The amazing story of OnePlus figuring out how to make great products people want.
A strange thing has happened between mid-2016 and today: OnePlus stopped screwing up.
The company that was notorious for poorly-considered marketing campaigns and forcing customers to wait months in virtual lines for new phones has improbably and wholeheartedly corrected course over the past nine months, turning into, at least from the outside, a well-run and confident machine. After releasing the OnePlus 3 in June of 2016 — a phone that our Andrew Martonik called "a downright great smartphone" — the company has begun manufacturing its phones in India to meet growing demand, expanded its profitable and surprisingly good accessories line, and ironed out its logistics enough to ship phones to order for the first time in its existence.
Then, in November, OnePlus surprised everyone by releasing an upgraded version of its then-five month-old flagship phone, and was among the first third-party manufacturers to release Android 7.1.1 only months after just hitting its target for a Nougat update.
A year ago...
OnePlus is hardly recognizable, in a good way.
A year ago, a list this breathless and expansive would have seemed impossible to anyone looking at how the company was being run. A mass exodus (or a planned consolidation, depending on who you speak to) of its software development team made apparent that the company was, at times, chasing its own tail, trying to decide how to best manage its explosive growth on a shoestring budget. But the company bore the criticism relatively well, admitting fault when necessary while doubling down on the core, early-adopter audience that gave it life back when it debuted in 2014.
Today, the company regularly releases software updates for both of its 3-series phones, and as I sit here with a newly-released Midnight Black OnePlus 3T running Android 7.1.1 Oxygen OS Open Beta 4, if you must know), I am simply floored at its uniformity, at how utterly cohesive and mature the thing feels, and how OnePlus managed to figure out how best to sell its products — that is, by doing simple and good better than any other smartphone manufacturer.
With release of the limited edition Midnight Black OnePlus 3T, it's clear the company's marketing machine is in rhythm with its product and logistics divisions, eking out as much goodwill and return business during the natural year-long product cycle before the whole thing begins again.
Midnight Black
Yes, it's merely an updated color of an existing phone, itself a minor refresh of an existing phone, but the Midnight Black OnePlus 3T is a really stunning piece of hardware. Moreover, after using it for a few days, it's hard to imagine OnePlus ever falling considerably behind the competition again in terms of industrial design or build quality, nor — despite my own public concerns — reverting to a poor state of Android software quality.
Indeed, the worst criticism one can level against OnePlus's software is that it too quickly abandons its aging product lineup — the OnePlus 2, released in 2015, isn't getting Nougat anytime soon — but the same can be said of Samsung, LG and many companies.
Using the OnePlus 3T is a joy; it just works. Performance is superb, and the latest beta (which will eventually roll out to all users) addresses the touch latency problems that were evident on early Nougat builds. And there are some subtle things that I really like: the haptic engine is tuned just perfectly to my taste, even at its default setting. Tapping away on the keyboard evinces the exact right feedback response. The front fingerprint sensor, which doubles as a home button if you want it to, is incredibly fast, as is launching the camera, which I have done dozens of times to use the excellent rear sensor.
Using the OnePlus 3T is a joy; it just works.
Of course, the 5.5-inch 1080p panel isn't the most accurate or brightest out there, and it's framed by large top and bottom bezels that, after using the LG G6 and Galaxy S8, make the phone seem oversized and awkward in one hand. I have no doubt OnePlus plans to address this — as do most manufacturers with any aspirations of greatness — with the 3T's successor, but the design will look increasingly dated as the year rolls on. Still, this is a good phone, mainly for the fundamentals. And for that black.
I've heard the term "murdered out" to describe the exact shade of black that has become increasingly common on phones like the Galaxy Note 7, Galaxy S7, and, now, the OnePlus 3T, and I think that's fair. This thing isn't pitch dark — it shimmers in the light — but it carries the smooth, aggressive confidence of a much more expensive product.
Come a long way
Being just a regular OnePlus 3T in a new shade is one thing; the other part of the equation is the beta build I'm running, which should be rolling out more widely in the coming weeks.
I feel like I could hand the OnePlus 3T to anyone and not worry about the learning curve.
Open Beta 4 is still based on Android 7.1.1, but adds some major improvements to the launcher, which is quickly becoming my favorite manufacturer skin around. It now has a Pixel Launcher-like app drawer, which you swipe up from the bottom which, combined with the widely-loved 'swipe-down-for-notifications' gesture, brings it as close to perfect as I would want. It also supports icon packs, and comes with two excellent ones pre-loaded — I highly recommend Dives if you aren't using a OnePlus 3/3T — that just keep everything looking fresh and clean.
Here's the thing: I feel like I can hand this phone to someone who has never used Android before and feel confident in his or her ability to just pick it up and get to know the operating system. OnePlus has its fair share of gimmicks hidden in the settings — why would you want to draw an 'O' to activate the camera when double-pressing the power button does the same thing much more intuitively — but they're few and far between, and don't distract from the first-on experience.
A year later
I didn't expect OnePlus to get to this point so quickly; I thought it had a couple more years of growing pains yet. But I'm incredibly encouraged by what I'm seeing, both from an end user and company culture perspective.
It appears to have found some much-needed equilibrium to balance out the frenetic momentum that kept it afloat until now. The fact that the Midnight Black OnePlus 3T is just $479, undercutting many other high-end Android phones by more than $200, further sweetens the pot. As Alex Dobie pointed out in this smart piece, it seems that OnePlus plans to depress its handset prices indefinitely, even if it takes a loss on the hardware, to further other aspects of the business.
[These peripherals, like bags and headphones], say a lot about the growth of OnePlus as a brand, and hints at how it might make the bulk of its profit further down the line. The company has admitted that it makes very little profit on sales of phones like the OnePlus One, 2 and 3. That's no surprise when you're shipping devices with cutting-edge specs around the $400 mark.
But look at the accessories and gear sections of OnePlus's store. It's packed with much higher-margin items like branded power banks, earbuds and chargers, not to mention bags and clothing. By ensuring every customer feels like they belong to the OnePlus family, they're more likely to fork out for more expensive accessories either at the point of purchase, or further down the line. (The 3T also has a OnePlus Community app preloaded, which plays into that strategy.)
The phones, the community, the exclusivity, fosters a user base that makes people want to invest further in the brand. That OnePlus is a much more coherent, self-assured company with a working logistics arm that ships phones on time to match its ambitious sales goals is a bonus, and one that puts it in good stead for 2017 and beyond.
Reader comments
OnePlus is doing everything right lately
Actually, this is overlooking a robust market in other hardware like last year's flagships - Samsung S7, S7 edge, LG G5, and HTC 10. I just bought a brand new unlocked LG G5 (model RS-988, not the Verizon Specific model VS-987). I activated it (I expected problems from Verizon on this issue and had no problems at all) and so far I'm very pleased with it. Could care less about the modules (Friends) because it's got a great camera (and a rear wide angle one), 32 GB storage, Micro SD Expansion, Snapdragon 820, removable battery (it's one of the few smartphones left with a removable battery - maybe the last one), a great QHD LCD screen (not AMOLED) and Nougat was waiting for me once the phone was activated. If you overlook the gimmicks of LG Friends and just look at it as a flagship phone it is an outstanding value at only $350. Can't find the HTC 10, the Samsung's are still overpriced with their S7's and S7 edge's. So, if anyone (especially on Verizon where the selection is limited) needs a great phone you don't have to look any farther. I can't comprehend buying phones for $700++ (even if it's ONLY $30/month interest free). As great as the S8 and G6 are they aren't really a good value when you look at other phones for $300-500 LESS. Just a little patience -the G5 is only 12 months old and a brand new one should be good for at least a year maybe even 2 or 3.
Hey, I hear One Plus is doing everything right! Is this true? Please tell us more. Why didn't you tell us sooner, over and over again. We need to know this Earth Shattering news. When something is so important (Paid for by OnePlus) you need to let us know so we can read it 800 FRICKEN TIMES! I've ONLY read it 400 FRICKEN TIMES, so I feel sort of left out. Please post these important itens with more prominence, so we can read more about it!
How much did OnePlus pay for this sorry, emotional endorsement? Sorry, but any phone with only a 1080P screen is NOT flagship quality. The ZTE Axon 7 has much better specs, cost under $400 now, and runs on Android 7.1.2
I get an email today (05/10/17) from AC with the Subject Line "OnePlus is doing everything right lately"
The story's a month old, why am I getting this sort of nonsense in my inbox?
So... Releasing an updated flagship only 5 months after releasing the previous flagship, and creating a huge marketing blitz for a new COLOUR of that flagship, are both considered *good* things by the author? How much did OnePlus pay for this press release, any way?
How is it better than any other flagship? It has a terrible screen with low res and low bright, a bad camera compared to other flagships, no water resistance, no vr, no microsd slot. Also the layer of personalization S8 has is even better than pure android for the first time in many years. When you think of a these things you realize you're paying cheaper for the features you can't get. I wish this company could surprise me with their next smartphone.
As someone who went from the OP3 to the S7 I can say that I prefer the OP3. I didn't jump by choice as this is what I got for an insurance replacement. Software wise the OP3 is light years ahead of what Samsung is putting out. The setup and layout design is minimalistic and easy to figure out while not skimping out on features. Samsung is just bloated and double up on crap you don't need. As for the hardware I give the Samsung screen and camera the props they deserve, they are vastly superior. But for everything else in my opinion Samsung is behind what Oneplus offers. And the cherry is it's offered at half or more of what Sammy charges.
How long is this B.S. article still going to open, and closed.
Anything Oneplus does is pure crap, terrible customer service, terrible warranty support, terrible O.S. support.
The price is not reasonable, it's more like any other 'flagship' phone out there.
But those other phones actually have great support!
The new price for the Silly OP5 will be over $600 usd.
But you fanboys can't admit that Oneplus is a POS company.
☝️ hater in the house
You sound more like a fanboy than people you are acusing of the same. I have O+1 since dec 2014 and worked like charm with regular system updates, until lollipop 6.01. It is now waiting for a dying battery to be replaced, than back to a full throttle. I also use Samsung S3 as a company phone since around the same time and had received zero updates, still running on KitKat 4.4. Battery died a lot earlier than on my O+1. How is that for a "great support from other flagship companies"?
Ironically. the price went up as they got better and now, from Canada, I'm going to pay way too much for that phone if I buy it.
The price went up thanks to the huge plummet in the value of the Canadian dollar vs the US dollar. But then, the price of flagship phones have also gone up significantly in the meantime. So while you'll pay a lot for a OnePlus 3T in Canada now (especially compared to the OnePlus One when it first launched), you'll still pay a lot *more* for an S8 or iPhone 7.
Though personally I'd rather just pick up a cheap LG G5 from Koodo right now, personally. $360 + sim card fee + tax, all-in, and you're getting a fantastic phone. Sign up on a tab and cancel immediately, boom, great cheap last-year's-flagship phone.
It isn't. It needs improvement in many areas. Better screen, better battery, external microSD...
Personally I also want a larger screen. I have a Huawei P9 Plus now, great phone, and I'll replace it only for one with a larger screen (no Samsung S8 though).
A very average device but OK for its price point.
I find the OnePlus 3t very average device; generally I prefer my iPhone.
Well its about half the price of an iPhone, and if you prefer iPhones, and this doesn't change your mind then no android phone will change it.
Very average is actually good given the price
Does the Midnight Black version support US carrier LTE bands, specifically AT&T?
Would be awesome if they would build 5" versions of *any* of these phones (and actually support them).
big fan since day one back when i got my invite and claimed the phone... changed job and got a free iPhone for work. sold my oneplus because did not need two phones. (i can use my iPhone at home for everything) still follow oneplus and they doing a great job. but what about customer service? i believe thats the only thing i did not like that much because when the phone breaks ....
cool story!
Arguably the feel good story of the year. Simply amazing!
Time for OnePlus 5L w/ a big ass battery nuff said.
I'd jump on that if the price is right.
Best purchase ever. Favorite phone in 2016-2017 and counting. After experiencing a phone like this with that price, it's hard to go to other flagships now that cost twice as much for only incremental upgrades.
It does everything you need without an hiccup. Why spend double for slightly more?
I had the OPO and liked that and later got a OP2. What a bad phone that was. Poor fingerprint reader, poor battery life, screen was worse than the OPO, late updates and no NFC (which in fairness I knew about so was my bad). The killer was how bad the Bluetooth connectivity was. Before I return to OP I will need to see plenty of evidence that they have Bluetooth nailed. It won't be the OP3t though, too old, maybe the next phone but I think I will be getting a Honor 8 Pro next so OP will have to wait until the winter.
Another article paid for by Oneplus!
Nobody in the right mind would go out of their way to claim that Oneplus knows what they are doing.
Acting like a normal every day phone manufacturer, including high prices, is nothing to make note of.
The real reason they released the upgrade the OP3 to the OP3T is because of horrible sales numbers.
Only fanboys would go for that they did it for the features.
Raising the price is no different than other companies, Oneplus has no better hardware than anyone else now.
There is no longer any good reason to buy from the insane Oneplus.
I love my OP3 but Im really pissed about the fact that the DASH CAR CHARGER has been out of stock for over a month.
After hanging onto Windows Mobile for so long, waiting and hoping for something to happen, I just couldn't wait any longer. Having it as a daily driver is all well and good but I want my smartphone to be something more. I wasn't a complete newbie to Android as I'd owned a Sony Z2 and thoroughly enjoyed it. I just couldn't find a high-powered, reasonably priced handset to suit my needs though. That was until I discovered the OnePlus One.
Considering the OPO was released only a matter of weeks after the Z2, the OPO running Lineage 14.1 (Nougat) feels and runs like a phone that's at least a generation ahead of a Z2 running Lollipop. That's not even an exaggeration either.
I appreciate this is about the OP3T and not about the OPO running a custom rom, however it's certainly made me a fan of OnePlus phones now. I don't want an over-sized, over-priced gimmick like the S8+. Samsung have lost what a flagship device should be about and all they care about is going head to head with that fruit vendor over who can make the most pretentious looking cr*p for the ridiculous amount of tw**s out there who continue to lap it all up.
OnePlus wants to make a phone that's the right size, that functions right, performs as it should and is the perfect experience for the user.
Funny I was just reading about a OnePlus One owner on thunderclap who's pretty upset with OnePlus for leaving behind their old customers.
https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/55301-promises-matter-oneplus?locale=en
He's pretty frustrated about OnePlus making promises and not delivering. But if you're the type to buy a new phone every week/month/year or don't care about phone updates then I guess OnePlus is for you. I know Sammy's slow, but at least they get the updates done for phones if they're promised.
I've just bought a second-hand OPO and the first thing I did was flash the latest version of Lineage. I'm by no means a pro at this sort of thing but it's a process everyone should learn how to do, especially to extend the "software life" of older phones.
But yeah, it's not something we should have to do really.
Hello every1,
i am a fan of OnePlus products, specially oneplus 3 and its successor onePlus 3T. I believe that these best smartphones in the market right now and a true flagship killer. I want to buy onePlus 3t but one thing and only one thing is stopping me from purchasing it, is that, this has 5.5 inch screen and i love the comfort of one-handed and small smartphones. as i have relatively smaller hands and many peoples out there are facing this problem.
I know we can use the on-hand mode on many smartphones, but personally i don't like it.
I wish there will be a smartphone from the onePlus which has 5 inch screen or less than 5 inches screen, but with same great experience and performance of onePlus 3T.
Bought the One Plus 3T the day it launched. I am a phone ***** switch my phones left and right. This is the first phone that gave me everything I would want from a phone. I have not looked at any phone simply because everytime I pick up my One Plus 3T and do something on it, it makes me smile. Great battery life, great updates running 7.1.1 March Security patch, great camera (low light photos are actually better than Iphone 7 plus), the display is great, super bright and yes 1080P but I am yet to find a human who can tell the difference of 1k vs 2k screen on 5.5 inches. For VR even the Samsung S7 edge and S7 has screen door effect. I have owned both S7 and S7 edge and both were horrible in terms of usability and in fact S7 is better without the useless curved screen and no good case that you can buy to protect the phone, but S7 battery life is poor, pushing all those pixels on the screen reduces the battery life and gawd, samsung phones never get any update and full of bloat! One Plus 3T was the best phone on 2016 and will be so for 2017 unless the LG G6 beats it , which I doubt about LG!
I replaced mine S7E with Mate 9, never to look back, so i understand how awesome the 3T might be.
I would like to see Axon 8 from ZTE with OnePlus treatment, or One Plus 5 that will have a true immersive audio xp, better screen camera battery, microSD slot, IP68 rating at least for 450$ as oppose to 900$ of sammy and 750$ for the awful G6.
I've had at least one new Android Phone per year since the G1 (day one). I went from the M8, Nexus 6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Moto X Pure, HTC 10 then to the OP3 in a short period of time and my OP3 is hands down the best phone I've ever owned or used (you name it, and i've owned it or used it). Are there nicer looking phones? Yes. Just the other day I compared it to the Galaxy S8 and S8+ side by side and while those are wonderful to look at, but we all know that their day to day use is going to suck. Because that's what Samsung is good at. This phone on the other hand just works. Day in and day out my OP3 just works every single time. Its fast, looks good, has a fantastic camera, and on top of all of that it costs half as much as an S8!!! Here's to you One Plus! I used to consider myself an HTC Fanboy for years, but no more. OnePlus is my new go to.
In my opinion and personal use, I was tempted to buy a OP3T , but I prefer the htc 10, is not the best phone, but audio is great, and is what I need, OP3 is great, but not strong in one specific part, not best camera, not best audio, not best battery life (close) , not best screen, but I consider is a very balanced phone, close to perfection.
Is the OP3T camera bad for night shots, or is it almost as good as the pixel/gs7? I seem to read enough comments on both sides.
As long as you don't use hdr for night shots it works pretty well on auto. In manual mode you can have some great night shots. Just need to adjust for how much light you need to let in
Raw capture brings back an astounding amount of detail that is smeared away by the in-camera processing (for example, the individual bricks on a building taken from across the street at night).
This phone is spectacular, had mine for a few weeks now and absolutely love it. I kind of wish it was a little bigger and that it had front facing speakers, but those are minor gripes for what is a fantastic phone.
You mean almost everything right. I'm an audiophile, where's the hifi dacs and dolby atmos? Thats why I passed the 3T and went with the ZTE axon 7. Couldn't be happier.
Dolby Atmos on a phone? Do you plug this into your receiver with an HDMI out over to your 7.1 or 9.1 speaker setup? Atmos for music seems silly, as the soundstage for music is horizontal and never vertical. It does make for nice marketing I guess though.
Audio quality on the OP's headphone jack's might not be the absolute best, but they're blow just about anything else out of the water that isn't the HTC10, LGV20, and your ZTE. 4th best isn't too shabby.
that´s right!
Nice to know everyone has forgotten about the OPX. The silence is SO loud and security updates non existent, wow how great is OP after ignoring all previous generation phones and the poor support.
Phone drop.
You can thank Qualcomm for that. Not OPs fault.
Apart from the size.
And the lack of wireless charging.
I will say that lacking expandable storage doesn't count as doing something right. lol
I love SD cards too, but honestly do you need more than 128 GB of storage?
Definitely yes in my case!
I like the 3T, but I'm holding out to see the next iteration before I pull the trigger and replace my Nexus 6p. Honestly, I'll probably compare the next OPO and the next Pixel.
I would be doing the exact same comparison myself, if I didn't require CDMA coverage, along with about 200 million other potential customers in the US.
HTC 10 still reigns supreme.
The OPT's design is kinda familiar!
I'm not that impressed, Galaxy S7E cost more but offers much more, IP68, better screen, better battery life, better camera especially in low light, Samsung Pay probably better video quality as well.
But One3T is great phone nonetheless.
I agree. I got the s7 active. And it is a priced phone but the battery life is unmatched wirh your "normal" flagship. 4000 mah comes in real handy. I'm going to skip the s8 tho. Battery too small for my taste and I don't believe they are that much more efficient. I will check out the op5 and the note 8 later this year. One of them likely being my next phone
You apparently haven't owned a 3t then. Stock sot is more than 10 hours. Running a rom and custom kernels I get over 13 hours sot. So how is the 7 hours i got with my s7e better? Not to mention idle drain, holy hell was my s7e a hog compared to my 3t. Your point is completely invalid to anyone who has used a 3t for even one day.
I got 2% lost in the span of 8 hours, never heard of 3T doing that much SOT but then again, everyone use is different, probably another point to one3T is custom ROMs and kernel that are better than Sammy.
I still believe S7E gives you more features than 3T at good price, especially now since prices were dropped, but that not to discredit 3T value, they are doing things right.
I sold mine S7E and bought Mate 9, the best phone i ever used, it lasts forever, it has unthrottled cpu and gpu performance and it's lighting fast with great camera and great screen.
The s7e does have great features. My only major gripe is actually with all samsungs and major brands, which is the insane amount of bloatware especially with with vendor phones.
Now the mate 9 ive heard great things about. Would love to have a trial with one or even just see one for that matter. Even without having my hands on one, I'm sure it's an awesome phone just from what I've read.
To be honest, if I can't root it I don't want to buy the phone anymore. If I can't remove the apps that I don't need, to me it's just wasted space on the hard drive. Fortunately, micro sd technology has come a long way over the past few years which makes up for that.
Root is top priority for me as well, at least was with Samsung phones, as they are much better with root, on GS7E the Dual Speaker mode is worth the root itself.
As for Mate 9, root is more complicated but possible, heck i have this for a month and i didn't root and it and probably won't in the nearby future, and why???? because everything just works amazingly well out of the box, never seen a phone like that, i'm really amazed by Huawei.
I love the 3T! BEst phone I have owned to date. EVen returned my Pixel for the 3T. OP did a great job with this device!
I am still rocking a 3 year old OnePlus One without any issues. Battery is still strong.
I am still rocking a 2 years old oneplus 2 without any issues. Battery is still strong, but the cable now is dead for slow charging. Anyway, I am satisfied with the phone.
My midnight black 3T is with FedEx and this article just makes me more antsy to receive it!
Waiting to see what the OnePlus 4 will be.
I just got the Oneplus 3T (Midnight) and couldn't agree more. I actually like this phone better than the Pixel. Thinking that i might cancel my S8 pre-order, hard to justify at more than twice the price of the 3T.
With the price of the pixels so high if they make their next phone compatible with Verizon I will definitely consider them over the next pixel
They have made a lot of headway and turned a lot of heads in the last year. Let's hope they continue to improve their reputation while keeping prices low.
There's no way this ad wasn't paid for... The surprise release of the 3T itself, after such a short period of time after the 3, rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.
So if a company can make a phone better right now, they shouldn't, because people would feel upset that they bought a slightly lesser specced phone a couple months prior? There really isn't a HUGE difference between the two, and they're both getting updated. it's not like the OP3 is being left in the dust. I'm fine with them doing this. I suppose we should probably be mad when they release the OP4/5 in July but we just got the black OP3T in March/April? I don't get this logic. I'm all for these companies making new products and better products.
It was paid for. In coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.
Well, if you own the 3 and looked at the 3T, just note that they aren't that much different.
The 3T is definitely better in performance and battery life, but it's not like the 3 was horrible in those aspects.
I've had over 50% of the smartphones on the market currently, this thing is actually all he says it is. It really is a great surprising phone, then you factor price and it is very hard to justify going to other phones.
I was miffed at first too. But after seeing the hardware changes (400mah more battery, faster CPU and 16 mp shooter) they weren't anything I would personally miss, and certainly not 80+ quid worth. Had they dropped the price to 309 on launch then I would have been pretty disheartened. It certainly was a smart business move to keep up with other companies over the holidays. To be honest I was more annoyed at the dark grey colour option I missed out on haha
I have an OP3. I'm totally fine with the 3t because my OP3 get updates at the same time as the OP3T. The release of the 3T didn't cripple my phone or make it slower. The OP3 is still a blazing fast masterpiece of a phone. So no, I agree with the article. OP is finally doing things right.
Patiently waiting for the OnePlus 5.
This is a very good phone with many features and good price.
Oneplus is what we've all been waiting for. I regret (price wise) getting the Pixel after using my wife's 3T. Same or better performance and better looking hardware imo. Pixel camera is slightly better, but not by much. But I do prefer the smaller size of the Pixel. C'mon oneplus, give us a 5 incher
The one thing that is really really really REALLY bad, is the implementation of the alert slider. You can no longer set it to completely silent. This is such a major inconvenience (I am paranoid my phone will go off in the middle of a concert or other unwanted moment), I need to turn the phone off completely. But then I can't take pictures, notes or look anything up. Bummer.
Doesn't it trigger DND in either Priority or Full?
If the slider doesn't work, just silence your phone through the menus. No need to turn off. I'm sure you could just get a widget or something to turn your phone to silent mode with a single tap if you really wanted.
On an old Samsung S3 or S5, you could pop the back off and disengage the battery to kill the volume faster than any UI controls or even the volume buttons on the side.
The best hardware feature of an iPhone that I wish any Android phone would put on their phones, is the mute slider. It's so handy and fast! This notification slider sounds like it's close, but doesn't mute everything instantly. It's such a hassle to turn on the phone, slide down, find the sound icon, tap it... I know that sounds trivial, but in a crunch that can be a lot to calmly and quickly accomplish!
I can't speak for everyone, but I know the only time I ever have to mute my phone is once or twice a year when I go to a movie theater, and even then I have 15 minutes of ads to sit through and plenty of time to silence my phone. I'm glad that feature is there for the people who need/want it, but I'd rather have a dedicated camera button, or a button that I can assign to some other function... play/pause button maybe? I just don't need an alert slider at all, and I really don't see the alert slider as being THAT much better/faster than just turning on the screen and holding the volume down button.
Before I got the phone I thought I wouldn't really use the alert slider, but I use it several times a day, every day. It's really great.
That's one of the things I love about the iPhone. I've had so many times on Android when some awful noise blasted out (ringing, podcast playing out the speakers when I thought it was going thru Bluetooth, etc etc etc). The touch screen controls to mute always take much longer.... and so many steps.... than grabbing the device and leaving the room.
Part of it is that there's nothing that anyone has ever done that is as intuitive, quick, and easy to use as the volume dial that radios and TV's had for decades... but Apple's kill switch is the next best thing.
(It's a pity that Apple usually has gone for the much harder to use, less intuitive controls: bent paperclip in a pinhole instead of disc eject lever being a horrible example. and the Macs were pioneers in having hard to find very slow power buttons.)
You can actually customise the silent/so not disturb option to be completely silent. And the vibrate option doesn't have any alerts just the vibrate. I think it works just fine.
You can! Put the slider up to the top position, and then tap the cog (takes you to the settings) displayed on screen. Then disable the vibration option which comes up.
I think you should read THIS to get full view from community side of things, and how OnePlus screws up
https://forums.oneplus.net/threads/help-make-oneplus-care-about-its-olde...
Until phones support a standard architecture allowing long term updates by anyone, including third party builds (like a PC), older phones will always lose manufacturer support. This isn't just a OnePlus issue, it impacts all manufacturers.
They can't do the OnePlus X.
Because Qualcomm stopped supported the 801. They can't do it even if they wanted to, unless they actually seek help from the XDA community. They can do bugfix updates, but not a Nougat update officially.
As for the OP2, no idea.
I'd like to know how 3rd-party ROMs like LineageOS have no trouble getting Nougat up and running on Snapdragon 801 devices, and why the handset makers themselves aren't able to do the same. I presume they've got to use a different kernel, but does it really matter? There's nothing in Nougat that should require one kernel or another. Maybe Doze-on-the-go is accessing some kernel-level power-saving features, but that's not exactly a user-facing feature that should stop users of capable devices from having bundled notifications or other Nougat features.
To officially support Android 7.X Nougat, SoC drivers must be compatible with the new Vulkan API. Qualcomm isn't updating the drivers of the 800/801 series (Adreno 330), so it can run Nougat, but it won't pass the Android Compatibility Suite.
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2016/08/xperia-z3-no-android-7-0-explained/
That's right -- I forgot. But, like I said, that's a dumb reason. Vulkan is a gaming API (and presumably needed for Daydream VR), but I seriously doubt that there is anything else on a fundamental OS level that actually relies on Vulkan in a way that should prevent devices that are just 2 years old (at the time that Nougat launched anyway) from getting the all of the other benefits of Nougat that are not in any way dependent on Vulkan. I mean, Windows 10 supports Vulkan too, but it's not like you can't install Windows 10 on hardware that's only DX10 compatible. You just can't play games that require Vulkan (e.g., no games, because all games support some form of OpenGL or DX).
At least on Android, Vulkan isn't just for gaming.
I remember Samsung previewing a home-screen that used Vulkan.
If you are OK with loading custom ROMs LineageOS has released their version of Nougat 7.1.1 called LineageOS 14.1 for the OnePlus 1, X, 2, 3 and 3T. LineageOS is the next iteration of the CyanogenMOD team and I am running their OS on my Nexus 7 2013 and it is a great experience (far better than the final official Google Marshmallow 6.0.1 release). I also have tested LineageOS 14.1 on my Nexus 5X and OnePlus 3T and it runs great on those devices as well, but since they are still officially supported I am running Android 7.1.2 on the N5X and Open Beta 4 on my OP3T.
I think some other OEMs can learn from them.
Almost everything right.
One of their recent ads was kinda cringe-worthy. But they're doing everything else nicely.
I would get a 3T now if I still could. IMO, it's probably the best alternative to the Pixel if you also don't wanna pony-up over $700.
A OnePlus device would probably be my next phone if they were to ever make another small device. The primary reason that I was willing to (over)pay for a Pixel is that I want high-end specs in a small device, which is something I've missed badly since giving up my trusty old Z3 Compact. The OP3 is fantastic, but after giving an LG G4 and Nexus 6P a try, I've just come to realize that large phones aren't going to be for me.
Same here buddy
Me three
Hoping we can get an OP5C or something.
The raw power of the OP5 but in a smaller form factor.
Exactly. I hope they do it just like Sony did. Presumably the primary OnePlus model will eventually be bumped up to a 1440p display. Give us a 5" variant with a 1080p display, maybe 4GB of RAM instead of 6GB, and leave the specs otherwise untouched.
Yep, I can relate. I would love a small device from them. The Pixel is the only choice I have at this point.
That and you can actually buy and get a OP3T, it's not on a 5 month back order.
Their prices haven't been "depressed indefinitely". They increase with each generation, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the OnePlus 5 (they've said before they'll skip 4) launch at $499. (OP1: 299, OP2: 329/389, then 349, OP3: 399, OP3T: 439)
The price increase between the 3 and 3T might also be because of the rising prices of NAND chips.
Yeah I think the price increases are legitimate, but they still sting.
Especially here in the UK, tanking our currency might have not been a great idea...
One plus will only be successful if they remain a budget friendly flagship
That also makes the most powerful Android phones on the market
why are they skipping 4?
Four is apparently associated with bad luck in China
It does seem that their strategy is to start out with 'flagship killers' on a power/price basis, and then gradually move up to the more profitable true flagship class. And that's fine, I guess. But they shouldn't abandon the midrange market completely - even if they have to offer a second, cheaper model. As it is, the Moto G5 (itself creeping up the price ladder, but still a great buy) would make a compelling alternative to a $500 OP3T successor. Both of these companies are onto something. Excellent hardware value, near-stock software with a decent upgrade track record, and unlockability for tech savvy customers who want more control. But be careful. Google's Pixel line offers all of that except for the hardware price/performance ratio. Hard to beat that if you move into the same pricing tier.
If the next oneplus device is water resistant and the screen is comparable to my s7 edge I might switch back. The oneplus one was an awesome device. I miss being able to flash custom roms.
I stopped worrying about water resistance when I discovered bulk packs of cheap ziplock plastic bags on Amazon / EBay. You can even use the touch screen with them on, and they are completely waterproof. I just slip the phone into one before leaving to beach / pool / lake. They cost a few pennies each, reusable, perfectly sized, and disposable.
This is not practical. Hopefully the next Oneplus will be water resistant. I might switch from my Iphone
are you reading this article on your iphone?
I just can't do touchwiz. I might be scarred for life. I'll buy another Samsung when they get rid of their ram hungry themes.
When last did you use a Samsung? Ever since the s6 ram management has never been an issue.
Nice phone , but for nearly the same price you'll get the LG V20 with removable battery, dual camera setup, miracast, infrared blaster, B&O designed QUAD DAC Amp, 4K Display etc etc etc
And very durable, even drops on concrete floor , asphalt no worries.
Even survived 300meter drop from drone :)
And it'll bootloop in a year
And the warranty will be over by then... it happened to my LG G4 and they refused to replace the faulty hardware unless I paid for it.
You're comparing a top-tier flagship that launched with a high price tag to a "budget buster" that launched at a significantly lower price tag.
Frankly, those who are considering the V20 won't consider a 3T. Folks who want a V20 usually have headphone audio or content creation in their mind. The 3T has its own merits, like better battery life, easier to hold due to its smaller build and slightly more frequent rates for software update releases (especially in the beta), along with better quick charging (both are not PD-compatible, which automatically makes it a downer when it comes to USB-C, but I would rather take DASH than QC3 if I was forced to).
Both have their ups and downs, but I think it's safe to say that whoever is considering one probably isn't interested in the other.
Also, the V20's display is QHD 1440p, not UHD "4K" 2160p.
"Folks who want a V20 usually have headphone audio or content creation in their mind."
Wrong. I bought the V20 because I wanted a bigger screen, removable battery, and I like the improvements LG has made to the software. I couldn't care less about headphone audio (I use Bluetooth) or content creation. The removable battery was the biggest seller for me. I'm not ready to give that up until the choice is stripped from me.
I mentioned "usually" because those are the often talked about points of the V20.
It was designed as a content creation tool and for folks who wants great headphone audio.
That doesn't mean it is only good in those. It just means that those are the unique points that it has.
Also, I'm VERY interested in what OnePlus has to offer so to say that one person interested in one wouldn't be interested in the other is also wrong. It was literally the removable battery and larger that made me choose the V20 over the OnePlus or Moto Z phones.
Well, for one, it's smaller. And it is a more powerful device if gaming is important.
Both phones have their ups and downs, but they aren't targeting the exact same demographics.
I don't want any of those belle, or the whistles (does ANYONE want miracast? Which the 3 will do anyway...)
And the Oneplus 3 survived being dropped out of A PLANE! Plane beats drone.
The world is watching to see what there next phone and specs will be like. The price has been moving up latley so i am expecting there next flagship to be around £479 a lot cheaper than other flapships tho.
Yeah... Still cheaper but not exactly cheap...
My Oneplus 3 was £309 which basically made it an instant buy. £479 would be a hell of a lot more of a considered purchase for me.
Yeah i agree the 3t is now £399 so i am expecting anotha £50 to £80 increase on the next phone. We shall see, still a cracking phone for the money.
I also paid 309, which at the time was an absolute steal! Coming from a line of HTC devices I held on to the M8 with hope HTC would find their way again, and after playing with the OPX and seeing its build quality I jumped on OP3 launch day.
Oneplus got the little things right, which make it a joy to use. Dash charging, flashlight V pattern, AMOLED screen, hardware sound silencer, excellent finger print sensor, and the online community make it truly an amazing device. Hard to believe the price when my HTC was 550.
There is immense pressure on them for the OP4. I really think they should ditch the numbering scheme (since they will skip 4 because its bad luck for them) and provide minor tweaks to the 3T to bring it in line with other 2017 flagships (new chipsets etc) and lower its price closer to the OP3 on launch, or just lower the price of the existing 3T. On top of that, I would like to see a new design not too far from the S8, higher res AMOLED panel, much better speakers (think HTC boomspeakers, man I miss those!) and at least IP67 rating - the cameras are fine as is. With dash charging and keeping the all metal design, I am happy to leave wireless charging, but a dock would be nice. The concept OP4 designs I have seen look great, fingers crossed!
We are waiting a bit too long. But in the end I hope we have a large screen and a large battery.. I have a Huawei P9 Plus and it makes sense for me to buy a new phone only If I can have a larger screen. Else I'll wait for the Mate 10.
Offering a phone with 6 GB RAM for about half the price of competitors is, in itself, amazing. If Republic Wireless supported the device, I'd order it today.