Overview
The OnePlus 3 is an Android smartphone developed and marketed by the Chinese manufacturer OnePlus. It was officially announced on 22 May 2016 and released in June 2016 as the third flagship device in the OnePlus series. The device was positioned as a high‑performance phone with a premium design offered at a comparatively lower price point than competing flagship models.
Design and Build
The OnePlus 3 features a unibody design constructed from a single piece of aluminum alloy, resulting in a slim profile of 8.5 mm thickness and a weight of approximately 150 g. The front is covered by a 5.5‑inch Optic AMOLED display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The device is available in multiple color finishes, including “Silk” (a matte black) and “Satin” (a glossy black). It does not include a user‑replaceable battery or expandable storage via microSD.
Hardware
- System on Chip (SoC): Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, built on a 14 nm process.
- CPU: Quad‑core Kryo 280 (2 × 2.2 GHz + 2 × 1.6 GHz).
- GPU: Adreno 530.
- Memory: 6 GB LPDDR4 RAM.
- Internal Storage: 64 GB or 128 GB UFS 2.0; no external storage slot.
- Display: 5.5‑inch Full‑HD+ (1080 × 1920 pixels) Optic AMOLED, 401 ppi, 60 Hz refresh rate, supporting DCI‑P3 color gamut.
- Battery: Non‑removable 3000 mAh lithium‑polymer battery, supporting Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0.
- Cameras: Rear: 16 MP Sony IMX298 sensor, f/2.0 aperture, phase‑detect autofocus, and dual‑tone flash. Front: 8 MP sensor, f/2.0 aperture. Both cameras support 1080p video recording at 30 fps.
- Connectivity: Dual‑band LTE, Wi‑Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, GPS/GLONASS, USB‑C 2.0.
Software
The OnePlus 3 shipped with Android 6.0 Marshmallow overlaid with OnePlus’s custom skin, OxygenOS. OxygenOS emphasizes a near‑stock Android experience with added customization options and performance optimizations. The device received an official update to Android 7.0 Nougat in late 2016 and subsequently to Android 8.1 Oreo in 2018, extending its software support beyond the typical lifecycle for Android devices at the time.
Reception
Critical reception for the OnePlus 3 was generally positive. Reviewers highlighted its premium build quality, high‑end Snapdragon 820 performance, and competitive pricing relative to contemporaneous flagships such as the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Google Pixel. The device received scores ranging from 8.5/10 to 9/10 in major technology publications. Common criticisms included the lack of wireless charging, the omission of a microSD slot, and the relatively modest battery capacity.
Market and Legacy
OnePlus reported that the OnePlus 3 contributed to a substantial increase in its global market share in 2016, with estimations of several hundred thousand units sold during its first year. The model helped reinforce OnePlus’s reputation for delivering “flagship‑killers” – devices offering flagship‑level specifications at a reduced price. The OnePlus 3’s design language and hardware choices informed subsequent models in the series, notably the OnePlus 3T and the OnePlus 5.
References
- OnePlus. “OnePlus 3 – Technical Specifications.” Official OnePlus website, 2016.
- Qualcomm. “Snapdragon 820 Processor.” Product brief, 2016.
- GSMArena. “OnePlus 3 Full Phone Specifications.” Accessed 2026.
- The Verge. “OnePlus 3 Review: The Best Budget Flagship.” Published 8 June 2016.
This article provides a factual summary based on publicly available specifications and contemporary reviews of the OnePlus 3 smartphone.