OnePlus Z smartphone review with key features

OnePlus was founded in 2013. Already in 2014, the new One smartphone was released, recognized as the “flagship killer” for its excellent technical characteristics and a price of $ 300. An aggressive advertising campaign and all sorts of contests and challenges, such as “break your smartphone and get a new one from OnePlus for only $ 1,” contributed to the growth in sales. By the way, about 140,000 users fought for one out of 100 gadgets.
Later, prices began to rise exponentially. The first and last mid-range smartphone (Model X) was released in 2015. It was in good demand, but in terms of sales it clearly did not reach the premium models.

The new flagship lineup, consisting of the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro, is expensive, and the company seems to have decided to offer users a budget alternative. It was planned that the novelty would be presented together with the 8 series gadgets, but whether the coronavirus made its own adjustments, or whether the company decided to stir up interest in order to increase sales is unknown.In any case, according to the latest information, the presentation of the budget flagship OnePlus Z will take place in July (approximately after the 10th).

Main characteristics

The information below is based on leaked specs, the exact specs will only be known after the official presentation.

Z or still Nord

The intrigue with the name of the new smartphone is still preserved. Initially, we were talking about OnePlus 8 Lite, which is quite logical, given the budget price. After, in early March of this year, Max Weinbach announced the new name of OnePlus Z.

As for the Nord trademark, it is indeed registered, so it is possible that the new product will be released under this name.

Design

No significant changes (judging by the images leaked to the network, no). Rounded edges, narrow frame around the perimeter of the display. In the upper part, in the center, there is a round cutout for the camera. The power button is located on the left side, volume control - on the right. There is a USB-C port at the bottom of the case, but there seems to be no headphone jack.

On the rear panel is a rectangular block with a camera. Unlike the more expensive fellow OnePlus Z 8, it is shifted to the left (it still looks quite organic). In this case, the design team followed the example of the iPhone 11 Pro, not trying to camouflage the numerous lenses, but making them a design element. As for the camera itself, only 3 sensors are clearly visible in the photo, previously there were rumors about 4. The mute slider, a hallmark of OnePlus, will also remain in place.

The back and front panels are made of Gorilla Glass 5 (scratch and mechanical damage resistant) with curved edges and a flat surface. The aluminum frame between the glass panels will also remain in place.Color options were not announced.
The back panel is a rich dark blue color with iridescent tints, most likely it will actively collect dust and fingerprints.

Display

There is no fingerprint sensor on the back, which suggests that the scanner will be optical (under the display). This means that most likely the novelty will still receive an OLED display (the only compatible technology to date), and not an LCD, which is good news. It will be possible to consider information on the screen even in bright sunlight. The refresh rate, again rumored to be 90 Hz, multi-touch technology will provide a quick response to user commands.

6.55 inches diagonal (it seems that the budget flagship will be a little shorter and wider than its premium counterparts) - large enough to comfortably watch videos or play games.
Excellent color reproduction characteristics - 16m shades allow you to get the most realistic image.

Battery

This is where the information differs. According to some sources, the gadget will receive a 4300 mAh battery, according to others - 4000. In general, the company has been increasing the size of the battery lately - this is partly due to support for 5 G networks.

In any case, even 4000 mAh is enough for one day without recharging (approximate battery life in active mode is about 8 hours). Included is a patented 30W charger.
Nothing is known about wireless charging yet, but given the approximate cost of a smartphone, you can’t count on additional options.

Camera Specifications

The network got the specifications of the new smartphone.From them it is clear that, most likely, the gadget will receive a triple camera of 64 megapixels (main), 16 and 2 megapixels - ultra-wide and macro, respectively. Plus a dual LED flash and the ability to shoot video with HDR support. The 16-megapixel selfie camera is located at the top of the display.

If you are going to buy a smartphone for photography, you should not pay attention to the number of pixels. More doesn't mean better. Good photos can be obtained with a camera of 12 pixels. In this case, the aperture value is more important (indicated as f with a fraction icon). The lower the number after the fraction (usually 2.0 or higher), the better.

The maximum performance of the new OnePlus Z is 2.4 (for macro), 2.0 for selfies. This means that you can get good pictures even in low or, conversely, too bright light.

Many users, having studied the information leaked to the network, came to the conclusion that there is no optical (OIS) stabilization function for shooting video, only electronic (EIS). So in this case, high performance in 4K does not really matter - it will still not work to shoot a smooth video without “shaking”, without additional equipment or relevant experience.

Processor and Memory

The smartphone will receive a Snapdragon 765G chipset from Qualcomm - a stable middling. It has good performance, will cope with active games.
The amount of RAM is 6 GB, internal storage is 128 GB, enough to run multiple tabs at the same time and store your favorite photos and videos. By the way, for some reason, it was the characteristics of RAM that caused a lot of controversy among users. According to them, a OnePlus smartphone should have at least 8 GB of RAM.

Security and additional features

Optical fingerprint scanner - under the display for quick unlocking. According to some reports, the device may receive face recognition technology, which is unlikely.

Additional features are basic. Support for GPS, gyroscope, proximity sensors. There is no headphone jack, as well as stereo speakers. Not critical, but the opportunity to listen to music will cost an additional 30-50 dollars if the company does not launch a bonus program or another challenge.

Price and release date

Judging by the rumors, the price of the new gadget will not be so budget. On Indian Internet sites, the amount of 34,990 rupees (38,450 rubles) is mentioned, on Chinese sites translated into rubles - about 27,000. Users on the forums share information that the device will cost at least $ 400.
The manufacturing company does not comment on the rumors in any way, there is also no mention of OnePlus Z on the official website. True, a survey was recently conducted on one of the sites among users, for how much they would buy a smartphone with certain technical characteristics, it was about the maximum cost of $ 299.
The presentation is scheduled for July 10 in India. The start of sales in the Indian market is expected around the same time.

As for the release in Russia, the situation is not yet clear.

Advantages and disadvantages

It will be possible to evaluate the performance and design of the new smartphone only after the start of sales. Users, based on the available information, made the following preliminary conclusions:

• design - a glass, thin case (rumored to be about 8mm) with a metal frame looks stylish and concise;
• good characteristics for a budget smartphone (display, camera characteristics);
• 5G support;
• trusted brand.

• does not support memory card;
• no headphone jack;
• no stereo speakers;
• price - about $ 400 is high (users agree that a smartphone with such characteristics should cost no more than $ 250);
• small amount of memory without the possibility of expansion.

In general, the new device is practically no different from similar devices in its class. If OnePlus does not revise the pricing policy, the brand's fans will most likely become the main buyers of the flagship. For, frankly, a considerable $ 300, you can buy a much more high-tech gadget from Xiaomy, for example.