Since 2014, OnePlus has been launching smartphones that combine top specs with prices that are more in the mid-range. Though it hasn't always got the formula right, each new OnePlus phone has become eagerly anticipated, and the company just took the wraps off its 2018 flagship, the OnePlus 6.
Featuring a large, 6.28-inch display screen, the phone is actually no bigger physically than its predecessor, the OnePlus 5T. OnePlus says the screen-to-body ratio on the front of the phone is an impressive 90 percent, beating the iPhone X at 83 percent. As is the norm these days, there's a notch up at the top.
Inside there's more than enough power to get by, with a top-level Snapdragon 845 processing chip married with 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM, and either 64 GB, 128 GB or 256 GB of internal storage. You'll struggle to get raw specs on a phone any better than that this year.
As for the camera, the rear-facing snapper has a dual-sensor 20 MP + 16 MP configuration, which OnePlus says takes better photos than ever, especially in low light, thanks to larger sensors and a combination of optical and electronic image stabilization.
OnePlus has added a special slow-motion mode too, up to 480 frames-per-second – you can even choose which section of your footage you want slow-mo-ed after you've recorded it. Around the front, meanwhile, is a single-sensor 20 MP camera.
The design is a little different this time though. Unlike most of the previous OnePlus handsets, the OnePlus 6 comes with a glass back. OnePlus says this is going to make the phone stronger, and better able to connect to cellular networks. You'll be able to pick up the phone in Mirror Black, a less glossy Midnight Black, and (eventually) a limited edition Silk White.
Also of note, the OnePlus 6 retains the 3.5 mm headphone jack, and ships with its own OxygenOS take on Android 8.1 Oreo. The phone is water-resistant too, and offers the custom OnePlus fast-charging technology as usual – you can get a day's power in half an hour of charging, OnePlus says. The phone comes with a sizable 3,300 mAh battery.
Finally, like Apple and Google before it, OnePlus has decided to launch its own set of wireless earphones to go with its phones. The high-end, weather-resistant OnePlus Bullets Wireless come with Google Assistant functionality, and have a fast-charging capability similar to the OnePlus 6 (apparently 10 minutes of charging is enough for five hours of playback).
As much as it's possible to tell from a launch event and a list of specs, the OnePlus 6 looks to be another winner from the Chinese firm, though of course the real test comes when it gets in the hands of customers. The OnePlus Bullets Wireless earphones are available from June 5 for US$69. The OnePlus 6 phone goes on sale on May 22, with prices starting at $529 – considerably less than you would spend on most top-tier phones.
Product page: OnePlus
