OnePlus has launched its newest flagship phone, the OnePlus 11, in China. Here’s what we know about the new device.
Championed by a passionate fanbase, OnePlus smartphones have come a long way from their humble beginnings. The brand has now announced the launch of its newest flagship, the OnePlus 11. Though we’ve not yet had the chance to test out the latter, here are the three biggest changes compared to the OnePlus 10T.
Design
The design language has seen a big overhaul this time round, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We weren’t huge fans of last year’s large and boxy camera module, describing it as ‘intrusive’ though noticing that the one on the 10T was a least a tad smoother and less clunky than that of the 10.
OnePlus 10T
It has now been replaced by a large circular unit to host the camera; OnePlus describes this as “Black Hole” aesthetics, saying that it is ‘designed for those who want to stand out.’ We’ll have to see and feel it in person before declaring one better than the other, but although the module remains very large, initial impressions are more positive just due to the smoother curves.
Performance
Most generations of smartphone receive an annual performance bump, and this one is no different. The OnePlus 10T ran on the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, and we judged that it ‘excelled’ in CPU and GPU benchmarking tests as well as in day-to-day usage.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Now this impressive chip will be superseded by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, of which we have very high expectations. It is expected to boast 35% CPU improvement and 25% GPU improvement, along with improved power efficiency. We hope that this will translate to excellent performance standards in gaming and other activities on the OnePlus 11.
Camera
Aside from just looking different, the camera in the OnePlus 11 has different specs too.
The OnePlus 11 had a triple sensor system, consisting of a 50-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide, and a 2-megapixel macro snapper. We judged the main camera to be “decent”, though remarked upon tonal inconsistencies between the three lenses and were particularly disappointed that there was a macro snapper rather than a telephoto.
In the new phone, there’s a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 48-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a 32-megapixel telephoto sensor. We’ll have to wait and see exactly how they perform, especially considering that the camera was a relative weak sport of the OnePlus 10T; however, the specs may indicate a more versatile arrangement.
Early Verdict
At first glance, there are encouraging signs that the OnePlus 11 may well improve upon its forerunner. Among the complaints we had of the OnePlus 10T, including its camera performance and its design, have been tweaked, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed for game-changing improvements there when it comes to the review. However, for the time being, it’s just too early to say which is better.
