OnePlus may be keeping mum on the official release date of its much-awaited OnePlus 3 smartphone, but rumors suggest that the handset is set to debut on May 18.
As the purported launch of the OnePlus 3 draws nearer, we take a look at all that we know about the impending handset.
Release Date
Previous rumors have suggested that the OnePlus 3 could release in June as the first-gen OnePlus One followed this cycle. The OnePlus 2 was released in August 2015.
According to more recent reports, however, the OnePlus 3 is now poised to launch in a week from now — May 18 to be precise. The date comes courtesy of GizmoChina, which is known to be accurate when it comes to launches of smartphones from Chinese OEMs.
"OnePlus 3 is rumored to be launching on May 18 this month and this smartphone alone has kept the internet abuzz," notes the publication.
While there is no word on the venue or city where the OnePlus 3 will be unveiled, it will likely be Beijing judging by the phone's launch history.
Packaging And Design
Rumors and speculations surrounding the OnePlus 3, the third-gen smartphone in the OnePlus series, have been circling for a while. An image of the alleged retail box of the OnePlus 3 surfaced online on May 8, suggesting that the smartphone's launch was in sight.
The leak of the packaging box of the alleged OnePlus 3 smartphone was courtesy of @Krispitech who shared the images on Twitter. While the leaked images of the retail box for the OnePlus 3 did not offer a peek into the smartphone — or any other detail — it hinted that the handset may be released sooner than expected as things were ready.
This is not the first time images of the OnePlus 3 have popped up online. We recently reported that images of the handset had emerged on the web. The leak showed off a design sensibility that was similar to previous-gen models of the smartphone. However, co-founder Carl-Pei has previously asserted that it will boast a new design.
Specs And Features
Benchmark leak (from GeekBench) shed light on some of the specs of the upcoming smartphone from the Chinese OEM. GeekBench's listing pointed to two variants of the OnePlus 3 as we reported. One of the variants will house 64 GB of onboard storage and 6 GB of RAM, whereas the other model will tout 32 GB onboard memory and 4 GB of RAM.
The OnePlus 3 will also support NFC and likely house a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and Adreno 530 GPU.
Rumors have also hinted at a 5.5-inch Full HD screen with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. The handset is also said to sport a 16-megapixel primary camera with OIS support and 4K video recording capabilities. The secondary camera is 8 megapixels and should find favor with selfie lovers.
It will possibly be fueled by a powerful 3,500 mAh battery that will have support for fast charging. The OnePlus 3 will likely run on a customized version of OnePlus' OxygenOS platform, based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow OS.
Price
It is rumored that the 32 GB and 64 GB models of the handset will sport a price tag of $310 and $385, respectively. OnePlus will likely sell the handset in the U.S. as Pei has previously mentioned they are looking to focus on the country.
With the alleged launch of the OnePlus 3 round the corner, we will soon know what surprises OnePlus has in store.
