OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 2: What’s the rumoured difference?

The OnePlus 3 has been the subject of rumours for several months now, since the end of 2015 in fact. The OnePlus 2 launched in July 2015 but speculation suggests we might see the OnePlus 3 arrive a little earlier.

With that in mind, here are the rumoured specs for the OnePlus 3 against the OnePlus 2 to see how they might compare and what the differences might be when the next “flagship killer” arrives.

We will update this feature as more information appears. For now though, here is how the OnePlus 3 stacks up to the OnePlus 2, based on the speculation.

OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 2: Design

The OnePlus 3 will launch with a new design. Co-founder Carl Pei said that OnePlus One was “a more captivating device than its second generation”. He also said he “hopes the OnePlus 3 will have at least that special feeling cast by the OnePlus One when users first saw it”.

The OnePlus 2 measures 151.8 x 74.9 x 9.85mm and weighs 175g. It comes in Sandstone Black and there are four covers available to offer a slightly different look. There is also a fingerprint sensor on board, along with USB Type-C.

Based on the leaked images, it looks like the OnePlus 3 will feature a metal body, with slightly rounded edges in comparison to its predecessor. The rear camera lens appears to be square and much larger than the OnePlus 2, similar to HTC’s One M9, and it looks like a fingerprint sensor will be housed on the front.

USB Type-C also appears to be on board the OnePlus 3, as you might have expected, and the alert slider from the OnePlus 2 also seems to be present. No measurements or weight details have been rumoured as yet but the leaked images, if legitimate, present a lovely slim handset.

OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 2: Display

The OnePlus 2 features a 5.5-inch with a pixel resolution of 1920 x 1080 for a pixel density of 401ppi. OnePlus uses an IPS LCD display for its OnePlus 2 and the results were excellent.

Rumours have suggested the OnePlus 3 will come in three screen sizes comprising 5-inches, 5.2-inches and 5.5-inches. Whether this will be the case of not is unclear but we would expect a similar size to the OnePlus 2 so for now, we would expect to see a 5.5-inch display at least.

It has been claimed OnePlus will be sticking to a Full HD resolution so if you were hoping for Quad HD, you might be disappointed. Other reports have suggested the OnePlus 3 will feature an AMOLED display, which would mean rich, vibrant colours and deep inky blacks, like the OnePlus X.

OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 2: Camera

The OnePlus 2 offers a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The rear camera comes with a 0.2-second autofocus, as well as optical image stabilisation and in terms of image quality, the OnePlus 2 does a sterling job.

It has been claimed that the OnePlus 3 will offer a 15-megapixel rear camera capable of 4K video recording. The front facing camera is rumoured to be 7-megapixels and capable of Full HD video recording.

In terms of features, rumours suggest the OnePlus 3 will arrive with autofocus, face detection, HDR and touch focus.

OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 2: Hardware

Previous OnePlus flagships have been renowned for offering the same hardware as competitors but for half the price, and the OnePlus 2 is no different. It features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor and Adreno 430 graphics under the hood with 3GB or 4GB of RAM support.

The OnePlus 2 is available in 32GB and 64GB storage options with no microSD support for storage expansion and it has a battery capacity of 3300mAh.

The OnePlus 3 is rumoured to arrive with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, which would make sense. There are a couple of different claims regarding RAM and storage but the more likely options seem to be 32GB with 4GB of RAM and 64GB with 6GB of RAM.

Whether OnePlus will add microSD support to the OnePlus 3 as they did on the OnePlus X is unclear yet. There has been mention of a 128GB model, suggesting this won’t be the case. The battery is also expected to have a smaller capacity than the OnePlus 2 at 3000mAh. Something called Dash Charge has been patented though, which rumours are suggesting will appear on the new flagship as an equivalent of Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0.

OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 2: Software

The OnePlus 2 features a modified version of Android called OxygenOS. It’s built on Android Lollipop and is primarily Android but with a few extra customisations and features on top. The OnePlus 2 has yet to be updated to Marshmallow.

There haven’t been any rumours surrounding the OnePlus 3’s software but we would expect another customised version of Android rather than vanilla Android. It should at least be built on Marshmallow for the OnePlus 3 but based on the OnePlus 2, it might be a while before it is updated to Android N when that launches later this year.

OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 2: Price

The OnePlus 2 starts at £239 and creeps up to £289 for the higher storage capacity. There was an invite-only system to buy the OnePlus 2 when it first launched, but it is now available to buy the device without one.

The OnePlus 3 is rumoured to be starting at 2299 Yuan (£245) and increasing to 2499 Yuan (£265) in China depending on the storage and RAM configuration. There have also been reports of $310 (£215) and the higher-end model around $60 (£40) more expensive.

The latter report seems a little low as a starting point however so we’d expect around the £250 mark for the OnePlus 3. Whether you’ll need an invite or not isn’t currently clear but the company has said it will be offering a “better buying process”.

OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 2: Conclusion

Most flagship successors improve on the models that have gone before them. That’s no secret and that’s what the rumours are suggesting will be the case for the OnePlus 3, making many of them plausible.

Based on the speculation, it looks like the design will be a little more premium compared to the OnePlus 2 and we will see advancements in the power and camera departments. It could be that the battery is reduced from the OnePlus 2 and the display resolution remains the same, but overall it looks like there will be enough to warrant an upgrade.

This is all speculation for now though. If you want to read more about the OnePlus 3 rumours, you can head to our separate feature. We will be updating this feature as more rumours flood in, as well as when the official specs are announced.