Things You Need To Know About The Latest OnePlus 6

After generating massive buzz around its release, the OnePlus 6 is sitting pretty as the fastest selling phone in the company’s history. It achieved one million sales in just 22 days, selling three times faster than its 2017 flagship. As a relatively small manufacturer known for its well-made budget handsets, this is quite the achievement. Though it comes in an affordable package, the OnePlus 6 promises good design and specs that rival its more expensive competitors. Here’s everything you need to know about the OnePlus 6.

 

It has a glass back

Save for the OnePlus X, all previous iterations of the phone have boasted an aluminum backing. This time around, the OnePlus 6 has a six-layer glass design. This might be confusing to some tech die-hards. In the past, glass backing implied a handset would have wireless charging capabilities—something lacking in the OnePlus 6. Ultimately, the people behind OnePlus decided they just didn’t want their flagship to have wireless charging, opting for the faster Dash Charge instead. 

That makes the glass a pure aesthetic choice. It’s easy to see why, as the glass form cuts a striking figure. That is, until you’ve handle the phone for any length of time. Then it’s an eyesore showing off fingerprints, smudges, and any wear and tear. You have the choice of sporting these blemishes with shame or covering it up with a OnePlus 6 skin. The folks at dbrand make sure each of their designs are scratch-free and grime-resistant, so your handset’s safe from your hands, spills, and rough handling. OnePlus 6 skins from dbrand also come in premium colors and textures, giving you the option to customize with black camo or hardwood while you make smudges a thing of the past.

It has a headphone jack

It’s a sign of the times that this feature is one worth noting. We live in a post-headphone jack world, with both Apple and Google opting to remove this hardware from their handsets. 

When the iPhone 7 was the first ever smartphone to bid adieu to the jack, the decision rocked the world and left many Apple fans angry. Time heals all wounds. While some people may miss the old-fashioned headphone jack, they’ve learnt to live without it. Most wireless headphones work well enough. 

OnePlus 6 owners won’t have to buy a pair just yet. OnePlus’ flagship comes equipped with a headphone jack that’s compatible with most headphones.

It has a notch

Just because OnePlus made fun of Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack doesn’t mean they won’t follow the Cupertino-based tech company’s lead in other design decisions. Case in point: the iPhone X-style notch that graces the top of the OnePlus 6’s display.

Though smaller than the one found on the iPhone X, the notch will still be present in the 6. Unlike the iPhone X, however, OnePlus allows the option to remove this design feature pretty easily for those who don’t like the look of it. 

It has new Android P dev beta

As of July, the OnePlusis offering Android P to its 6 owners. Android P represents a totally new direction for Google’s OS, so it’s going to be a huge upgrade from the current 8.0 Oreo. In a Reddit AMA, the OS’ engineers talked about its most contentious change to Android’s navigation system. Android P promises to do away with the traditional three button navigation system at the bottom of the screen. It will adopt gestures that include tapping and swiping to control your browsing. It’s a sweeping update, so this is just one of many tweaks that come with the developer’s preview.

As this is still a beta version, it comes with some risks. OnePlus warns its customers that there’s a risk of bricking the handset if you don’t follow the instructions carefully, so they suggest only those who know what they’re doing accept the update.

In a world of iPhone Xs and Pixel 3 XLs, two of the most expensive phones on the market, it’s refreshing to see the OnePlus 6. It’s a fraction of the price of these high-end handsets, and it manages to stand-up to comparison. The 6 offers high-performance specs and good design for a modest price, so it’s worth getting to know a little bit better.