Third generation device goes on sale today following virtual reality press event last night (June 14)
Chinese challenger manufacturer OnePlus has unveiled its third flagship device, the OnePlus 3, as part of a virtual reality launch.
The OnePlus 3 comes, which went on sale immediately through its website for£309, has been described as the Chinese firms best yet, with a number of updates and upgrades to its predecessors which were first launched in 2014.
The new handset, features an aluminium unibody finish, curved edges and a 1080p 5.5 inch AMOLED display.
Internally, it runs on a quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor accompanied by a huge 6GB RAM, dwarfing competitors like the LG G5 and HTC 10. Unlike previous flagships, it comes in just one memory size – 64GB – with no expandable microSD card slot.
It also features a 3,000mAh battery (down from the 3100 mAh battery included in the OnePlus2) and is charged through a USB-C port. It also uses DASH fast-charging technology that OnePlus claims will replenish more than 60 per cent of the battery in under 30 minutes.
According to the firm, one of the biggest areas of improvements for the OnePlus 3 compared with previous models, is in the camera, which now includes 16 megapixel Sony sensor that has f/2.0 aperture and optical image stabilisation, plus 4K video recording.
“We know that the best smartphone is the one that works exactly how you want it to,” said OnePlus Founder and CEO Pete Lau. “The OnePlus 3 delivers that experience. It combines what our customers already love about our products with what they want and expect next. It’s a flagship smartphone inspired by – and made for – our fans.”
It will launch with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, and will be available in two colours: Graphite and Soft Gold. Unlike previous models. OnePlus has ditched its invite system, with the phone available to all.