OnePlus is one of the most recognized brands in the flagship smartphone space. Before the company reached this level though, it was an enthusiast-focused and value-for-money name. Many tech aficionados, such as myself, miss the days when OnePlus smartphones were exclusively available through an invite system.
Since then the Chinese smartphone giant has entered several segments in the consumer electronics market. From undermining Samsung and Apple to taking on the likes of them, OnePlus’ nine-year journey has been full of ups and downs. In this piece, I want to chart the company’s journey through its flagship smartphone offerings as the launch of the OnePlus 11 nears.
oneplus 1
My first thoughts upon hearing the name OnePlus were mildly cynical. I believed the company was trying to capitalize on its quirky name to sell products in a space dominated by the likes of Samsung, LG, HTC, and Sony. However, when a friend of mine brought the OnePlus 1 over to my house, I was really impressed.
The OnePlus 1 (Review) at a price of Rs 21,999 not only offered the fastest silicon at the time, ie. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 801, but it’s also accompanied by 3GB of the fastest LPDDR3 RAM. Its display was top-class at 1080p resolution and the camera experience was also great through its 13MP primary. However, it was the clean CyanogenMod UI that won me over and was a breath of fresh air in a world dominated by the clutter of Samsung’s TouchWiz interface. It was clear that OnePlus was here to disrupt the market and hence was born the famous tagline “Flagship Killer”, which has been synonymous with the brand for so long.
oneplus 2
The OnePlus 2 (Review) was the first device I bought from the company and was acquired through the invite system. However, my experience with the handset hasn’t been as great as I’d hoped. True it was using flagship-grade silicon, converted to a USB Type-C port, included a faster charging solution, and had up to 4GB of RAM. It also marked the debut of OnePlus’ famous Alert Slider.
However, there was a danger of overheating of the device and clogging of the interface. Also, the OnePlus 2 was noticeably bulkier than other smartphones and was only available in a sandstone-finish, which I didn’t like. Its launch price of Rs 24,999 still undercuts the competition.
OnePlus 3 and 3T
With its third iteration, OnePlus fixed many of the previous handset’s problems. As expected from the company, the top-to-bottom upgrade in performance capabilities came to the fore. Qualcomm’s new flagship chipset, LPDDR4 memory, and speedy UFS 2.0 storage were just a few of the things that made the OnePlus 3 a processing powerhouse. In addition, the screen has been converted to AMOLED and the back camera has been bumped to 16MP resolution. More importantly, OnePlus managed to reduce the thickness and weight of the device to better reflect the market standards at the time.
This was also the time when OnePlus grew in popularity and the company increased its production levels to remove the cumbersome invite-only system. Personally, I was a huge fan of the device, and it impressed utility with its price tag of Rs 27,999. Just six months later, with the OnePlus 3T (Review), the company further improved processing with the Snapdragon 821 SoC and upgraded the selfie shooter to 16MP.
OnePlus 5 and 5T
Leaving No. 4, OnePlus started pushing its price point higher and higher. The OnePlus 5 (Review) was priced at Rs 32,999 and again the USP of the device was its processing power. The Snapdragon 835 SoC was at the top, a chipset that was being used by OEMs around the world at a very high price. The smartphone also introduced dual cameras for the first time, a promising feature first introduced by the iPhone 7 Plus. The OnePlus 5 also shared the same exterior look as Apple’s flagship offering at the time.
For me, the selling point was the 8GB RAM variant, which to the best of my knowledge, no other smartphone maker was using at that time. Plus, OnePlus’ year-over-year improvements to the OxygenOS UI became a key part of the OnePlus 5’s fluidity. The OnePlus 5T (Review), announced in November 2017, was basically the same phone, but with an expanded 18:9 display and a brand new 2D facial unlock feature, while the physical fingerprint sensor was shifted to the back.
OnePlus 6 and 6T
By the time, the OnePlus 6 (Review) hit the market, new players like POCO started emerging in the affordable flagship space, which also undercut OnePlus’ proposition. The OnePlus fundamentals didn’t waver with regards to its overall experience, especially in the performance department. Notched design was gaining momentum in 2018 and the OnePlus 6 was no different in this regard. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 SoC was the SoC of choice on the phone but other than that there was no significant upgrade from the previous generation.
Compared to the phone’s selling price of Rs 34,999, the POCO F1 offered more or less the same specs, but for a lower starting price of Rs 19,999. In an effort to differentiate, OnePlus introduced a more unobtrusive waterdrop-style notch on the OnePlus 6T (Review) and introduced an in-display fingerprint reader. However, it raised the pricing to Rs 37,999 and it became clear that OnePlus is slowly creeping into premium flagship territory.
OnePlus 7, 7 Pro and 7T
The first year in which OnePlus announced three phones was also the year in which the Chinese OEM announced itself as a major level brand. The OnePlus 7 (Review) was your standard year-over-year performance upgrade over the OnePlus 6T. However, the OnePlus 7 Pro (Review) had several new innovations that clearly set the brand apart from its competitors. For one, the device featured a pop-up selfie camera that enabled a smooth and seamless display.
With curved sides that mimic Samsung’s Galaxy S series, the panel transitions to a 90Hz refresh rate for a smoother experience and a QHD+ resolution for greater sharpness. Furthermore, the storage was bumped up to UFS 3.0, the RAM was upgraded to 12GB and the chipset was shifted to the Snapdragon 855. 3X telephoto lens. The phone also introduced faster 30W charging speeds and a stereo speaker setup. The OnePlus 7 Pro was a true flagship experience, in every sense of the word, but retailed at a low price point of Rs 48,999 compared to devices from other OEMs. This was also the year that OnePlus became the leader in India’s premium smartphone category with 43 percent market share.
For the T series, OnePlus’ upgrade was minimal as its winning formula was reaping the rewards. There was only one difference between the 7T and 7T Pro, which was the use of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855+ SoC. Also with the 7T, OnePlus has at least made 90Hz refresh rate standard on its upcoming flagship products.
OnePlus 8, 8 Pro and 8T
The OnePlus brand completed its transformation from a flagship killer to a true flagship offering in 2019, and the following year, the company doubled down on its new philosophy. Not much was changed with the OnePlus 8 series in terms of overall design such as camera layout, materials used, and curved panels. However, the Pro model got a higher 120Hz refresh rate display, while the pop-up camera module was replaced with a punch-hole-style cut-out. There was an additional 5MP color filter lens on the back which, in short, provided no utility other than looking through plastic objects. Performance is again upgraded with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC while storage and memory options remain the same as last year. This time the OnePlus 8 Pro (Review) started at Rs 54,999.
Regarding the incremental T update, this time OnePlus did not release the OnePlus 8T Pro, instead opting for a regular 8T model. The USP here was the quad-camera setup and the upgrade to 120Hz refresh rate. Rest of the specs remained the same as the regular OnePlus 8. In my opinion, the device didn’t resonate very well with the OnePlus audience and more importantly, players like Xiaomi and Realme were making big efforts to reduce OnePlus into the premium category. those days.
OnePlus 9, 9R and 9 Pro
With increasing competition, OnePlus again looked at features that could differentiate it from the market. Enter a partnership with Swedish photography company Hasselblad. The OnePlus 9 Pro (Review) marketed its photography capabilities heavily and this has been reflected in the company’s choice of camera hardware. It was the first device to use a 48MP Sony IMX789 primary shooter and also implemented a 50MP IMX766 ultra-wide sensor.
In our review of the OnePlus 9 Pro, we found the optical experience of the device to be decent but not at the level of a flagship in the range. This is an important point because, at launch, the OnePlus 9 Pro set you back Rs 64,999 for the base variant. Other aspects of the phone were flagship-class such as the Snapdragon 888 SoC, a QHD+ 120Hz panel with LTPO technology, and up to 65W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. It was also the first OnePlus phone in India to support 5G capabilities.
The OnePlus 9 (Review) and 9R targeted the mobile segment, which the company has grown into over the past few years. Both the phones had almost identical specs, but there was a difference in the chipset being used. Moreover, the OnePlus 9RT (Review) that was launched in October matches the specs of the OnePlus 9 including the silicon at a lower price.
OnePlus 10 Pro, 10T and 10R
OnePlus abandoned its two-phone launch strategy by releasing just one flagship phone in early 2022 and that was the OnePlus 10 Pro (Review). Among other things, the phone used the 4nm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. However, since the chipset was prone to thermal throttling, there was a slight drop in the performance of the device. Also, I felt, during our review of the device, that the new Samsung JN1 ultra-wide sensor didn’t output images as well as last year’s IMX766.
The primary shooter also didn’t get any upgrades from the 9 Pro, though OnePlus continued its Hasselblad partnership. The only major change came with the LTPO 2.0 panel up front and an upgraded 80W charging solution. With its Rs 66,999 price point, the device had ventured into premium flagship territory but competing products certainly caught up.
The OnePlus 10T (Review), launched six months later, solved the throttling problem with the new 8+ Gen 1 SoC. However, the device did not impress in the imaging department. A similar story can be drawn up for the OnePlus 10R and 10RT, both of which were priced under Rs 50,000 but didn’t capture my imagination as overall products.
What’s next for OnePlus?
OnePlus is now preparing to launch the OnePlus 11 in India after announcing the device in the Chinese markets. It is clear that we as consumers have certain expectations from OnePlus based on OnePlus’ history in the flagship space. The brand prides itself on launching the latest high-end Qualcomm silicon on its smartphones before other OEMs caught on. However, the emergence of iQOO as a serious competitor could act as a disappointment. Can OnePlus 11 woo customers? That remains to be seen, but details of the new flagship will be revealed on February 7.
