OnePlus 3 Images Pop up Online; Point to a Shift in Design Language

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lot of leaks and images for the upcoming OnePlus 3 have been popping up, but we’ve generally avoided them for a few reasons. For one, some of the images did not offer a clear view of the device or any distinguishing part of the device.

Next, there was a lack of credibility behind these leaks as they come from amateur leakers. But the sheer number of leaks and images from various sources, all of which point towards the same device, gives weight to the leaks and makes us believe that this might just be the OnePlus 3 afterall.

The first set of images originated from a user on Weibo.The images show the device in a case, and do not really offer too much to point that this is indeed a OnePlus device.

The second set of images also come in from Weibo, but a different user this time around. The device is shown off without a cover, along with its boot screen as well as a peek at the OTA update for OxygenOS based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.

The third set of images comes in again from — you guessed it — Weibo from a different user again. These offer us the clearest look at the device and from a few different angles.

So, what do we gather from the leaks so far? For one, although individual credibility of the leaks is not strong, all of them point to the same device. The leaked images have good collective credibility, and although they are still leaks, it does look like the device is in the final stages of testing.

For the device itself, the OnePlus 3 just about builds up on the front of the OnePlus 2. The home button makes its presence known as an oval button on the front chin, and is likely to house the fingerprint sensor as well.

The back however, is a complete different story. Gone is the trademark Sandstone finish for the back, being replaced with a metallic back which will likely be unibody in its construction. The metal back also houses two plastic antennae bands for radio, one on the top and one on the bottom. There is a protruding camera module as well, bearing a square shape and accompanied by what appears to be a single LED flash. Laser Autofocus, as seen on the OnePlus 2, is absent from the device pictured.

The left side of the phone bears the alert slider seen on recent OnePlus devices. The right side is not pictured. The top of the device is actually clean, as the headphone jack now finds its place on the bottom frame of the device where it shares space with the USB Type C port and speaker and microphone holes.

HTC One M9

If you think that the OnePlus 3 looks similar, you are not wrong. In its current form, the device looks eerily similar to the HTC One M9. From the back, at least. The metallic unibody, the plastic antennae bands and the square protruding camera, all give the OnePlus 3 an appearance similar to the HTC One M9. The back does differ in a few areas, such as the HTC logo engraving and the placement of the camera flash on the M9. We do not currently know whether the back is removable, as OnePlus usually sells assorted first-party back covers and cases for its devices to complement its thin profit margins on the main devices themselves.

For the specs, the images do not really offer us much. But we did have an independant leak early on which points to two variants of the device being released, with the top model bearing the Qualcomm Snapdragon 620 SoC with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

So, what do we take from these leaks? The OnePlus 3 is out from the drawing board and close to its final stages prior to consumer release. The design may not be the absolute final, but the quantity of leaks indicate it to be a good representative of the device may turn out to be. OnePlus has not announced any release dates for the device, but we should expect to hear more about the OnePlus 3 in the weeks to come.

The OnePlus 3 indicates yet another shift in design language for OnePlus. From Plastic-Sandstone (OnePlus One) to Metal-Sandstone (OnePlus 2) to Metal-Glass (OnePlus X), the OnePlus 3 is looking to take yet another leap. But will OnePlus find success in this design?

What do you think of the OnePlus 3? Do you like the shift in design language? Would you have preferred a different combination for the OnePlus 3? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Read on for related content:

• OnePlus 3 Rumored to Come in Two Versions, Base Version to Cost CNY 1999 ($310)
• OnePlus India Offering Old Device Trade in For New OnePlus Device
• OnePlus X Gets CyanogenMod 13 Nightlies!
• It’s Settled: The OnePlus One has Stood the Test of Time

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