Just ahead of the holidays, Chinese electronics company OnePlus is releasing three new products: a phone, a tablet and a watch. The company announced Monday that it will launch the OnePlus 15R, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 and the OnePlus Watch Lite next month on Dec. 17 in North America, Europe and India.
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OnePlus, founded in China in 2013, prides itself on producing "flagship killers," phones and other devices with similar features and capabilities as more popular brands but at cheaper prices. Despite the boast, the company's market share in the US is less than 1%, far behind leaders Apple, Samsung and Lenovo.
OnePlus 15R
The OnePlus 15R will be available in two colors: charcoal black and mint breeze. Presumably, the phone will be a budget-friendly version of the OnePlus 15, whose battery life we loved and which is a great choice for mainstream gamers.
As far as durability, OnePlus says the 15R has IP66, IP68, IP69 and IP69K dust- and water-resistance ratings. Reputable tipster Debayan Roy said the phone will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Android operating system.
Overstock Media's Austin Evans, whose tech review YouTube channel has 5 million-plus subscribers, has followed OnePlus and its products.
"I think OnePlus has gone on a bit of a journey the last few years," Evans told CNET. "In the early days, they delivered such a laser-focused phone for enthusiasts, and at an excellent price point, that (buying from them) was a bit of a no-brainer. The last few years, however, have seen them lose their focus a bit: competing on the higher end of flagships, sometimes without the full feature set to match."
But Evans says the 15 phone generation has been solid.
"There are some minor ... omissions like the alert slider, but by and large, the 15 and it seems the 15R are pretty compelling devices that cut very few corners and deliver a very flagship-level experience at a reasonable price," Evans told CNET. "I wouldn't say OnePlus is back to the glory days, but they're delivering a clearer value than they have in quite some time."
OnePlus Pad Go 2
The company says the Pad Go 2 tablet, its new midrange 5G tablet, will have an anti-glare glass finish and come in two colors: shadow black and lavender drift. OnePlus says the tablet will feature two firsts for the company: 5G connectivity built-in (in the black version) and its own stylus.
CNET reviewer David Carnoy praised OnePlus' most recent tablet offering, the Pad 3.
OnePlus Watch Lite
The other product launching Dec. 17 will be the OnePlus Watch Lite, "designed to bring flagship-level health and fitness features to an even more accessible price point", the company said. The only color available will be silver steel.
When we reviewed the OnePlus Watch 3, we noted that it had the best battery life of all Android smartwatches.
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