OnePlus Open and OnePlus 12: Samsung and Google will hate the huge comeback of the flagship-killer،
As someone who has criticized OnePlus for being ubiquitous and struggling to find its place in the smartphone world over the past 3-4 years, I almost feel a responsibility to recognize the company’s successes. In fact, I’ve already done this through several stories that talk about the impressive value of phones like the OnePlus 11 and the OnePlus Nord 3. But it’s time to take a slightly more holistic view of the “state of OnePlus” in 2023-2024, and compared to what this story would have looked like a few years ago, the fan-favorite Chinese phone maker has turned things around 180°. And as a tech fan, I couldn’t be happier to see this.
With phones like the OnePlus 11, OnePlus Nord 3, the just-announced OnePlus Open foldable, and the fast-approaching OnePlus 12, the original flagship brand is poised for a long-awaited renaissance which (hopefully) makes OnePlus a force to be. we have to reckon with it… once again.
Like the good old days: OnePlus’ latest phones prove that the Chinese brand is taking a big hit from Samsung, Google, Xiaomi and Apple (again)
The OnePlus 11 (left) and OnePlus Nord 3 (right) are among the most budget-friendly smartphones of the year. The former is a true flagship, while the latter looks better than many flagship phones even though it costs half the price.
After the launch of the iconic OnePlus 7 series, OnePlus went through a period of inconsistency, which involved going back and forth between making “affordable” and “premium” flagship phones with prices to match. The OnePlus 10 Pro’s $900 price probably wouldn’t have been so hard to swallow if OnePlus hadn’t decided to abandon the more affordable OnePlus 10 model (which never was), leaving users without the “flagship” alternative that they have that can be expected from the “flagship-killer” company.
The excellent OnePlus 11 has put OnePlus back on the “flagship-killer” track
Fortunately, OnePlus seems to be reversing some of its earlier decisions, and the phone to start it all off was the OnePlus 11. I’ve already talked about the great value for money this phone offers in this story, looking at the OnePlus 11″ six months later”.
In a nutshell, the OnePlus 11 did more than enough to justify its $700 starting price in a world of $800 to $1,200 flagships from Samsung, Google, and Apple. It has excellent battery life and ultra-fast charging; an excellent camera system, which significantly outperforms the Galaxy S23, iPhone 14 and Pixel 7 in several areas; a brilliant display; and incredible performance aided by OnePlus’ stripped-down version of Android.
The OnePlus 11 put OnePlus back on the map when it comes to flagship offerings, especially given the aggressive pricing of Google’s Pixel flagships, aiming to become the new alternative to the big dogs (read: Samsung, Apple). However, compared to Pixel 7 and even the Pixel 8 series, the OnePlus 11 holds up incredibly well in every way.
The OnePlus Nord 3 is a mid-range flagship killer in its own right
Another OnePlus 2023 phone that brings incredible value is the OnePlus Nord 3, which I also wrote about a while ago. A strong contender for mid-range smartphone of the year, the OnePlus Nord 3 brings a flagship-grade MediaTek SoC, the same main camera as the OnePlus 11; and a large battery with fast charging. However, what really sets the OnePlus Nord 3 apart from other mid-range Android phones is the phone’s breathtaking design, with an emphasis on the screen, which features incredibly thin bezels, which make it look as expensive as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which costs 3 times as much!
OnePlus Open – the company’s foldable flagship is finally here (and the wait was worth it)
Of course, we cannot talk about the rebirth at OnePlus without mentioning the new OnePlus Open – the company’s first-ever foldable phone. While I’ll leave the verdict for our full review of the OnePlus Open, since this is an editorial article, I’m going to go ahead and say that the Open might be my favorite foldable phone model (maybe be) of all time. In many ways, the OnePlus Open This is what the Galaxy Z Fold 5 should have been.
From the bold, bold camera ring to the premium faux leather on the back of the phone, the OnePlus Open That sounds like a million dollars – even though it’s “only” $1,700 (actually, $1,500 after discounts).
But the icing on the cake might just be the screens and camera system – the OnePlus Open now officially has the brightest displays we’ve ever seen on any phone (not just a foldable), while the triple camera with large, high-resolution sensors and up to 6x optical-quality zoom is totally capable to leave the Galaxy Z fold 5 and Pixel Fold in the dust.
While the $1,700 starting price of the OnePlus Open leaves is (firmly) outside the flagship category, OnePlus is currently running a sweet campaign, which lets you trade in any old phone you have to get $200 off, making the price slightly more easy to swallow $1,500. That seems more than fair, considering we’re talking about what is (arguably) the most premium foldable phone on the market right now.
Attention, iPhone 15 and Galaxy S24! The OnePlus 12 could be the dark horse in the race for the best flagship phone of 2024
The OnePlus 12 could be the dark horse in the race for the best flagship phone of 2024. Especially if it costs less than $800.
From the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with up to 24GB of RAM (not a typo), to ridiculous loading speeds and the all-new triple camera system with large, high-end Sony sensors, the OnePlus 12 could challenge not only Samsung and Google. $800 flagship phones, but even the Pro and Ultra models, which cost a lot more.
According to leaks, the OnePlus 12 will introduce an all-new Sony IMX 966 sensor with 50MP resolution, which is not official yet. What makes the IMX 966 special is that it is claimed to be a “dual stack” sensor. These are mainly used in professional cameras, with the first phone with such a sensor being the Sony Xperia 1 V. Impressive, despite it being rumored to be a 1/1.4-inch sensor , the IMX 966 should be able to collect that much light. like the 1-inch IMX 989 – all thanks to the double-stack design, which makes light gathering easier.
Welcome back to the OnePlus flagship stage: let’s make Samsung and Google work even harder, and never (ever) settle down again
While the OnePlus 11 and OnePlus Nord 3 mark a return to the company’s flagship game, the OnePlus Open and OnePlus 12 are set to take things to a new, more premium level.
A few years ago, I pretty much wrote off OnePlus, and I wasn’t necessarily wrong to do so.
OnePlus lacked a coherent product strategy; Xiaomi started making more impressive flagship and mid-range phones, and Google was ready to steal OnePlus’ spot as Android’s “flagship killer,” and frankly, it did, thanks to the Pixel 7 series (in case you forgot, the Pixel 6 series was a little too buggy to make a positive impression). But now things have changed. Highligths.
The OnePlus 11 is arguably one of the best value Android flagships of the year; the OnePlus Nord 3 looks like a $1,000 phone but only costs $400; and the OnePlus Open is an absolutely stunning first attempt at a foldable that (to me) seems even sexier than the Pixel folding And Galaxy Z fold 5. And then there’s the upcoming OnePlus 12, which could very well steal the show in the 2024 flagship race.
OnePlus is now offering 4 years of OS upgrades and 5 years of security patches for future flagship phones, putting it on par with Samsung. Sure, Apple and (now) Google offer slightly longer software support, but I’d say anything beyond 4-5 years of upgrades is more than satisfactory, since the majority of people don’t keep their phones for more than 4 to 5 years. .
It’s good to see how one of the youngest, most intriguing and universally loved smartphone brands of the last decade has managed to get its act together and get back in the game.
As cheesy as it sounds, having more competition is incredible for the industry and the average user, and with Apple, Samsung, Google, Xiaomi, Nothing and now OnePlus all getting in on it, 2024 could be one of the most competitive years for smartphones. in a moment. At least since the time of Huawei’s international takeover.
I guess… Don’t settle… ever again, OnePlus! ALL RIGHT? Like for real… Come on. Oh…and let’s never make prices skyrocket again? Maybe. THE OnePlus Open does not count.
