OnePlus has officially taken the wraps off its latest flagship phone, the Ace 3, revealing some highly impressive specs that position it as a top-tier Android device for 2024. Powered by the brand new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and featuring upgrades across the board, the Ace 3 looks set to shake up the Android market when it launches later this month.
Unrivaled Display with Miniscule Bezels
One of the Ace 3’s headline features is its gorgeous 6.7″ AMOLED display with LTPO 4.0 technology allowing for adaptive 1-120Hz refresh rates. OnePlus is boasting that the Ace 3 will have their narrowest bezels ever at just 0.85mm, leading to an incredible 99.89% screen-to-body ratio for near bezel-less immersion.
The combination of the razor-thin bezels with a high 480Hz touch sampling rate results in what OnePlus is marketing as their “Wicked Fast Display.” Reviews of early prototypes highlight buttery smooth scrolling and responsiveness as well as excellent brightness levels topping 1300 nits.
Equipped with Cutting-Edge Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Powering the slick display and software is Qualcomm’s brand new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform. Built on an advanced 4nm process, the chip delivers substantial improvements to CPU and GPU performance versus last year’s model:
| Component | Improvement |
|---|---|
| CPU | +35% |
| GPU | +25% |
| AI Engine | +49% |
With up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage, the Ace 3 is primed to blaze through any app or game the Google Play Store can throw at it.
Massive Battery with Crazy Fast 100W Charging
OnePlus has crammed a huge 5500mAh battery inside the Ace 3’s slim frame. That’s their biggest cell yet and 500mAh more than the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Nevertheless, OnePlus has managed to trim the thickness down to just 8.7mm.
Recharging the mammoth battery is a 100W SUPERVOOC charger included in the box. OnePlus says plugging in for 10 minutes will deliver a full day’s power. Fully charging that 5500mAh cell from 1% will take just 25 minutes.
Upgraded Camera Hardware
The OnePlus Ace 3 sports three cameras on the rear headlined by a new ultra-wide shooter:
- 50MP main with OIS
- 32MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom
- 20MP ultra-wide with 150 ̊ FoV
A hole-punch cutout up front houses a 16MP selfie cam. While camera hardware has often been a weakness for OnePlus phones, early photo samples from the Ace 3 demonstrate rich detail and natural color reproduction. Zoom quality also impresses though low light photography remains an area that still needs improvement.
Official Launch and Pricing
OnePlus has announced that the Ace 3 will first launch in China on January 15th. Models with 8GB/128GB, 8GB/256GB, 12GB/256GB, and 16GB/512GB of memory will be offered starting at CNY 2,699 (~$400).
A global release is slated for January 24th when the Ace 3 will launch in India as the OnePlus 12R. European availability including the UK and North America should follow in February and March. Specific pricing and memory configurations for those regions is still to be confirmed but will likely align closely to the Chinese models.
Outlook and Competition
With its cutting-edge display, next-gen SoC, and huge battery paired with 100W charging, the OnePlus Ace 3 shapes up to be one of the top Android flagships of early 2024. While historically positioned as an affordable premium brand, the Ace series allows OnePlus to truly compete spec-for-spec with pricier rivals from Samsung, Xiaomi, and OPPO.
Based on what OnePlus has revealed so far, the Galaxy S24 Ultra seems most poised to challenge the Ace 3 in markets where both devices are sold side-by-side. However, Samsung’s latest lags behind in fast charging speeds and SoC performance.
Rumors also indicate OnePlus may launch an Ace 3 Pro model later in Q1’24. That device would likely bump up camera hardware to better compete with the S24 Ultra’s acclaimed 200MP main sensor. Pricing would still undercut Samsung however, continuing OnePlus’s strategy of combining premium tier specs with reasonable prices.
Overall reception for the standard Ace 3 is expected to be highly positive from both critics and regular consumers alike. With exhilarating performance, marathon battery life, and breathtaking display packed into a value-focused package, the OnePlus Ace 3 brings a compelling formula that will shake up the Android flagship market in 2024.
To err is human, but AI does it too. Whilst factual data is used in the production of these articles, the content is written entirely by AI. Double check any facts you intend to rely on with another source.
