Nearly 10 years ago, OnePlus made its debut with its maiden smartphone and a tagline that endures even today — ‘Never Settle.’ The smartphone, dubbed OnePlus One, boasted flagship-level specifications for its day and was priced at ₹28,000 — nearly half the price of flagships released by other, more marquee brands.
The OnePlus One proved a wild success, its air of exclusivity and mystique heightened by the invite-only system — you needed an invite, shared by a OnePlus owner or won through contests and other promotional activities. Running on a skin of CyanogenMod, the OnePlus One sported a clean, stock Android interface and was an instant hit.
A flagship killer was born.
OnePlus, which was co-founded by Carl Pei and Pete Lau on December 16, 2013, unveiled the OnePlus One the following April and it wasn’t long before it built up a cult following. The OnePlus community was chock-a-block with fans who were thrilled with the prospect of a company that makes phones for enthusiasts that don’t cost an arm and a leg.
Sure, there were corners cut — the cameras were not the best — but the whole package was undeniably enticing. I remember being sorely tempted to buy one, but I couldn’t get an invite.
Fast forward 10 years, and OnePlus had possibly its most significant year since its debut. In 2023, OnePlus not only made a comeback to form with the OnePlus 11, but also ventured into unknown territories — for the brand, at least — by releasing excellent first-generation products in new categories, such as tablets, a foldable, and even a keyboard.
The first four generations of OnePlus smartphones — including the 1, 2, 3 & 5 — were well received, but somewhere along the way, the brand appeared to have lost its focus. The biannual release cycle, where it would release a flagship only to upend it a few months later with a ‘T’ refresh, was just the beginning. Then it released a Pro variant, a regular variant, and then came the Nord lineup, which only confused buyers.
The company’s 10 series of smartphones were met with a lukewarm reception, though the OnePlus faithful remained faithful, but there was that feeling that the company had, somewhere along the line, lost its mojo. Co-founder Pei left to start his own company, Nothing. OnePlus and OPPO — which belong to the same Chinese conglomerate, BBK Electronics — released increasingly generic-looking phones and OxygenOS and ColorOS, OnePlus and OPPO’s Android skins, respectively, began to meld into each other.
Where did the flagship killer disappear?
OnePlus resoundingly answered that question by releasing the OnePlus 11 — which, as I noted in my review, was a return to form for this beloved brand. It released the excellent 11R alongside the flagship and, rather than just sitting on its laurels, soon showed the world it had more than one ace up its sleeve.
In quick succession, OnePlus released two tablets, three additions to its Nord lineup, and possibly my favourite smartphone of the year — the OnePlus Open, the company’s first book-style foldable.
The OnePlus Pad was the company’s first attempt at a tablet, and it knocked it out of the park. The tablet has brilliant ergonomics, an amazing battery life, superb display, excellent speakers, sports 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage in the highest-end variant, and comes with stylus support for all you artists out there, and all for under ₹40,000. It has been my go-to tablet since I started using it, and it has yet to let me down. Confession: My M1 iPad Air lies largely ignored while I use the Pad for my daily tablet needs.
OnePlus followed this up with the OnePlus Pad Go, a slightly stripped-down version that has its own USP — priced under ₹20,000, the Pad Go has exceptional features: a great screen, impressive battery life, speakers as good as those on its elder sibling, and while it lacks native keyboard folio or stylus support, the Pad Go makes up for it with cellular connectivity. I doubt there’s another tablet in this price range that offers WiFi+cellular and that, in my book, makes this a strong contender for the best-value tablet in the market right now.
Today, we cannot talk about OnePlus without discussing its Nord lineup. Long known as the affordable but not-quite-as-good option for a OnePlus smartphone, the 2023 Nord series is easily among the best in its price range.
The OnePlus Nord 3 gives you flagship performance for half the price and even sports the iconic OnePlus alert slider. It has everything one could need in a smartphone and doesn’t even break the bank. The Nord CE 3 impressed me with its display, battery life, and camera performance, making it a reliable option for those seeking a sub ₹30,000 price point smartphone. Then comes the most affordable OnePlus smartphone — the CE 3 Lite. In my review, I noted that this budget smartphone — priced at ₹19,999 for the 8 GB/128 GB variant and ₹21,999 for the 8 GB/256 GB version — offers value for money, with a sizeable display, intuitive interface, and long-lasting battery life.
In essence, the Nord lineup can no longer be seen as a step down from OnePlus’ flagship lineup.
OnePlus also refreshed its entire TV lineup this year, but my favourite — and personal television — is the Q2 Pro, the crown in OnePlus’ television portfolio. The Q2 Pro has an astonishing 65-inch 4K QLED display that supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and all other goodies for your eyes, a built-in 130W soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos and a virtual surround sound technology that actually mimics a home theatre system, and a high refresh rate of 120 Hz that makes it the perfect companion for my PlayStation 5. Oh, and it’s very pleasing to the eye, too.
I have saved the best for the last. Following months of rumours, speculation, and anticipation, OnePlus finally debuted in the foldable space with the OnePlus Open, a book-style foldable. Sporting a sleek, gapless design (when folded) with flat sides, the Open is impossibly thin, has gorgeous cover and inner displays, a near-invisible crease, a robust hinge and more importantly, superb cameras. I waxed eloquent about the camera system in my review of the Open, and that opinion has yet to change. Within days, the Open unseated the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (review) as my favourite Android phone of the year. It is priced right, designed to near perfection, and, at least for me, nearly impossible to put down. It is the best foldable you can buy in India right now.
Now, rumour has it that OnePlus’ next flagship, the OnePlus 12, has a camera system that is as good as — if not better than — the OnePlus Open. The device has officially launched in China and will be reaching Indian shores next month, and I for one cannot wait to take it for a spin.
The year 2023 has undoubtedly been OnePlus’ biggest year since 2014, and I cannot wait to see what OnePlus, which famously ‘Never Settles,’ has in store for us in 2024.
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
