OnePlus is bound to unveil the long-rumored OnePlus 3 soon with a metallic back, 5GB RAM, Iris Recognition and more. Having known for manufacturing smartphones of high-end specs for low prices, many are expecting the tech company's upcoming device to be another flagship killer.
According to Expert Reviews, there is still no available information about OnePlus 3's release date, but it is known that OnePlus doesn't follow in the footsteps of other smartphone makers such as Apple and Samsung with predictable launch cycles. For reference, OnePlus One was released in April 2014, while OnePlus 2 was released just over a year later in July 2014. With this, it is really not easy to predict when OnePlus 3 will hit the market shelves.
Nevertheless, if OnePlus is presumed to take around a year to update its flagship handset series, it's definitely safe to conclude that OnePlus 3 will be unveiled before the year is over.
It also seems that OnePlus 3 will stick to the same invite-only restriction when released just like its predecessors. Though, if the OnePlus 2 is anything to go by, the invite-only system may be lifted after a few months and the device will be opened up to a wider market.
According to Youth Health Magazine, OnePlus devices are already praised for its solid hardware, but OnePlus 3 is predicted to feature noticeable changes in its hardware design. One of these significant developments is a brushed metal back which is different from the experimental back panels that varied from sandstone, Kevlar, wood to ceramic. The OnePlus 3 smartphone is also expected to be much slimmer, with the speakers positioned on the front of the handset.
Additionally, from a Gorilla Glass 3 in OnePlus 2, the new OnePlus 3 will be getting the more improved Corning Gorilla Glass 4 to protect the1080 pixel screen, which had raked in savings for the Chinese manufacturer. It is also speculated to feature iris recognition for unlocking the screen, a major development from OnePlus 2's fingerprint scanner.
With the incorporation of Android Pay for most upscale devices like the OnePlus 3, it may also bring back the Near Field Communication (NFC) which was removed on OnePlus 2. For reference, International Business Times noted that NFC is a short-range high frequency wireless communication technology that enables the exchange of data between devices over a 10 cm distance. The site suggested the return of this feature as the company may not want to invest in independent pay services like Samsung and LG.
OnePlus 3, just like its predecessor, will have two variants with 16GB and 64GB memory capacities. The RAM on the devices is also going to differ, witha 4GB RAM for the 16GB and 5GB RAM for the 64GB variant.
As for software, it will be backed by CyanogenMod like all OnePlus devices. Also, keeping it aligned with most Android devices this year, OnePlus 3 might come with Android 6.0 Marshmallow in-built and support the Oxygen OS.
The highlight of the hardware is definitely Qualcomm's soon-to-be-unveiled Snapdragon 820 (MSM8896) processor. Most Android flagship phones this year are expected to be armed with Snapdragon 820 processor. This chipset upgrade is expected to remove the heating issues the current models are facing. This will be powered by a 3,500 mAh capacity battery, 200 mAh more than OnePlus 2's 3,300 mAh battery.
As of the moment, the above details are not yet confirmed by OnePlus, but patrons of the Chinese smartphone maker are hoping for the official specs to be worth the title,"flaship killer".
