolutely wrong. The gamut defined in the NTSC standard is over sixty years old, it was never even reproduced properly on the CRT displays of the time because they couldn’t do so with an adequate brightness level, and it was replaced as a “standard” gamut decades ago, basically not ever being used outside the Americas at all. When a smartphone targets Adobe RGB you can at least see the misguided but well-intentioned attempt to give a wider gamut using a color standard that actually is used in some cases, but when NTSC is the target it just shows a severe lack of understanding of modern displays and color standards.

SpectraCal CalMAN

With poor greyscale and color reproduction, there’s absolutely no hope for proper color mixture rendition. As expected, the OnePlus 3 also regresses here, and beats the OnePlus 2 as the most inaccurate display on the chart. I really don’t have anything else to say here, as I’m just so frustrated by OnePlus’s choices here.

It’s evident that OnePlus didn’t learn from the issues I demonstrated with the OnePlus 2’s display. It was a serious regression from the OnePlus One, and with the OnePlus 3 they’ve somehow found a way to regress even further. Of all the aspects of a phone to mess up, the display is the absolute worst. There’s basically no use case where you use a phone without looking at the screen, and right from the very first moment I turned on the OnePlus 3 I could tell that the colors are completely wrong. It’s just a huge disappointment.

There is one glimmer of hope. After reaching out to OnePlus, explaining why the choice of the NTSC color space as a target doesn’t make any sense, and showing the errors it causes with sRGB rendition, they told me that they now intend to offer an sRGB mode as an option in an upcoming OTA update. There’s no firm timeline for this which makes me uneasy, and I can’t make a recommendation based on an update that isn’t guaranteed, but it’s worth making note of. Unfortunately, I am unsure of whether or not this is something that can be fixed after the phone has already shipped. OnePlus has left the display extremely blue which is often indicative of little or no white point calibration, which would mean it’s impossible to tune the phones because you don’t even have an idea of what the panel characteristics are. For that reason, I remain hopeful but somewhat skeptical, and I plan to revisit the display of the OnePlus 3 if and when OnePlus adds this feature.

While an sRGB mode may be coming, right now the display accuracy you get on the OnePlus 3 reminds me a great deal of early AMOLED devices from 2010, and that’s not a good thing at all. I really expected OnePlus to fix their mistakes from the OnePlus 2 because they did so with so many other aspects of the phone. The only explanation I can think of is that nobody actually understood the negative impact of shipping a wide gamut display on a non-color-managed operating system. This actually seems like the most likely explanation, as the choice of NTSC as the target gamut was definitely not an informed decision. Regardless of what path led to the OnePlus 3’s current display, the end result is that the poor display calibration ruins the phone for me, because the screen is just unpleasant to look at. If display accuracy doesn’t matter at all to you it may be possible to overlook it, but for anyone who cares even the slightest bit the issues with the OnePlus 3’s display will be too severe to live with.

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OnePlus 3 review | TechRadar

TechRadar Verdict

The Chinese startup has improved on a number of issues fans had with its predecessor, wrapping the OnePlus 3 in a new premium suit and managed to keep the price low enough to worry the established names in the market.

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Pros

• +

  Premium design

• +

  Plenty of power

• +

  Affordable price

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Update: Android Oreo has started rolling out to OnePlus 3 handsets. But if you want an even bigger upgrade you’re in luck, because the OnePlus 5T has just launched.

• Read our full OnePlus 5 review

Third time’s a charm, right? Well that’s what OnePlus will be hoping with its third-generation flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 3.

True to its ‘Never Settle’ mantra, OnePlus is pushing forward with its ‘flagship specs for half the price’ game plan, and with the new OnePlus 3 the signs are positive.

After the initial breakout success of the OnePlus One in 2014, the follow up from the Chinese outfit was a little lackluster, with the OnePlus 2 failing to reach the same heights as its predecessor.

If anything, OnePlus was a victim of its own success, as expectations for its second installment went above and beyond what the still-small firm was capable of.
 

OnePlus founder Carl Pei told me during a briefing for the OnePlus 3 that «people have very, very high expectations. We got very lucky with the first device, and people wanted more. We have to balance expectations with what we’re capable of».

OnePlus 3 specs

Weight: 158g
Dimensions: 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.4mm
OS: Android 6.0.1
Screen size: 5.5-inch
Resolution: 1080 x 1920
CPU: Snapdragon 820
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 64GB
Battery: 3000mAh
Rear camera: 16MP
Front camera: 8MP
 

As you may expect then, from a flagship handset costing just US$399 (£329, around AU$450), OnePlus has indeed had to balance features against expectation, but with the OnePlus 3 the compromises are more acceptable.

There’s no QHD resolution (you’ll have to make do with full HD), nor is there a microSD slot, and users have just one internal storage option: 64GB. But if you can look past those minor shortcomings, and embrace the power, premium design and performance the OnePlus 3 is offering, this is the firm’s best ever device.

With a Snapdragon 820 processor, 6GB of RAM, 16MP rear camera, 8MP front snapper, fingerprint scanner and 3,000mAh fast-charging battery, the OnePlus 3 has the tools – on paper at least – to take on the big names.

The OnePlus 2 claimed to be the 2016 Flagship Killer, and while it fell way short of living up to that boast, the OnePlus 3 may just be able to claim the title.

OnePlus 3 price and release date

• Released in June 2016
• Production stopped November 2016

The OnePlus 3 launched at $399 in the US and hasn’t changed in price, but it’s not the same for those in the UK. Since July 11 the OnePlus 3 has cost £329, instead of the £309 launch price, due to the Pound weakening after the Brexit campaign.

However, just six months after its launch OnePlus ceased production of the 3 as it announced its beefed up brother — the OnePlus 3T.

Since then the OnePlus 3T has also been discontinued and even the OnePlus 5 has been and gone, replaced by the $499/£449 OnePlus 5T.

RIP OnePlus 3.

• First full-metal design by OnePlus makes it far more attractive than previous phones
• New Soft Gold version offers a brighter alternative to the standard grey
• The OnePlus 3 has a mute switch, which many Android phones don’t offer

The single biggest advancement from the OnePlus 2 to the OnePlus 3 is the design. I forgave the original OnePlus One’s polycarbonate looks because the phone offered such fantastic value for money, but when the OnePlus 2 came round many people, myself included, wanted more than what was on offer.

Thankfully OnePlus has answered fan’s calls for a more premium design, delivering its first metal uni-body smartphone in the OnePlus 3, cut from a single slab of aluminum.

The result is pleasing. The metal chassis signals the evolution of OnePlus brand from a slightly shaky Chinese startup to a brand that knows what it’s doing, and knows what people want. It doesn’t break any new ground in terms of looks, with flashes of iPhone, HTC and Samsung, but it’s great to eyeball and hold in the hand.

You’ve got the choice of two colors. Graphite (basically Space Grey) was available at launch, but Soft Gold has only recently come into stock — and soft is certainly the right word.

In some light the gold finish looks almost silver, but it’s pleasing understated and is a lot more tasteful than the slightly garish Rose Gold attempts of late.

Round the front you get a while panel instead of black on the graphite, giving the Soft Gold OnePlus 3 a brighter, lighter appearance.

It’s a shame that OnePlus hasn’t taken smartphone design in a new direction, but a quick look at the top phones across all the major manufacturers shows that there’s a fair amount of – how shall I put this – ‘borrowing’ when it comes to styling.

Front-on the OnePlus 3 isn’t anything special – it’s a relatively standard black (or white, if you opt for soft gold) slab coated in Gorilla Glass 4, with the main feature being the indented fingerprint scanner-come-home-button oval below the display.

The fingerprint scanner is much quicker at recognizing your digits and unlocking the OnePlus 3 than it was on the OnePlus 2, with a quoted time of just 0.3 seconds. While I can’t vouch for the exact speed I can see that it’s impressively quick, and I didn’t have any issues when using it. OnePlus says it’s faster than Apple’s Touch ID, and I’m inclined to agree.

Either side of the scanner you’ll find touch-sensitive navigation keys which are only visible when tapped, with a single white LED illuminating for a couple of seconds before disappearing into the bezel.

These are responsive and easy to hit, and you can program them in the settings menu, enabling you to perform extra functions with a hold action rather than a tap. You can also swap them round – so if you prefer your back key to be on the right rather than the left you can do just that.

As well as the toughened Gorilla Glass on the front of the phone, OnePlus has also included a factory-fitted screen protector to prevent scratches, but it’s a little annoying. It doesn’t cover the whole screen, and at times I could see the edge of the protector running down each side of the display, which distracts from the on-screen action.

Fortunately you can remove it pretty easily, and it doesn’t leave any nasty residue on the glass – but you’re unlikely to get the bubble-free finish if you try to re-apply it, so make sure you really want it gone before peeling it off.

Along the left side of the 7.35mm-thick OnePlus 3 are the volume rocker and notification slider. The latter has three positions: all notifications, priority notifications and silent, enabling you to quickly adjust the setting without waking the screen.

It’s a hat-tip to Apple’s mute switch on the iPhone, and it’s something I found very useful during my time with the OnePlus 3 – especially when it came to quickly muting the phone during meetings and cinema trips.

On the other side is the power/lock key, which sits below the dual-SIM tray. Yes that’s right – the OnePlus 3 can handle two SIMs. On some other devices, such as the Huawei P9, the second SIM slot also doubles as a microSD slot, but that’s not the case here – as mentioned, there’s no expandable storage option.

The explanation given to me by OnePlus’s Pei for why the company continues to shun expandable storage comes down to user experience.

«MicroSD is a big ask [from our fans],» Pei explained, «but it’s not a good ask. It’s not a good user experience». You may not agree, but that’s the thinking over at OnePlus.

The buttons are well positioned, and as long as your hands are big enough to grapple the OnePlus 3 you’ll be able to hit them without issue when using the phone one-handed.

There’s nothing on the top edge, while the base is packed with a speaker grille, USB-C port and headphone jack – OnePlus certainly isn’t ready to ditch the 3.5mm jack just yet, unlike Motorola with the Moto Z.

Moving round the back, the gently curving rear and the antenna bands at the top and bottom of the handset are reminiscent of the HTC One M9, while the square camera bulge has something of the Samsung Galaxy S6 about it.

It’s a pleasing premium look, if a little understated, and its arched backed means the OnePlus 3 sits nicely in the palm, enabling you to get a decent grip around what is a large handset.

The OnePlus 3 is a phone I really do enjoy holding, flipping it over repeatedly in my hand and gazing at it as it resides on my desk. There’s nothing complex going on here, but it’s that simplicity that I find alluring. In that sense it’s similar to Apple’s iPhone design, although the curved rear beats the flat backs of the Cupertino firm’s handsets.

Design-wise, OnePlus has done something special then. The OnePlus 3 doesn’t look out of place alongside the iPhone 6S, Samsung Galaxy S7, HTC 10 and LG G5, yet it’s almost half the price. For that, at least, it must be applauded.

OnePlus 3: Price Comparison

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John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He’s interviewed CEOs from some of the world’s biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar’s resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.  

OnePlus 3 without enthusiasm. Is it worth taking? / Smartphones and mobile phones / iXBT Live

A review of the Oppo subsidiary’s device has already been published on the site. But everyone has their own view. In mine, I will try to supplement it with some details about the technical characteristics of the device in its version for the Chinese market.

Features

Sony IMX 298, 16 MP, F/2.0, optical stabilization, flash, RAW

9000 9000

Sizes 9000

152.7 x 74.7 x 7.4 millimeters

Screen	5.5’’, 1080×1920, Optic AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 4
Main chamber
Front Camera	Sony IMX179, 8 MP, f/2.0
Supported network interfaces	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot Bluetooth: v4.2, A2DP, LE, NFC
Navigation GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
Communications and supported frequencies	Dual nanoSIM slot Chinese version: GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz; WCDMA: 1/2/5/8; FDD-LTE: 1/3/7; TDD-LTE: 38/39/40/41; TD-SCDMA: 34/39; CDMA EVDO: BC0
Sensors	Fingerprint, Hall, Light, Proximity Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass Sensor
Connectors 0003	USB Type-C (V2. 0), 3.5 mm
Battery	LITTLE LI-ION 3000 MAH, accelerated charging Dash Charge (OPPO VOOC)
Mass	158 grams

Appendix and equipment

in a white company with a red logo are located: 9 are located:

• smartphone;
• Dash Charge compatible USB Type-C cable;
• Dash Charge charger;
• SIM eject tool;
• instruction manual.

OnePlus 3 has a metal case with plastic inserts for wireless interfaces. Ends are rounded. The sides of the rear panel are also bevelled. Officially, the device is made of aircraft-grade aluminum. Of course, this is just a marketing ploy (if only because pure aluminum is not used in aviation, and alloys based on it are dark and dark, they are used not only in aviation). The case is painted, matte (read — rough). Scratches will remain quite often — and not only when worn with keys.

Rear chamber protrudes 2 mm. If you put the smartphone on the table with the screen up, the camera interferes significantly. However, it is in contact with the surface only with the bottom face. The lens is covered with a protective glass, scratches on the edges are inevitable during prolonged use — when the device is moved on the table, they cling a little.

The front surface is covered with sapphire crystal with 2.5D effect – rounded edges. The frame of the display itself is no more than 1 millimeter. Another millimeter is added by a protective frame around the edge of the device.

On the top of the front panel there is a proximity sensor, a multi-color LED indicator (one of 9 notification colors can be selected in the system settings) and a front camera. On the bottom there are two touch keys, illuminated by dots, and a touch-sensitive central Home button with a built-in fingerprint scanner. Compared to Meizu’s multi-purpose buttons, this solution can leave a feeling of unfinished business. The scanner allows you to save up to 5 prints. Usually in Chinese devices you have to use several fingerprints of one finger. For OnePlus 3, one is enough. The speed corresponds to modern standards and works almost instantly. Unfortunately, it does not react to wet or dirty fingers. But the button is convenient, its shape is thought out, and the transition from touch to central is not difficult. On the other hand, accidental clicks are not excluded.

All connectors are located on the bottom of the device: both USB-C and 3.5 mm jack. There is also an external speaker grille (it is one). The top edge is empty.

The right side is occupied by a three-position volume mode switch: «Do not disturb», «In a meeting», «Normal». This is a rare, but really very convenient control. There is also a volume rocker — a rather unusual combination.

On the left is the power button. In addition, it has a SIM card tray.

OnePlus 3 turned out to be a beautiful and comfortable device. All buttons are in the zone of direct access without causing discomfort. Using the central hardware button and the volume swing is not always convenient — you need to get used to it. It will not be difficult to do this — the dimensions of the smartphone are much smaller than those of competitors with the same diagonal. Thanks to its small thickness, rounded edges, beveled edges and acceptable weight, OnePlus 3 fits perfectly in the hand. (Although, when testing after 6-inch devices, it was a little uncomfortable — the smartphone feels 5-inch, and very thin.)

Shield

When you turn it on for the first time, the OnePlus 3 screen makes the right impression. The smartphone is equipped with a 5.5″ Optic AMOLED screen FullHD 1920 * 1080 covered with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4, the touch handles up to 10 touches. The resolution is enough not to see the pixels, the diagonal is easy to read. The optical AMOLED matrix works excellently.
Unfortunately, the smartphone has an insufficient level of brightness to work under the summer sun: the information remains readable, but some effort is required. In the dark, the maximum brightness of the display does not cause rejection and does not irritate. The speed of changing the brightness of the backlight is sufficient, the reaction of the sensors is fast enough and does not cause discomfort.

On the other hand, the brightness, contrast of the image is on top. Color display is standard for AMOLED — juicy, rich, with deep blacks. For those who do not like the brightness of such displays, you can turn on the sRGB mode in the settings — the colors become more life-like (you can also activate the night mode with changing the theme to dark with a yellow font and additional yellow backlighting). At angles, the image is practically not distorted, but due to the peculiarities of the AMOLED matrix, it acquires a greenish tint.

There is no screen flickering because the screen refresh rate is 270 Hz. But the pixels can be seen upon close examination — the notorious PenTile is to blame.

The protective glass has an oleophobic coating to hide fingerprints and reduce glare. The touch supports 10 touches, but the sensitivity leaves much to be desired — I had to sweat to create a screenshot. On the other hand, in real operation, much recognition of such a number of touches is not required, but protection against accidental pressing and slipping of fingers is very useful.

Performance

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 64-bit processor makes OnePlus 3 one of the most powerful smartphones on the market. At the moment, synthetic tests put the novelty in second place, bringing only HTC 10 ahead. LPDDR4 memory and 64 GB permanent, corresponding to the UFS 2.0 standard (the same as in Xiaomi Mi5).

The amount of permanent memory is not expandable, and its amount may seem insufficient to someone. Of the entire permanent memory, about 52 GB is available to the user — the rest is occupied by the operating system and pre-installed programs. But the speed of the device will satisfy the most picky users — even the installation of applications occurs almost instantly.

Power reserve enough for the next couple of years — you don’t have to worry about changing devices. World Of Tanks, Asphalt and other «heavy» games behave perfectly with maximum graphics settings.

With video decoding, the new OnePlus copes just as well — FullHD and 4K videos are played back without frame drops, slowdowns and audio lag. Up to 30 frames per second. Both when watching streaming video, and when using streaming services (for example, from YouTube).

Unfortunately, watching 4K on a smartphone screen does not make sense. But to make friends with a gadget with a wired method of transmitting an image to a TV did not work. Despite the declared support for Miracast. Perhaps the fault is the outdated USB 2.0 standard, wrapped in modern USB-C. Yes, in fact, the port of the new type does not carry any advantage — it does not meet the specifications. But problems when searching for a cable or replacing a connector are simply obliged to provide.

Synthetic benchmarks show the following results:

Operating system

OnePlus 3 uses Oxygen OS 3.2.2 based on Android 6.0.1 as OS. The system is similar to the AOSP-assembly of Android (read — bare, standard system).

Photo capabilities

One of OnePlus’ strengths is its cameras. The main one uses a 16-megapixel Sony IMX 298 sensor with f/2.0 aperture. There is also PDAF autofocus, electronic (EIS) and optical (OIS) stabilization.

In the native application, you can use several modes: photo, panorama photo, video, slow motion video. The basic photo mode allows you to turn on the flash, HDR mode, select the aspect ratio (4:3 or 16:9). It also turns on saving pictures in RAW and turns on the timer.

Manual mode allows you to set the white balance, ISO value, shutter speed and other settings. Shooting speed is a matter of seconds. Stabilization and autofocus work instantly, allowing you to take good pictures even on the go or from the window of a transport. During panoramic shooting, the application monitors the level of the camera. The stitching takes no more than 1.5 seconds.

The flash illuminates the frame evenly. As a flashlight, the brightness is not enough — enough only to illuminate the keyhole.

The front module is equipped with an 8 MP Sony IMX179 sensor with f/2.0 aperture. Thanks to this, the camera can be used not only for video calls, but also for memorable shots (if desired, despite the small number of settings — for artistic shooting).

Sound

The parent brand of OnePlus, Oppo, is famous among audiophiles around the world. The 1+ line of smartphones has always been distinguished by high-quality sound. The third generation was no exception. The sound through the 3.5 mm jack when using high-quality headphones is balanced and quite voluminous. Bassheads are clearly not worth advising OnePlus 3 — without third-party programs and a low-frequency equalizer is not enough.

An external speaker is just enough for hands-free calling — but who uses it to listen to music these days? However, the volume reserve is enough for playing games or watching movies without wheezing even at the maximum.

Communications

For cellular communications, the novelty is equipped with a combined tray for two nanoSIM cards. There are three versions of the new OnePlus, differing in supported frequencies.

The 4G signal in Megafon networks is stable, does not disappear in transitions. Voice communication works well. The interlocutor is heard clearly, the opposite side of the conversation also does not complain about the quality of the transmission.

As befits a flagship, the smartphone is equipped with all modern wireless interfaces. The WiFi module supports most standards, including a/b/g/n/ac, providing stable reception through two to three concrete floors. The stable communication range is about 15 meters.

In addition, OnePlus 3 is equipped with support for the relatively new Bluetooth 4.2. NFC not only works, but is also compatible with devices used in Russia — you can check Troika’s balance.

GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou are used to determine satellite coordinates. Cold start takes no more than 5 seconds. Communication with satellites is stable both indoors and outdoors. The module is powerful enough to find more than 30 satellites at a time and provide accurate tracking on the ground.

Autonomy

The claimed battery capacity of 3000 mAh corresponds to the real one. The model supports proprietary fast charging called Dash (similar to Oppo VOOC). Its difference from the QC and MTK versions is very noticeable: the device is charged with a current of 3.6A at 4.6V, without changes. Surprisingly, the device does not heat up above 45 degrees Celsius while charging.

Dash requires original charger and cable to use. Which, by the way, externally corresponds to USB 3.0 type-A, but additional contacts are used to transfer power — certain problems may occur. Fully (from 0 to 100%) the smartphone is charged in an hour. When using a native set, charging a smartphone from 15% to 85% takes 35 minutes. When working with any other charger, the maximum charging current does not exceed 1.46A at 5.28V.

The firmware is quite optimized in terms of power consumption. So, watching FullHD video via WiFi takes about 7-10% of the battery charge per hour (with Google services synchronization enabled and SIM cards disabled). When using 4G, using two SIMs, Viber, Skype and active correspondence, the smartphone barely lasts 8 hours. An hour of music in airplane mode with the display on and at maximum volume takes about 5-7% of the charge. In this mode, the maximum operating time of the device with the screen on is about 5 hours. Thus, the charger is absolutely necessary to carry with you, or keep at the workplace.

Conclusions

There was no colossal breakthrough. The OnePlus 3 is a great device, but it’s still far from perfect. It fits perfectly into modern trends — but we all know that we want something a little different from top-end smartphones. And so that the camera does not protrude, and so that the battery is larger, and the screen is unbreakable, and the case is without scratches.
On the other hand, at a current price of $430 to $460 (including shipping), the OnePlus 3 is one of the most interesting devices for creating and consuming media content on the market. The engineers managed to design a convenient case (for disassembly, you need to unscrew 2 screws), successfully place the controls and implement software functions at a high-quality level. So it can also be recommended as a status device. If we compare the new Oppo with other flagship devices, then it has no real competitors, despite some complications with charging and data transfer.

Is it worth buying? Yes. For most users, this is a hassle-free smartphone with great design, usability and top build quality.

Where to buy? It was currently available on Gearbest for $450. Unfortunately, it will be quite difficult to bring a European or American version due to problems with the notification of OnePlus 3. Unfortunately, due to increased demand, neither European nor Chinese smartphones can be found at a declared cost of $ 400.

Or in local stores

Search prices in iXBT.com catalog

the best Chinese smartphone under $500!

The OnePlus 3T is an upgraded version of the OnePlus 3 that sold successfully. The manufacturer installed a slightly modified (Snapdragon 821 instead of 820) chipset, doubled the resolution of the selfie camera and added battery capacity. The smartphone received a rather modest appearance, a relatively low price and good technical characteristics.

In this article: show

What’s in the box

The OnePlus 3T comes in a branded white carton box with a red brand logo. Hidden inside is another red box. Red and white are also used in the design of the kit. In the box are located in separate compartments:

• Smartphone with a protective film applied
• DASH adapter
• USB Type-C cable, rolled up and fixed with special paper clips
• Card tray ejector hidden in documentation
• Stickers

Design

Let’s start with the design. The OnePlus 3 smartphone, like the 3T, is made on a metal frame, the back cover is made of anodized aircraft-grade aluminum. On it, plastic edges above the antennas are visible from above and below. They are slightly different in color from the lid, but do not spoil the view, but rather serve as a design element.

The square camera block is centrally located and covered by a sapphire crystal. An LED flash is installed under the camera, a second speaker, below is the brand logo. The shape is rectangular, the corners are slightly rounded. The edges are sloping, the case is thin, 7.5 mm. The sides are narrow and sanded at the front.

The front panel of the phone is covered with protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 4. It is covered with a film from the box, but not very well. The glass is slightly larger than the film. An event indicator is installed above the screen, which has 8 colors in the settings, light and proximity sensors, a front camera and a speaker. The sound is clear, loud, with a wide range of frequencies, including low ones.

At the bottom of the screen in the center is the Home button, combined with a fingerprint scanner. It works clearly and quickly. Nearby are the «Menu» and «Back» buttons, which can be swapped in the settings. You can assign other functionality to the Home key, turn on the on-screen navigation bar.

On the right side there is a power button and a slot for two nano-sim cards. You can assign a double-click on the power button for quick access to the camera. On the left, there is a volume control button and a lever for switching to silent mode or vibration (a feature of the latest models of the brand). The surface of the lever is ribbed, so it is comfortable to use.

The bottom of the phone has USB Type-C and 3.5mm headset jacks and a speakerphone. There are no controls on the top panel. The Type-C connector is imperfect; an adapter to HDMI is not connected to it.

The parameters of the case are 15.3 x 7.4 cm. Weight 158 ​​g.

Build color:

• Golden (version with 64 GB ROM)
• Bronze (dark gray)

Display

AMOLEDD OnePlus 3T’s screen is branded as Optic. Display specifications same as previous model:

• Display diagonal 5.5»
• Resolution 1080 x 1920 p
• Dot density 401 ppi
• Maximum white brightness 423 cd/m²
• Contrast ratio 10000:1
• Multi-touch supports 10 simultaneous touches

Side bezels 3 mm, bottom and top 15 mm. The display image of the phone is bright and colorful, with intense blacks, blue color is in excess, red is not enough. If the colors seem unnatural, you can turn on the sRGB mode for a more natural color gamut. There is a night mode with a dark theme with yellow fonts and the same display backlight.

The OnePlus 3T has a maximum viewing angle. The image is not distorted when viewed from an angle, but the brightness decreases, the color gamut goes a little green. Screen flicker is imperceptible, and individual pixels can be seen. The maximum brightness is enough to see the image on the screen under bright sunlight, although this is not very comfortable. Brightness is quickly adjusted automatically or manually in the settings.

Technical characteristics and performance

Technical characteristics of the OnePlus 3T smartphone are collected in the table:

9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 4 Kryo 9000 9000 9000 9000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4 35 GB + 2 x 1.6 GHz

9

that the processor of the OnePlus 3T smartphone is not the most modern, made according to the 14 nm process. The number of cores is small, but sufficient for productive work. Typically, cores with a frequency of 1.6 GHz work. If the load on them becomes too large, and they can no longer cope, the next 2 cores with a clock frequency of 2. 35 GHz are automatically connected.

The memory capacity is large, but an additional card cannot be installed in 3T, there is no space for it. The solution to the problem of lack of memory can be to connect an external drive via a USB Type-C connector.

The OnePlus 3T is equipped with a powerful and modern video accelerator Adreno 530. OnePlus 3T’s AnTuTu results speak for its high performance, where the smartphone scores about 155 thousand points. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the manufacturer sometimes deliberately overestimates the test readings.

All applications open quickly and do not unload on their own when switching, the transition from one program to another is smooth. Even the heaviest games run at maximum graphics settings. During active operation, the back of the case near the camera unit heats up to 35°C, the front part — up to 38°C.

The operating systems are in all cases versions of Android 7 Nougat. OxygenOS has the ability to split the screen and open 2 tabs at the same time. You can reply to messages directly from the notification bar. There is a possibility of scaling.

OnePlus firmware version 3T is updated over the air. The built-in optimization system helps to place all the information rationally. The gesture control system works, you can set the display to wake up with a double tap.

Connectivity

OnePlus 3T supports 2 nano-SIM cards in 3G/4G (LTE CAT 6) networks. It has 3 versions:

• Chinese
• American
• European

The Chinese version of A3010 does not have band 20, the American version is equipped with band 7, the European one has the whole set of frequencies. There is only one radio module in the handset, so the other one is not used while talking on one SIM card.

Wireless interfaces installed:

• Wi-Fi (ac and b/g/n/ac) works through 2 concrete walls at a distance of 15 m
• Bluetooth 4.2
• USB Type-C connector (USB0) for connection to external devices
• Navigation is carried out using GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou. The first satellites are located in 5 seconds, their number reaches 30 pieces. Communication is not lost, tracking is accurate.

The sound of the speaker is good, but the frequency range is small. More heard in the middle of the frequency. To listen to music, use the built-in player and a special Dirac HD Sound program that improves sound quality. In the settings there is an equalizer for 7 bands with frequencies of 68 Hz … 14 kHz. The sound quality of melodies in the headphones is average, but much better than many modern smartphones in their price class.

The noise reduction system copes with its tasks, no extraneous sounds are heard.

Cameras

The main camera of the OnePlus 3T has a 1:2.8″ Sony IMX298 sensor with phase-detection PDAF that responds quickly. f/2.0 aperture. Can record 4k video at 30fps. The camera has optical and electronic stabilization. These characteristics indicate that the video is smooth.

The quality of images in sunny weather is good, and in low light it is above average. In the dark, some of the pictures are blurred. The owners of some phones complain that the pictures are blurry, unsharp in the normal shooting mode.

The camera has standard shooting modes, including HDR. It is possible to choose the aspect ratio of the picture from the options 4:3 or 16:9. It is possible to store pictures in RAW.

The OnePlus 3T front camera received a 16 MP Samsung 3P8SP sensor. The aperture is f/2.0, the pixel size has decreased compared to the 3T model and has become 1 micron, there is no autofocus. The camera is suitable for selfies and video calls. You can record 1080p video at 30/60fps, 4k at 30fps.

Some users claim that the quality of the images has not improved, only their storage size has become larger. Their sharpness is low, some of them are blurry.

Autonomy

The OnePlus 3T is powered by a 3400 mAh battery, up from 3000 mAh in the previous version.

OnePlus 3T has enough battery life for 18 hours of video playback or 6 hours of gaming.