OnePlus: How midrange flagship brand is discreetly inching towards premium

In 2014, Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus debuted in the smartphone space with the launch of the OnePlus One, which was termed a flagship but had the price of a midrange device. Thanks to its top-notch specifications and brilliant build quality, the phone famously became the first midrange flagship, giving birth to a smartphone segment that had never before been explored or experimented with but had a huge potential in India’s price-conscious smartphone market.

Over the years, the company has continued to offer value-for-money products in the midrange segment, redefining the flagship smartphone segment and proving that a flagship need not be costly. However, with every consecutive launch, the company has raised the price substantially and moved closer to the premium smartphone segment. OnePlus still continues to offer value-for-money smartphones when compared with premium flagships. However, with the premium edition of its current-generation flagship priced at nearly Rs 44,000, OnePlus does not look like a midrange flagship brand any more.
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OnePlus 6 Indian price, colour themes leaked: Specs, features & more

OnePlus is gearing up to unveil notch screen-based OnePlus 6 sometime this month or early next month. However, the leaks of the smartphone have been making rounds on the internet hinting at the possible design theme, imaging set-up, specifications, features and price of the upcoming midrange device.

While the OnePlus 6 notch-based screen and the wooden back cover has been revealed in the past, the new leak showcases the phone’s new colour variants hinting at possible glass-based design, instead of metallic build that the current generation boasts. However, based on leaks, it is assumed that the phone would sport an aluminium frame, similar to the one found in current generation model – the OnePlus 5T.

In an interview with an online technology portal The Verge, OnePlus co-founder and CEO Carl Pei hinted that the upcoming flagship would sport a bigger display. He, however, did not mention the exact screen size and, based on leaks, it is expected that the OnePlus 6 would boast a 6.28-inch screen.

OnePlus 6 launch soon, confirms official teaser: Details of the device here

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus is set to unveil its next flagship smartphone soon. In a tweet, the company has confirmed that the upcoming mid-tier smartphone would be called the OnePlus 6. In a way, the company has also confirmed that the phone would be launched soon.

In terms of features and specifications, nothing has been officially confirmed about the OnePlus 6, except that it would have a notch-based screen, something that was confirmed by OnePlus CEO and co-founder Carl Pei in an interview with online technology portal The Verge.

OnePlus 6 official image The iPhone X-inspired notch-based screen, touted as one of the key change that the upcoming smartphone would embrace, faced severe backlash from the OnePlus community. However, Pei was quick in responding and he wrote a blog on official OnePlus forum explaining company’s rationale for choosing a notch over any other form of screen.

Based on Pei’s interview with The Verge and his blog post on OnePlus forum, it is confirmed that the OnePlus 6 would sport a notch-based screen of 19.616 x 7.687 mm. Although, the screen size is not officially confirmed, Pei said that the smartphone would sport a bigger screen, biggest in the history of OnePlus smartphones.

OnePlus 6 launch in Q2: What we know of the mid-range flagship so far

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus is working on its next-iteration of the flagship OnePlus 6, which is expected to be launched in the July-September quarter this year. Before the official launch, however, the device's purported specifications, features and price have been leaked and are doing the rounds of the internet.

Here is what we know of the mid-range flagship so far:
OnePlus 6 specifications and features
While nothing has officially been confirmed, online technology portal Techslize claims to have got hold of the upcoming smartphone's technical specification sheet, which hints at a larger display, updated processor and new camera sensors.
According to the specification sheet listing, the OnePlus 6 would sport a 6.28-inch AMOLED screen of 2280 x 1080 resolution. The screen size and resolutio hints at a notch-based screen, similar to the Apple iPhone X and the recently launched Vivo V9.
 OnePlus 6 leaked specsOnePlus 6 leaked specs The upcoming smartphone is expected to use Qualcomm top-of-the-line Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC), clocked at 2.7GHz. In terms of imaging, the phone would come with dual rear-cameras of 20-

OnePlus 6 may be another iPhone X-like Android smartphone: Details here

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China-based smartphone manufacturer OnePlus is reportedly working on a next-generation flagship device – the OnePlus 6. Just like its predecessors, the upcoming smartphone’s details have been leaked on the internet, giving a fair idea of what to expect from the device.

Based on a recent leak by an online technology portal Slashleaks, the purported images of OnePlus 6 reveal a major design overhaul, along with a new all-screen front with a notch accommodating the selfie camera, earphones and a couple of sensors – similar to the Asus Zenfone 5-series and the Apple iPhone X.

On the back, the smartphone shows an all-glass treatment – instead of an aluminium construction in the predecessors (OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T, OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T).

Surprise! OnePlus 3, 3T also had OnePlus 5T's face-unlock feature all along

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus has been promoting face unlocking as one of the OnePlus 5T, besides other upgrades that the phone brings. The feature is promised to roll out in the OnePlus 5 with the Android Oreo update. However, the yesteryear’s flagships are said to have been kept out from the list of phones that get the feature in the software update.

If you are using one of the earlier OnePlus flagships – OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T – and thinking of upgrading to the OnePlus 5T only for its face-unlock feature, we have a reason for you to stick around for a little more.

It turns out, the face unlock feature has all along been available in the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T devices as well -- sitting within the settings options. And, it works flawlessly -- almost as quickly as the one in the latest flagship.

Here’s how to enable the face-unlock feature in the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T devices running on the Android Oreo operating system:

Step 1: Go to settings and look for ‘security & fingerprint’ option and click on it

Step 2: In the security & fingerprint option, there is another option of ‘Smart Unlock’ under the device security tab

Step 3: The smart unlock option provides 5 different ways that can be used to unlock the device – On-body detection, Trusted places, Trusted devices, Trusted face and Trusted voice. Click on Trusted face option to set up the face-unlock feature

Step 4: Find a place, which is not too bright or too dim before setting up the face-unlock feature, and hold the phone at the eye level

Step 5: The phone recognises your face in the same manner as the OnePlus 5T does.
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OnePlus 5T review: 18:9 screen adds 1+ to capable mid-range flagship device

China-based smartphone manufacturer OnePlus, after coming up with a few affordable flagship devices, has now set a new benchmark by launching two flagships in a year. The company recently launched the OnePlus 5T, a flagship smartphone that breaks away from OnePlus’ 5.5-inch display culture in favour of an ultra-wide 6-inch 18:9 aspect ratio screen.

In a way, OnePlus has indeed repeated itself in its upgrade experiement – the company had last year launched the upgraded flagship OnePlus 3T soon after coming up with the OnePlus 3. This time, the OnePlus 5T has come within five months of the OnePlus 5 launch.

But how worthy was the OnePlus 5 for an upgrade? And is the OnePlus 5T even a worthy upgrade of the predecessor? Business Standard reviewed the OnePlus 5T and compared its features with the OnePlus 5 to assess the upgrade quotient. Here are our observations:

Display
OnePlus’ choice of the future-ready ultra-wide 18:9 aspect ratio screen in the OnePlus 5T is a welcome move. However, continuing with a fullHD resolution seems to limit the otherwise perfect display. Competitors have long been offering quadHD screens in their flagships. With the new ultra-wide format screen in the OnePlus 5T, the quadHD screen resolution might have been a real upgrade.

The OnePlus 5T display offers good sunlight legibility, contrast ratio and saturation. It covers almost the entire front with minimal top and bottom bezels. Also, the screen is no more prone to ‘Jelly effect’, which had been seen in some OnePlus 5 units.

Camera
Camera is another area where the OnePlus 5T carries some tweaks from the previous version. The OnePlus 5T still sports a dual camera set-up – 16+20 megapixel. But, the 20-megapixel telephoto lens is now replaced by a new 20 MP camera of 27mm focal length and f/1.7 aperture – similar to the primary 16 MP camera.

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OnePlus 5T launch today: Know all about specs, features & how to watch live

OnePlus is set to unveil the next iteration of its flagship OnePlus 5T today, November 16, in New York. The smartphone will go on early-access sale on November 21 at 4.30 PM on Amazon India – for Prime member only -- and OnePlus online store. The device will also be available through all sales channels starting November 28.

Talking about the design, the OnePlus 5T is reported to sport a 6-inch Optic AMOLED screen in the 18:9 aspect ratio, with FHD+ resolution. The phone is also reported to have a fingerprint scanner on the back to allow the phone accommodate a big screen on the front with small bezels. The device is also reported to have a software-based face unlock feature.

In terms of specifications, the OnePlus 5T is reported to boast the same innards as the OnePlus 5. The smartphone would use Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, coupled with 64 GB and 128 GB storage options. It would come in 6 GB and 8 GB RAM variants. Built on the same chassis of OnePlus 5, the upcoming flagship would feature 3.5mm audio jack at the bottom, along with a USB type-C charging and data transfer port and mono speaker.

The smartphone is touted to come with new camera sensors on the back. Unlike the OnePlus 5T, which sports a dual-camera set-up of a 16-megapixel primary camera and a 20 MP telephoto lens, the OnePlus 5T is reported to sport a 16 MP primary sensor mated with 20 MP camera sensor sans telephoto lens. The new 20 MP camera sensor, however, is expected to come bigger aperture of f/1.7 for better low-light pictures.

OnePlus 5T launch on Nov 16: Details of design, features & specs revealed

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus is gearing up to launch the next iteration of its flagship OnePlus 5T on November 16. The smartphone design, features and specifications, however, have been leaked by various sources, attributing the review unit shared by OnePlus.

In terms of design, the upcoming smartphone is reported to sport a 6-inch Optic AMOLED screen in the 18:9 aspect ratio, with FHD+ resolution. Like other smartphones with ultra-wide screens, the OnePlus 5T is also reported to have a fingerprint scanner on the back to allow the phone to accommodate a big screen on the front with small bezels. The device is also reported to have a software-based face unlock feature.

The OnePlus 5T is reported to boast the same innards as the OnePlus 5. The smartphone would use Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, in 64 GB and 128 GB storage options. It would come in 6 GB and 8 GB RAM variants. Built on the same chassis of OnePlus 5, the upcoming flagship would feature 3.5mm audio jack at the bottom, along with a USB type-C charging and data transfer port and speaker grill.

The smartphone is reported to boot OnePlus proprietary Oxygen operating system, based on Android Nougat 7.1.1.

The upcoming flagship from the stable of OnePlus is going to cost more than predecessor OnePlus 5, CEO and co-founder Pete Lau had hinted in a tweet a few days ago. The smartphone will be unveiled on November 16 in New York.

OnePlus 5T to cost more than predecessor, skip wireless charging feature

OnePlus 5T, the upcoming flagship from the stable of China-based smartphone maker OnePlus, is going to cost more than predecessor OnePlus 5, CEO and co-founder Pete Lau hinted in a tweet. The smartphone will be unveiled on November 16 in New York.

The tweet hinting a higher price for OnePlus 5T than OnePlus5 came after some reports that the company was planning to price the new flagship at the same level as the previous one.

The OnePlus 5T is also going to skip the wireless charging feature, as the company believes its proprietary Dash Charge technology is better. On November 8, OnePlus Global Director and co-founder Carl Pei had shared a blog post explaining why the upcoming flagship was better off without the wireless charging feature.

Pete Lau 

✔@petelau2007

Cost of smartphone components is rising, but phones are also getting better. OnePlus users will appreciate what's coming.

In a previous blog post through the company’s official forum, Pete Lau explained why OnePlus decided to retain the 3.5mm audio jack in its upcoming flagship smartphone. The audio jack and no wireless charging are the only things confirmed about the upcoming device.

According to reports, the OnePlus 5T might sport a 6-inch Optic AMOLED screen in the 18:9 aspect ratio with FHD+ resolution. Just like other smartphones with ultra-wide screens, the OnePlus 5T is reported to sport a fingerprint scanner on the back to allow the phone to accommodate a big screen on the front with small bezels.

Recently, in a photo post uploaded on Twitter by Evan Blass, a famous tipster known for sharing inside information from technology space, the upper front side of the still unconfirmed OnePlus 5T was revealed.

Will my smartphone get Google Android Oreo? List of devices that get update

Google in August announced Android 8.0 Oreo and released a list of smartphone manufacturers that will be updating their devices soon. The Pixel and Nexus devices will be the first among the first smartphones to receive the update and Google has already confirmed that the carrier testing is underway and the devices will receive it soon.

Here are the smartphones that that will receive the update:

Google
Google Pixel
Google Pixel XL
The upcoming Pixel devices, which are launching on October 4 are expected to run Google Oreo 8.0 out of the box.

Nexus
Nexus 5X
Nexus 6P

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OnePlus 5 camera trails Samsung Galaxy S8, HTC U11, scores 87 in DxO review

OnePlus 5 scored a decent 87 on 100 in the DxO camera benchmark review released on July 6.

Interestingly, China-based manufacturer OnePlus had teamed up with image processing software and camera benchmarks expert DxO before the launch of its flagship OnePlus 5. So, it was expected that the partnership would help OnePlus improve its camera algorithms to deliver enhanced photography solution.

The score of 87 out of 100 is not a bad score, but it looks pale when you consider that the dual-cameras in the OnePlus 5 had been much hyped, and yet they lag behind current flagships like HTC U11, Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, Google Pixel and HTC 10. With this score, the OnePlus 5 stands head to head with Huawei P10, which also sports a dual-camera set-up. The HTC U11 has scored 90 on the DxO Mark, while both Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ have got 88, Google Pixel 89, HTC 10 88 and Huawei P10 scores 87. 

Though a mixed bag of hits and misses, the OnePlus 5 offers updated technical specifications, improved operating system and a new camera set-up. Here is our detailed review of the smartphone: 

Design

In terms of design, the OnePlus 5 seems a rather half-baked product, with little that you can call overwhelmingly innovative. The rear certainly has a stark resemblance to the Apple iPhone 7 Plus. Aside from that, the back has a dual-camera set-up on top-left, along with dual LED flash, and a microphone sitting in between the camera module and flash. The OnePlus logo is engraved at the centre and the back looks clean with no regulatory information or model number. The antenna lines, moved to the extreme top and bottom, are subtler than the previous OnePlus device.

Even as the rear has some noteworthy upgrade from predecessor OnePlus 3T, the front is almost identical. The front side is dominated by a 5.5-inch screen, with sensors at the top along with the front camera and earpiece, and the fingerprint scanner is embedded under the home key at the bottom-centre.

The power button is placed on the right, next to the ejectable dual-SIM tray, while the volume rocker keys and alert slider sit on the left side of the smartphone.

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OnePlus 5 launch soon: Device to have flagship features for half the price

OnePlus 5, the next flagship device from the stable of China-based smartphone manufacturer OnePlus, is making a lot of buzz over the internet. The smartphone, expected to launch in a couple of months, is making the tech community keep an eagle eye on every small information available.

While big names such as Samsung and LG have already announced their flagship smartphones, the keen wait for the OnePlus 5 is understood, given that OnePlus devices are known to throw in top-tier specifications at half the price of other flagship devices.

Recently, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau posted a picture on Weibo confirming the development of OnePlus 5. Soon, the smartphone features, specifications, camera samples and even the price of the smartphone surfaced online. And, as days passed, the OnePlus 5 specification sheet was leaked by an online technology-based portal Slashleaks.

The name
The next iteration of the flagship device from the stable of OnePlus would be named OnePlus 5. This, however, is yet to be confirmed by the company. In Chinese culture, numeric 4 is considered bad omen, so the buzz is that the smartphone manufacturer would skip number 4, and the device coming after OnePlus 3 would bear the OnePlus 5 moniker.

Display
According to the specifications leaked through Slashleaks, the OnePlus 5 smartphone is to carry the legacy 5.5-inch screen size but with a major bump in screen resolution. The smartphone screen would be raised to quad-HD resolution from the full-HD resolution, standard across all OnePlus devices so far.

Camera
Earlier leaks suggested that the OnePlus 5 would feature a dual-camera set-up at the rear. However, the latest leaks hint that the device would feature a single camera of 23-megapixel at the rear and a 16 MP camera at the front.
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Chinese brands takes 50% of India's smartphone market

Latest Business News - Chinese brands took their largest ever slice of the $10-billion Indian smartphone market in late 2016, accounting for more than one in every two phones sold - a growing market share that ate into sales from top-selling Samsung Electronics.

Samsung, the single most popular smartphone brand in India, commanded a roughly 30% market share just over a year ago. That slipped to 21% in November, according to tech research firm Counterpoint, the last month for which data is available.

Meanwhile - thanks to low cost, improved technology and an advertising blitz - Chinese brands like Oppo, Lenovo, OnePlus, Gionee and Xiaomi took a combined share of over 50%, compared to just 19% a year ago.

"Chinese brands are offering quality that is at par with Samsung, at a better price," said Manish Khatri, who owns two multi-brand smartphone outlets in Mumbai. "Of every 10 phones I sell, almost six to seven are now Chinese brands."(Read More)