OnePlus 6 launch in India confirmed for May 17: Everything you need to know

The mid-range smartphone would first be unveiled in London on May 16, after which it would be launched in India and China on May 17, confirmed OnePlus CEO and co-founder Pete Lau in a tweet

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus will launch its flagship smartphone OnePlus 6 in India on May 17. The mid-range smartphone would first be unveiled in London on May 16, and then launched in  India and China the next day, confirmed OnePlus CEO and co-founder Pete Lau in a tweet. In India, the phone will go on sale from May 21, exclusively on Amazon.

OnePlus 6 design

As officially confirmed by co-founder Carl Pei, the OnePlus 6 will feature a notch-based screen. However, Pei also confirmed that the notch won’t be as big as the one seen in the iPhone X. Speaking of design, the OnePlus 6 will make a departure from the current trend of an aluminium build in favour of a glass body, but it would retain horizontal lines and curved design, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirmed in a blog post.

OnePlus 6 features and specifications

Little has so far been officially said about the OnePlus 6, except that the phone will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC) and have a 256GB storage variant paired with 8GB of RAM. The mid-range smartphone is also expected to have 64GB and 128GB variants, paired with 6GB of RAM. OnePlus has been teasing the features of the smartphone in the form of tweets and as part of other social media promotion activities – ingress protection (IP) rating for water and dust resistance, for example.

OnePlus 6 colours

The new glass-based design of the OnePlus 6 is confirmed to feature nanotech coating, something similar to the Huawei P20 Pro. Therefore, the phone is expected to come in multiple colour options, too. In a recent leak reported on the China-based online technology portal GizmoChina, the phone is expected to come in at least three colour variants – black, white and blue.

OnePlus 6 screen

Pei, in an interview with online technology portal The Verge confirmed that the OnePlus 6 would sport the biggest screen in the OnePlus smartphone family. However, he did not provide the exact size or dimensions. The OnePlus has used a 5.5-inch fullHD screen in most of its smartphones, except the OnePlus 5T, which has a 6-inch screen due to an 18:9 aspect ratio screen. Therefore, the OnePlus 6 is expected to have a 6.2-inch screen.
 

OnePlus camera

In terms of imaging, the smartphone would bring certain upgrades over the current generation. A new camera placement, vertically in the centre, with a fingerprint reader below it, is confirmed. However, the exact camera specifications have been kept under wraps, and the phone, according to a leak, is expected to sport a dual-camera set-up on its back utilising 16-megapixel and 20MP sensors placed vertically at the upper centre, instead of the horizontal set-up found in the current generation. As for the front, the selfie camera is reported to feature a 20MP sensor of f/2.0 aperture size.

OnePlus presence in India and future plans

OnePlus, which began its journey in India in 2014 with one handset model, OnePlus One, has increased its share steadily. According to data from Counterpoint Research, OnePlus’ volume share of the premium smartphones shipped to India in January stood at 27 per cent, compared with Apple's 44 per cent and Samsung’s 22 per cent.

In early 2017, the tides began to turn in favour for the Chinese firm, with its market share starting to grow steadily from 5 per cent. By September 2017, OnePlus had overtaken Samsung,and by the end of 2017 it had emerged as the fastest-growing brand, having posted 343 per cent growth and captured 19 per cent market share for the full year.

According to Vikas Agarwal, general manager of OnePlus India, three factors have worked in the favour of the company. First, unlike many other handset brands, OnePlus kept its portfolio slim and focused on one model at a time, and priced competitively. Second, it successfully leveraged positive reviews of customers on the online market place. Third, OnePlus had to follow a strict ‘refer only’ sales model during its initial days due to supply constraint, but from 2016 it had resolved the issue by bringing a local partner on board to manufacture its handsets.

Competitors

Samsung Galaxy S8-series

South Korean electronics major Samsung had recently reduced the price of its flagship smartphones from last year – the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ with 64GB internal storage now cost Rs 49,990 and Rs 53,990, respectively, down from Rs 57,900 and Rs 64,900. The power-packed variant of the Galaxy S8+, which has 6GB RAM and 128GB internal memory, has also got a price reduction and now costs Rs 64,900, down from Rs 70,900.

LG V30+

The LG V30+ boasts a premium build quality, coupled with a flagship design language, powerful innards and advanced feature sets. Modestly priced at Rs 44,990, the phone offers value for money and has a bit of everything for all kinds of users. The phone is a mixed bag of small and major improvements, and that makes the device stand out. The phone has a bit of everything but no singular area where the flagship convincingly stands out. The water and dust-resistant smartphone (IP68-certified) has been through US MIL-STD 810G test to prove its durability and strong build quality, which we agree are top-notch.

HTC U11+

The HTC U11 Plus has more than bare essentials to keep premium smartphone users engaged. Importantly, the phone comes packed with features that improve the user’s interaction with the device in day-to-day usage. Like the HTC U11, the U11 Plus can be a perfect choice if you are looking for a premium smartphone with brilliant camera, incredible audio output, consistent performance, top-of-the-line innards, ample storage and RAM.