high-end smartphones are official

OnePlus is already in the spotlight in 2023 and isn’t bringing any smartphones. After a few weeks of waiting and teasing, the brand has unveiled the OnePlus 11 5G. This high-end smartphone comes into its own, replacing the OnePlus 10 Pro and leaving behind the Pro designation. A strong choice on the part of OnePlus which is far from offering the top of the range at a discount, quite the opposite.

The OnePlus 11 inaugurates a new design marked by the presence of a circular photo block. It’s integrated into the smartphone, a bit like the Samsung Galaxy S22 and a far cry from the rectangular display of its predecessor. The front isn’t too surprising with the presence of a curved screen protected by Gorilla Glass Victus glass. In the upper left corner, we still find hits while the warning slider returns. As a reminder, this important little switch from OnePlus phones has disappeared on the OnePlus 10T. This allows you to quickly switch between silent, vibrate and ringtone modes.

Very powerful smartphone

Premium, the OnePlus 11 logically promises to be one of the best performing smartphones in 2023. This aspect is a priority for the brand that integrates Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The powerful chip comes with 12 to 16 GB of RAM (LPDDR5X) and 256 or 512 GB of storage. As expected, the smartphone is equipped with UFS 4.0 flash memory to improve performance. Such a configuration would not encounter great difficulty in everyday tasks; and it’s precisely in gaming that OnePlus hopes to differentiate itself.

On the screen side, we stay in line with the previous model with the 6.7-inch Samsung E4 AMOLED panel, which displays at 1,440 x 3,216 pixels. The refresh rate goes up to 120 Hz and we are entitled to LTPO 3.0 technology. Dolby Vision and HDR10+ certified, the screen claims a maximum brightness of 1,300 nits and ultimately falls short of some of the latest smartphones. We think for example the Xiaomi 13 Pro which announced a brightness of up to 1900 nits.

The photo section is more developed, without offering any real revolutions. The OnePlus 11 retains the triple sensor setup, with support from photo specialist Hasselblad. It includes a 50-megapixel main Sony IMX890 sensor, supported by an optical image stabilization system (OIS). It accompanies a 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle IMX581 and a 32-megapixel IMX709 telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom.

Fans of the brand will note that the latter module improves definition compared to the OnePlus 10 Pro, but the latter offers up to x3.3 optical zoom. On the other hand, OnePlus presents its new telephoto as a portrait specialist. On the front, there is a 16-megapixel selfie camera.

Finally, there is a 5,000 mAh battery compatible with 100 W wired fast charging. According to the manufacturer, it takes only 10 minutes to restore 50% autonomy and 25 minutes for a full charge. Modern connectivity (5G, wifi 6, Bluetooth 5.3) and device size 163.1 x 74.1 x 8.53 mm for 205 grams.

Price, availability date and release in France

The current announcement only concerns the Chinese market. Granted, we’ll have to wait until February 7 for the global launch of the OnePlus 11 5G and Buds Pro 2. Note that the Buds Pro 2 have also been formalized, offering noise reduction, spatial audio, and up to 39 hours of battery life.

In the meantime, here are the prices charged in China for the OnePlus 11:

• 12GB RAM + 256GB storage: 3,999 yuan (about 550 euros excluding tax)
• 16GB RAM + 256GB storage: 4,399 yuan (about 600 euros excluding tax)
• 16GB RAM + 512GB storage: 4,899 yuan (about 670 euros excluding tax)

The main surprise comes from the fact that this smartphone is more accessible than its predecessor. Indeed, the OnePlus 10 Pro starts at 4,699 yuan, or nearly 645 euros excluding tax. Stay aware of the prices in euros which will obviously be higher. We recall that the OnePlus 10 Pro was shown starting at € 919 at release. It is then slightly more affordable than some smartphones from Samsung, Apple or Oppo.