OnePlus has garnered quite some divisive reputation over the past couple of years, primarily because of its increasing synergy with sister smartphone brand Oppo, and the gradual dilution of the signature “flagship killer” approach that it was once known for. Things haven't changed much with the OnePlus 11, at least at first glance. But a closer look reveals some exciting details.

Starting with the build, OnePlus has divided opinions with a massive camera island at the back. And it does make the phone wobble on a flat surface. But this aesthetic approach stands out from a sea of rectangular or squircle camera bumps on most phones, and that’s a victory in itself. Plus, that subtle wraparound look along the left edge is neat. The rear panel has a beautiful matte texture that isn’t rough but offers a good grip despite a velvety touch. One can see thin vertical lines running across, looking like a polymer-deposited fabric surface. It’s unique and noticeably better than any flagship that Samsung and Apple currently have to offer.

RELATED: OnePlus 11's US Version Will Charge Slower Than China's Variant

This Feels Effortlessly Good

Front view of the OnePlus 11 
Photo: Nadeem Sarwar/Screen Rant

OnePlus has used Gorilla Glass Victus and stainless steel to craft its latest offering. It's not the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on competing smartphones, but the result is still a premium phone that easily edges the glossy painted-over finish you would come across on iPhones. The curved sides make the phone a joy to hold. The screen is also curved, and while it comes at the cost of being more prone to damage, it looks a lot more refined than a flat panel.

Talking about the screen, the OnePlus 11 has a 10-bit HDR-10+ compliant 6.7-inch OLED display with a resolution of 3216 x 1440 pixels. The refresh rate can dynamically adjust itself, varying between 1Hz for basic tasks like reading and going up to 120Hz for scenarios like high-FPS gaming. The screen is beautiful, with an eye-pleasing saturation output and adequate viewing angles. Comparing it to the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple’s flagship does race ahead with a noticeably higher brightness output. But on its own, the OnePlus 11’s OLED panel is one of the best, especially in its price segment.

The imaging hardware includes a 50MP main snapper, a 48MP wide-angle shooter, and 32MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom output. It requires more testing, but the camera has impressed so far. The color profile is close to natural, with ample sharpness and much better HDR processing compared to its predecessor. Zoomed-in shots within the optical zoom range of the telephoto camera also impressed, with the phone producing sharper pictures with a more vivid color profile, especially for objects closer to the camera lens. Selfies also turn out detailed with beautiful retention of skin texture and color, although some over-sharpening is apparent indoors.

Camera module of OnePlus 11 
Nadeem Sarwar / ScreenRant 

On the software side, OnePlus 11 serves Android 13-based Oxygen OS 13. OnePlus has assured four Android OS upgrades, the same as Samsung flagships, and one more than Google’s Pixel phones. It’s clean and zippy but is missing the same UI finesse that OnePlus was once known for.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC inside is fast and backed by up to 16GB of RAM. Playing a few demanding games, the phone handled them all at the best graphics presets without any jitters or frame drops. The phone didn’t get toasty even after playing Call of Duty: Mobile for about 50 minutes straight.

The phone did get hot while charging, though, which is understandable given the phone's fast charging capabilities. Notably, OnePlus ships a 100W brick in the retail package, which is unprecedented compared to the likes of Apple and Samsung and extremely convenient, too. However, buyers in the US will get an 80W charger (and 80W fast charging speeds). In a week’s worth of usage, the standby battery drain was a little aggressive, but that’s not alien for a new phone and will likely be addressed with a few optimizations following a software update.

Overall, the phone is an admittedly iterative upgrade perspective, but with changes happening where it actually matters. The OnePlus 11 is a solid offering, especially considering its starting price of just $699.

MORE: Here's What OnePlus' First Tablet Looks Like

Source: OnePlus