All OnePlus Flagships In Chronological Order Of Release

The year was 2016 and in my coaching institute, I saw someone using a phone that I had never heard of.

“Is that an iPhone? Or a Samsung Galaxy?” As a budding techie, I only knew about Samsung, Apple, and Blackberry as the brands people aspire to own. But there was this phone with a logo that consisted of a '1' inside a box. Odd name but it looked and felt premium. A short test run of the device revealed an extremely smooth and futuristic (by 2016 standards) software. I was hooked. And so was the world. The market came to know about OnePlus.

While the brand image of OnePlus may be tarnished due to the recent crop of quality-control issues, the tech community from the early 2010s might recall how lucky you had to be simply to get an invite to buy a OnePlus phone! A sub-brand of Oppo, OnePlus relied on unique marketing gimmicks to get the attention of enthusiasts. Carl Pei and Pete Lau also stuck to pampering the geeks by shipping the first few phones with CyanogenMod, a custom Android fork renowned for its customisation features.

Success followed soon enough and along with that, a crop of controversies that kept OnePlus in the headlines. Everyone wanted to flaunt a OnePlus phone. The brand's Northward trajectory sent shivers down the teams at Samsung and Apple. OnePlus was poised to be the dominant force by 2020. 

Sadly, OnePlus' corporate trajectory changed course and over the last few years, OnePlus seems to have lost its mojo. While the new phones are still the value kings, they lack the charisma of their predecessors. The brand OnePlus lacks the magic of its former self.

Can the upcoming OnePlus 13 change that? Only a long wait can reveal. 

For now, though, we want to take you through the journey of OnePlus and its charismatic flagships that defined an entire decade of premium smartphones. 

All OnePlus flagships in chronological order of release

OnePlus One (2014)

• Launch Date: December 2, 2014
• India Price: INR 22,999

The OnePlus One, the brand's inaugural offering, shook the industry with its 'flagship killer' tagline. Powered by a Snapdragon 801 chip and boasting a vibrant 5.5-inch display, it delivered premium features at a fraction of the cost of its competitors. This affordability, combined with a smooth performance, the custom-friendly CyanogenMod operating system and a thriving community-driven development, quickly garnered a dedicated following, particularly among Indian teenagers. The invite-based purchase system made the OnePlus One all the more appealing.

OnePlus 2 (2015)

• Launch Date: July 28, 2015
• India Price: INR 24,999

The OnePlus 2, launched on July 28, 2015, aimed to dispel any notion that the OnePlus One's success was a mere fluke. It introduced a unique sandstone black back and a powerful Snapdragon 810 chip. Although the chip encountered some thermal issues, the OnePlus 2 remained a compelling package, offering a 13-megapixel rear camera, a physical fingerprint sensor a 3,300mAh battery and more. A further controversy regarding the usage rights of Cyanogen Mod gave birth to the brand's custom OxygenOS skin.

OnePlus 3 (2016)

• Launch Date: June 14, 2016
• India Price: INR 27,999

The OnePlus 3, launched on June 14, 2016, marked the end of the brand's exclusive invite system, transitioning to a lightning deal format on Amazon, where units would sell out within seconds.

The OnePlus 3 scaled up the design and build quality game and introduced a revolutionary 20W Dash Charging technology capable of charging the 3,000mAh battery from zero to sixty per cent within thirty minutes. Powered by the Snapdragon 820 chipset and a stable OxygenOS skin, the OnePlus 3 swiftly became a fan favourite.

OnePlus 3T (2016)

• Launch Date: November 15, 2016
• India Price: INR 29,999

The OnePlus 3T, the brand's first T-series smartphone, served as a refined iteration of its predecessor. It featured a slightly larger battery, a sharper 16-megapixel front-facing camera and a slightly powerful Snapdragon 821 chip. The OnePlus 3T catered to users seeking enhanced performance and longevity without compromising affordability.

OnePlus 5 (2017)

• Launch Date: June 20, 2017
• India Price: INR 32,999

The OnePlus 5 bore a striking resemblance to the iPhone 7 Jet Black variant. It introduced a dual-camera system comprising a 16-megapixel main sensor and a 20-megapixel telephoto lens, significantly improving image quality. The powerful Snapdragon 835 chip coupled with the smooth OxygenOS solidified its position as a 'flagship killer' and justified the price increase over the OnePlus 3T. Furthermore, the OnePlus 5 enhanced image quality by incorporating portrait mode, a feature previously exclusive to the iPhone 7 Plus.

OnePlus 5T (2017)

• Launch Date: November 16, 2017
• India Price: INR 32,999

The OnePlus 5T directly competed with Apple's revolutionary iPhone X. It featured a larger 6.1-inch display and minimised bezels. While retaining the dual-rear camera system from the OnePlus 5, the secondary camera focused on improving portrait and low-light photography.

Fun fact: OnePlus did a special Star Wars edition, bringing back the sandstone finish in white!

OnePlus 6 (2018)

• Launch Date: May 16, 2018
• India Price: INR 34,999

The OnePlus 6 introduced a bold new glass design, departing from the metal bodies of previous models. The front showcased a waterdrop notch, distinguishing it from competitors and elevating its premium aesthetic.

It also incorporated significant camera enhancements, including Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), smart capture mode and 4K video recording. Notably, while Apple was phasing out the headphone jack, the OnePlus 6 retained this feature, pleasing many fans.

OnePlus 6T (2018)

• Launch Date: October 29, 2018
• India Price: INR 37,999

The OnePlus 6T embraced the trend of in-display fingerprint sensors. In addition to this innovation, it featured a larger 6.4-inch OLED display and a teardrop notch. OnePlus also introduced a special 6T McLaren Edition, boasting 30W fast charging, a unique orange back and 10GB of RAM.

OnePlus 7, 7 Pro (2019)

• Launch Date: May 14, 2019
• India Price: INR 32,999, INR 48,999

The OnePlus 7 series marked a significant design overhaul, replacing the notch with a pop-up selfie camera. It also introduced Warp Charge, which was an even faster charging technology. The OnePlus 7 Pro, in particular, emerged as a true flagship contender, showcasing a 90Hz curved AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 855 chipset and a triple-camera setup consisting of a 48-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel telephoto lens and a 16-megapixel ultrawide lens. It also featured a 4,000mAh battery with 30W fast charging support.

The OnePlus 7, on the other hand, was essentially an updated OnePlus 6T with minor tweaks and a the newer Snapdragon 855 chip.

OnePlus 7T, 7T Pro (2019)

• Launch Date: October 15, 2019
• India Price: INR 53,999

The OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro, in my opinion, represent the pinnacle of the OnePlus smartphone experience. Both devices utilised the powerful Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset, solidifying their flagship status. Key features included a 90Hz AMOLED display, a 16-megapixel front sensor and 30W fast charging. The 7T Pro further distinguished itself with a higher resolution display, a larger battery, and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens. These devices truly refined the smartphone experience.

OnePlus 8, 8 Pro (2020)

• Launch Date: April 14, 2020
• India Price: INR 41,999, INR 54,999

The OnePlus 8 series faced the challenge of a global lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting sales. The series marked a return to a traditional punch-hole display and introduced 5G connectivity with the Snapdragon 865 chipset. The OnePlus 8 Pro boasted a 6.78-inch 120Hz Fluid AMOLED display, a quad-camera system featuring a telephoto and a colour filter lens and various camera-centric modes such as Video HDR, UltraShot HDR, and Nightscape. In contrast, the OnePlus 8 featured a smaller display and a macro lens instead of a telephoto lens.

OnePlus 8T (2020)

• Launch Date: October 14, 2020
• India Price: INR 42,999

The OnePlus 8T significantly improved upon the OnePlus 8 by introducing a 120Hz Fluid AMOLED display to the standard model. Powered by a Snapdragon 865 chipset, it featured 65W Warp Charge, charging the 4,500mAh battery to full capacity in under 40 minutes. The quad-rear camera system comprised a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 16-megapixel ultrawide sensor, a 5-megapixel macro sensor and a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor. Additionally, it showcased a distinct design compared to its predecessor.

OnePlus 9, 9 Pro (2021)

• Launch Date: March 23, 2021
• India Price: INR 49,999, INR 63,999

The OnePlus 9 series marked the beginning of a photography partnership with Hasselblad, featuring Hasselblad-tuned cameras. Both devices were powered by a Snapdragon 888 chipset, with a primary focus on camera capabilities. The Hasselblad-tuned cameras introduced several camera filters and improved image optimisation on these new devices. The OnePlus 9 Pro supported 50W wireless charging and 65W wired charging. Notably, the OnePlus 9 Series also introduced the R-lineup in India, offering a previous-gen chipset stuffed within an otherwise midrange package.

OnePlus 10 Pro (2022)

• Launch Date: March 31, 2022
• India Price: INR 66,999

The OnePlus 10 Pro deviated significantly from the design of previous OnePlus phones, featuring a rectangular camera island on the left corner. It boasted all the features expected from a flagship device in 2022 – a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, a stunning curved AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a Hasselblad-tuned triple-camera system. However, during a period when many smartphones under INR 50,000 offered exceptional value for money, the 10 Pro struggled.

OnePlus 11 (2023)

• Launch Date: February 7, 2023
• India Price: INR 56,999

The OnePlus 11 marked a successful return for the brand in India's premium segment. By discontinuing the Pro models, OnePlus was able to price the 11 competitively. Alongside the Hasselblad-tuned triple-camera system, the OnePlus 11 featured a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and a vibrant 120Hz AMOLED display. It replaced the rectangular camera module of the OnePlus 10 Pro with a circular island, resulting in a more refined and premium aesthetic.

OnePlus Open (2023)

• Launch Date: October 19, 2023
• India Price: INR 1,39,999

The OnePlus Open marked OnePlus's entry into the foldable smartphone market, a segment where Apple is yet to make a significant impact. This launch also posed a significant threat to Samsung, which has dominated the global foldable market. The OnePlus Open boasted top-of-the-line specifications and a large, usable cover display. The device continues to sell well on Amazon, demonstrating excellent value for its specifications and style.

OnePlus 12 (2024)

• Launch Date: January 23, 2024
• India Price: INR 64,999

The OnePlus 12 stands out as one of the most balanced flagship smartphones from OnePlus. It is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, up to 16GB of RAM, a Sony LYT-808 sensor, a periscope lens, a 5,400mAh battery, wireless charging support and much more. The phone garnered significant attention from Indian consumers due to its competitive pricing against the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 15 during the Amazon Great Indian Sale. It ultimately proved to be one of the best-selling flagship smartphones of that period.

OnePlus 13 (2025)

• Launch Date: January 7, 2025
• India Price: To be announced

The OnePlus 13 has already launched in China and is set to arrive in India as the first flagship smartphone launch of 2025. It will compete against the upcoming Galaxy S25 Ultra and the already-launched iPhone 16. Powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, it features a large 6,000mAh battery with 100W fast charging. The device boasts a 120Hz LTPO OLED panel with 2K resolution and a variable refresh rate. For detailed specifications, you can click here.

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