The OnePlus 3 is, like its predecessors, a phone with strengths but also flaws. With its new metallic unibody, AMOLED display, and usual Sony sensors for cameras, though, not to mention the ending of the invite program, OnePlus has now reached a status in the smartphone world that places the company in the “we’re like everyone else” system. Metallic unibodies are not new, neither are AMOLED displays, and Apple has had its share of metal iPhones and Samsung has had its share of AMOLED displays.
The OnePlus 3 doesn’t stand out much, though OnePlus’s fancy marketing might (what is an “optic” AMOLED display if it’s not simply marketing hype?), and the response of Carl Pei to Anandtech’s review of its AMOLED display that the tech site said is so bad that it’s basically “a Samsung AMOLED panel on a budget from 2010” has made the co-founder take to social media (Reddit) to vent his frustrations. This isn’t a good move for a company that needs all the publicity it can get.
Well, the OnePlus 3 is joining the group of normal smartphones out there, but there’s another area this covers: phone colors. Gold is quickly becoming one of the most beloved smartphone colors (the OnePlus 3, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy Note 5, and even the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus all have gold options), but the OnePlus 3 may “do an HTC 10” and bring to market a red color variant.
The source of this new color option is OnePlus itself, who took down the red OnePlus 3 after it received public attention, though it was also caught by Twitter member @the_malignant,” who then noted that the page was removed over a week ago. Of course, I don’t think these things are done by mistake; rather, they’re little ways for companies to “intentionally” advertise their product and tip what’s next without doing much. In the tech world, there are few surprise leaks (though tech journalists continue to write as though we’re “shocked” when an Apple box with the specs on it arrives, or when a Samsung panel appears). In marketing, everything is calculated and deliberate. It has to be.
The OnePlus 3 will join the HTC 10 in offering a red option (the HTC 10 has a Camellia Red option that is now available outside of Japan), though OnePlus may bring its red option to retail stores in the US (or so we hope). Of course, OnePlus company colors are red and white, as can be seen through their logo, so perhaps this is a bit of company pride at play. On the other hand, though, red is quite a sexy color on a smartphone. This color might just even convince me to pick a OnePlus 3 up in the near future.
English 
Spanish 
French 
German 
Turkish