OnePlus 6 launched: A new design and all "the speed you need"

OnePlus entered the market several years ago with the US$300 OnePlus One, their invite-only “flagship killer.” Since then they have released increasingly more expensive phones, but with tweaks that bring them closer to flagship quality in the OnePlus 5T.

With the OnePlus 6, we have been given the most significant redesign the series has seen in the last few iterations. There is now a notch to maximize screen real estate in the corners; something which some think is a blessing, while others will rush into the settings to trigger the setting that hides the notch. This works well, thanks to the AMOLED panel. The aspect ratio is 19:9, ignoring the screen notch. OnePlus has dropped the aluminum body and now provides us with a glass sandwich made of Gorilla Glass 5, front and back. At launch, there is the choice of Midnight Black (matte) and Mirror Black (glossy with a similar appearance to ceramic). A Silk White with rose gold trim will arrive at a later date.

The cameras setup has changed from the standard and telephoto configuration that OnePlus used previously to two regular fixed focal length setups. Both use Sony sensors and the same f/1.7 aperture, while the main lens also uses optical image stabilization. OnePlus doesn’t specify any particular uses for the secondary sensor (e.g., monochrome, telephoto, wide angle, low-light performance, etc.), and therefore we speculate that its sole purpose might be to improve portrait or bokeh appearance. This is a throwback to the first dual camera setups of several years ago.

OnePlus is claiming that their sealing process gives a water resistance level that is suitable for withstanding rain or being dropped in a puddle, but there is no official IP rating. Meanwhile, the lightweight but feature-rich OxygenOS returns with its near-stock looks.

Pricing starts at US$529 for the 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage option, US$579 for 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, or US$629 for 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage. The OnePlus 6 will be available from 22 May 2018.

• SoC: SnapDragon 845
• RAM/Storage: 6 GB / 64 GB or 8 GB / 128 GB or 8 GB / 256 GB (LPDDR4X and UFS 2.1)
• Display: 6.28-inch 2280 x 1080 AMOLED (note: The screen is 6.12 inches if the rounded corners are taken into account)
• Cameras: 16 MP f/1.7 OIS + 20 MP f/1.7
• Battery: 3300 mAh
• Wireless: 4G, 2x2 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 with AptX HD
• Android Oreo
• Type-C