Tech

No invite needed: OnePlus 3 available now for $399

OnePlus stumbled a bit with its first couple of phones and a crazy invite system. Today, it launched its most compelling flagship killer yet and you can have it in your hands soon.

Written by Matthew Miller, Contributing Writer on June 14, 2016

As the saying goes, the third time's the charm, and in the case of OnePlus, it looks like this may finally be true. The new OnePlus 3 is available today for $399 through direct purchase from the OnePlus website.

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You won't have to wait for a friend's invite, perform a stunt for an invite, wait for an invite when the phone is obsolete, or do anything special to order the graphite model today. It looks like the device may even start shipping to buyers as early as next week.

The OnePlus 3 looks a lot like an HTC 10 to me and has most of the high end specifications we see on flagship Android smartphones priced $200 to $300 more. According to CNET, the OnePlus 3 is the best budget Android phone available today. Given all of the excellent devices we have in the sub-$450 range that is quite impressive.

Specifications for the new OnePlus 3 include:

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 2.2 GHz quad-core
Display: 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution Optic AMOLED display
Operating system: Oxygen OS, based on Android 6 Marshmallow
Cameras: 16 megapixel Sony with f/2.0 aperture and OIS, 8 megapixel front facing camera
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 64GB internal
Sensors: Fingerprint, gyro, accelerometer, proximity, compass
Connectivity: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, and NFC
Battery: 3000 mAh non-removable with super fast Dash Charge
Dimensions: 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.35 mm and 158 grams

The oval fingerprint scanner on the front looks just like the one found on the HTC 10, inset from the front Gorilla Glass 4 panel.

The OnePlus 3 uses its own Dash Charge fast charging technology with the speed of charging contained in the charger itself. OnePlus reports that a 30-minute charge will replenish over 60 percent of the battery.

Reviews are in already and all look extremely positive for the OnePlus 3:

CNET gives it an 8.9/10 rating and states it's the best budget Android phone you can buy.
AndroidCentral recommeded you buy it as it is the "real deal."
The Verge awarded it an 8.6/10 and said it is a "serious contender."
Engadget awarded the OnePlus 3 an 87/100 and stated it is the "best phone you can get for $399."
TechRadar awarded it 4.5/5 stars and said that "OnePlus finally has a genuine flagship killer."

I have not ever tried a OnePlus device, largely due to the crazy invite system, but am seriously considering giving the OnePlus 3 a try. It's a very nice looking metal phone available at a very reasonable price.