Today OnePlus launched its new phone for 2023 getting out of the gates very early. bear in mind that this is the launch for Chinese markets however the international launch is coming very soon as well so we will be seeing this device in the very near future. The event was full of the usual chat about this being the best camera and the fastest phone ever from the company as would expect for any flagship launch. So without further ado, I would like to introduce you to the…
OnePlus 11 5G.
Pictured above in the rather glorious Emerald Forest (not sure of the official name at this time as it may change for Western markets!) I also like that the other product that was announced, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, is colour matched to the phone. it will also come in a Volcanic Black hue and a matching Volcanic Black case and Bud’s.
Another design cues to note are the return of the Alert Slider (thank goodness) the main focus of the back of the phone is what OnePlus refers to as a”Black Hole” which is designed to stand out and is surrounded by a Chrome detail.
The Actual module is comprised of Stainless steel to enhance the in-hand feel. Within the module is the usual smattering of cameras. It features an IMX890 50MP main sensor, an IMX581 48MP ultra-wide sensor and an IMX709 32MP portrait lens for DSLR quality portraits. these are some pretty good camera specs and should produce some good results.
As has been the way of the previous 2 generations the Oneplus 11 5G is also equipped with imaging smarts courtesy of Hasselblad. I was not a massive fan of these on the Oneplus 9 Pro 5G when I reviewed that phone but I have hope that the 3rd time is a charm for the third attempt as they do say the third time is the charm! The phone also features a 13-channel spectral light-colour sensor ensuring that despite the light levels you will be covered in all scenarios.
So that covers the cameras but what else have we got under the skin as the camera is not the only headline-grabbing feature here?
The Spec list is a phone spec geek wet dream at least on paper anyway. Starting with the Silicon this features the Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform, which will give faster CPU (35% improvement) and GPU (25% improvement) performance along with added bonus of improved power efficiency.
In terms of memory and storage you will be able to get up to 16GB RAM and 512GB of Storage capacity in the higher-end version and the lower tier will come with a respectable 12 GB RAM and 256 GB Storage. There is also a mid-way model with 16GB RAM and 256 GB of storage for those who don’t need 1/2 TB of space on the phone.
The battery is comprised of a now standard two-cell design meaning that the 5000mah battery capacity can be recharged in minutes by utilising the 100W SUPERVOOC fast charging system. The charger will also support Power Delivery at up to 6%w which is a nice touch as this means that other devices can be charged from it like thin and light laptops and other things that use the Power Delivery system.
Onto the Display and this one looks like a doozy with a 6.7″ 120Hz 2K A= fluid AMOLED display which features LPTO 3.0 technology to allow the adjustable framerate between 1 Hz and 120 Hz dynamically according to what is being shown on the display and how it is being interacted with.
OnePlus Buds Pro 2
So that covers the OnePlus 11 5G part of the proceedings but that was not all that was announced. OnePlus also showed off the new OnePlus Buds Pro 2.
These new in-ear headphones will bring Spatial Audio to the Oneplus user. This is a feature that is now embedded into Android 13 Which will be the launch software for the OnePlus 11 5G and should also work on the previous-gen devices (tbc) with Android 13 installed. The spatial audio feature will bring a wide sound field and multidimensional sound experience. This has been a feature on iOS devices and macs for a few years it is a really nice feature and I am looking forward to testing it out.
The in-ear buds were developed in partnership with Dynaaudio who have years of experience in creating exceptional sound quality.
Of course to get the full spatial experience your head position is required to be known. This is taken care of by a high-precision six-axis IMU sensor that is built into the unit.
Of course, these are not all the features that are onboard. Melody Boost Dual Drivers for stereo-grade audio. These feature an 11mm driver for the lowers and then 6mm delivers a wide range and pure clear vocals. Designed with crystal polymer diaphragms and separate edges and domes for enhanced balance and tone.
Of course the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 will also include Smart Adaptive Noise cancellation function to eliminate up to 48dB of background noise Battery life is reported to be put to 39 hours of playback with the use of the compact and colour-matched charging case. in terms of connectivity the buds will support Bluetooth 5.3 LE audio and dual connection for connection to multiple sources.
Although today was the launch of the OnePlus Buds pro 2 in China they will like the OnePlus 11 5G to be only available in China for the time being and will go on sale on January 9th 2023 in local markets. They will be released Globally on February 7th 2023 at the launch event in New Dehli when the international launch is happening.
Incidentally, if you are wanting to go to the launch event in New Dehli then Onepluys are running a competition on their website right now in order to attend the event.