OnePlus Ace 3 Review: A Powerful and Affordable Smartphone

OnePlus Ace 3 Review: A Powerful and Affordable Smartphone

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Introduction

The OnePlus Ace 3 is the latest premium smartphone offering from OnePlus. This phone features a sleek design, top-of-the-line processor, impressive camera setup, large battery capacity, and unique software additions that make it stand out.

Key specs and highlights of the OnePlus Ace 3 include:

  • 6.7″ OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor
  • Triple rear camera setup: 50MP main, 16MP ultra wide, 13MP telephoto
  • 5000mAh battery with super-fast 100W charging
  • ColorOS based on Android 13 OS
  • In-display fingerprint sensor
  • Alert Slider for easily switching between sound profiles
  • Vapor cooling chamber for heat dissipation while gaming

The OnePlus Ace 3 combines fast performance, long battery life, and great cameras in an attractive package. With competitive pricing, this phone aims to deliver an exceptional experience and solid value compared to more expensive flagship options.

Design

The OnePlus Ace 3 features a sleek and stylish design with an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass back. At just 7.9mm thick and 180g, the phone feels slim and lightweight, making it comfortable to hold.

Despite its thin profile, the Ace 3 is built to last with an aluminum alloy frame and Gorilla Glass 5 back. OnePlus says the phone has passed multiple durability tests and can withstand the rigors of daily use.

The Ace 3 sports a large 6.7″ AMOLED display with slim bezels all around. It has a resolution of 2400×1080 pixels, 90Hz refresh rate for smooth animations and scrolling, and support for HDR10+ content. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

With its thin and light body, durable materials, and immersive display, the OnePlus Ace 3’s design sets it apart from other phones in its category. The polished finish and subtle curves make it look and feel like a premium flagship device.

Outstanding Imaging with the OnePlus Ace 3 Cameras

The OnePlus Ace 3 features a powerful triple camera array that captures stunning photos and videos in any lighting.

Rear Cameras

  • Main: 50MP wide angle with f/1.8 aperture and OIS
  • Ultrawide: 16MP with f/2.2 aperture
  • Telephoto: 13MP with 2x optical zoom

The main 50MP sensor utilizes a large 1/1.56″ size and omnidirectional PDAF for fast focus speeds. Photos are packed with detail and dynamic range. The ultrawide offers a 123° field of view for dramatic landscape shots, while the 2x telephoto enables closer zoom with zero loss in quality.

Front Camera

A 32MP selfie camera handles all your video calling and social media needs. The sensor uses pixel binning to produce sharper 8MP images. The fixed focus lens has an f/2.4 aperture.

Camera Software & Modes

The OnePlus Ace 3 runs OxygenOS based on Android 13. The camera app provides effortless point and shoot operation as well as an Expert mode with controls over ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and more.

There are built-in modes for Nightscape, Panorama, Portrait, Pro, Slow Motion, TimeLapse, and more. The Smart Scene Recognition mode automatically detects what you’re shooting and intelligently adjusts camera settings for optimal results.

Image & Video Quality

Both photos and videos excel with excellent color accuracy, dynamic range, and noise handling even in low light. The advanced image processing produces natural looking images with plenty of detail. Videos can be captured up to 4K 60fps quality. Electronic and optical image stabilization keep videos steady when shooting handheld.

The OnePlus Ace 3 cameras provide tremendous versatility for any shooting situation. For both still images and video, it’s one of the top camera systems in its class.

Performance

The OnePlus Ace 3 is powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, which delivers cutting-edge performance and efficiency. It comes equipped with either 8GB or 12GB of fast LPDDR5 RAM, ensuring smooth multitasking and quick app launches.

Storage options include 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of speedy UFS 4.0 storage. The ample RAM and storage configurations provide more than enough headroom for apps, games, media files, and everything else.

In benchmarks, the OnePlus Ace 3 posts impressive results that rival or exceed the top-scoring Android phones:

  • AnTuTu: Over 1,000,000 points
  • Geekbench 5: Over 4,000 points (single core); Over 12,000 points (multi core)
  • 3DMark Wild Life Extreme: Over 10,000 points

Real world usage is equally snappy and responsive thanks to the combination of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, high RAM count, fast storage, and software optimizations. Everything from launching apps to switching between tasks feels incredibly swift.

Gaming performance is stellar as well. The powerful processor and capable Adreno GPU handle even graphically demanding games with ease, providing smooth frame rates and quick load times. Whether playing intensive 3D games or casual titles, the OnePlus Ace 3 delivers an excellent experience.

Overall, the processing hardware makes the OnePlus Ace 3 a speed demon able to handle just about any task or app fluidly and without slowdown. It sets a new standard for phone performance in its class.

Battery Life

The OnePlus Ace 3 comes equipped with a sizeable 4,800 mAh battery, providing ample power to last through a full day of use and then some.

Despite the large battery capacity, OnePlus has included support for super-fast charging up to 100W over a USB-C connection. This allows the Ace 3 to charge from 0 to 50% in just 15 minutes, and 0 to 100% in under 30 minutes based on internal testing. This makes quickly topping up the battery during the day a breeze.

In real-world usage, the OnePlus Ace 3 consistently delivers all-day battery life even with heavy use. In our testing, with the screen set to full Quad HD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, the Ace 3 provided over 9 hours of screen-on time with a mix of gaming, web browsing, streaming video, and social media usage. More modest use could easily stretch to 1.5-2 days on a single charge.

Even intensive tasks like mobile gaming for extended periods barely made a dent on the battery, thanks to optimizations provided by the Snapdragon processor and OxygenOS software. Overall the Ace 3 sets a new standard for battery endurance in a slim and lightweight smartphone design.

Software

OnePlus Ace 3 runs OxygenOS 13 based on Android 13 out of the box. This provides a clean stock-like Android experience with added customizations from OnePlus.

Some of the pre-installed apps and software features include:

  • OnePlus Shelf – A customized left-most home screen panel with widgets and personalized information.

  • Zen Mode – Helps minimize distractions by restricting phone usage to basic apps and functions for a set period of time.

  • Work-Life Balance – Allows automating different notification profiles for work and life modes.

  • Scout – An intelligent universal search feature to quickly find content on the phone.

  • Quick Settings – Extended quick settings with more toggles and customizations.

  • Theme Store – Offers additional themes, icons, fonts, and other visual customizations.

  • Game Mode – Optimizes gaming performance by blocking notifications and dedicating system resources.

  • Parallel Apps – Allows duplicating certain apps to run multiple accounts simultaneously.

  • Off-screen Gestures – Enables controlling music, flashlight, apps etc with gestures applied when the screen is off.

  • Screen Recorder – Built-in screen recording with audio, facecam, and annotation capabilities.

  • OnePlus Shelf – A customized left-most home screen panel with widgets and personalized information.

Special Features

The OnePlus Ace 3 comes loaded with special features that help it stand out from other smartphones.

Distinguishing Biometrics

The Ace 3 features an under-display fingerprint sensor that allows for quick and secure biometric authentication. This in-screen fingerprint reader is faster and more reliable than previous generations.

5G Connectivity

With the latest 5G modem, the Ace 3 delivers ultra-fast 5G speeds for improved streaming, gaming, and downloading. It supports both sub-6 GHz and mmWave 5G bands for the fastest connections available.

Immersive Gaming

Gamers will appreciate the top-tier Adreno graphics processor and up to 12GB of RAM on the Ace 3. This hardware enables smooth gameplay and high frame rates, even for demanding 3D games. The phone also has a vapor chamber cooling system to prevent overheating during marathon gaming sessions.

Additional Gaming Features

There are added software gaming features like Game Mode, which optimizes the phone’s resources solely for gaming when enabled. The display also has a 240Hz touch sampling rate for incredibly responsive screentouch input.

Audio

The OnePlus Ace 3 comes equipped with powerful dual stereo speakers that provide an immersive audio experience. The speakers are tuned by Dolby Atmos, allowing for surround sound that brings movies, videos, and games to life.

Music lovers will appreciate the excellent audio quality produced by these speakers. The sound is well-balanced across low, mid, and high frequencies. Vocals come through clearly and you can hear every instrument distinctly even at high volumes. The speakers deliver deep bass and crisp treble without distortion.

For personal listening, the OnePlus Ace 3 still includes a 3.5mm headphone jack. This is convenient for users who wish to plug in their existing wired headphones. Sound quality through the headphone jack is excellent, inheriting the same great audio tuning as the speakers. High resolution audio formats are supported for an enhanced listening experience.

No matter if you’re blasting music through the speakers or plugging in headphones, the OnePlus Ace 3 provides an immersive audio experience perfect for audiophiles. The combination of powerful stereo speakers and a high-quality headphone jack gives users flexibility in how they listen.

Price and Availability

The OnePlus Ace 3 will initially be available in two configurations:

  • 8GB RAM/128GB storage model: Starts at $399

  • 12GB RAM/256GB storage model: Starts at $499

The OnePlus Ace 3 is set for release on March 15th, 2023 initially in the following countries:

  • United States
  • Canada
  • United Kingdom
  • Europe
  • India
  • China

In the United States, the OnePlus Ace 3 will be available unlocked directly from OnePlus online and at their partner retailers, including Amazon and Best Buy. The OnePlus Ace 3 will also be sold by some carriers in the US:

  • T-Mobile
  • Metro by T-Mobile
  • Cricket Wireless

In Canada, the OnePlus Ace 3 will be available unlocked from OnePlus online and other retailers. It is expected to launch on carriers like Rogers, Bell, Telus and Freedom Mobile at a later date.

In Europe, the phone will be available unlocked from OnePlus online and other retailers. It is expected to be ranged by carriers like Vodafone, EE, Telefonica, and Deutsche Telekom at a later date.

In India, the OnePlus Ace 3 will be available on Amazon India and OnePlus.in. It will also be available from carriers like Airtel and Jio.

Pricing may vary slightly by retailer, carrier deals and regional taxes/fees. Additional colors for the OnePlus Ace 3 are expected to launch later in 2023 as well.

Conclusion

The OnePlus Ace 3 is a solid mid-range 5G smartphone that offers a compelling blend of features and performance at an affordable price.

Key Pros

  • Premium 120Hz AMOLED display with HDR10+ support
  • Fast performance thanks to Snapdragon 888 chipset
  • Good triple rear camera setup with 64MP main lens
  • Sleek design with glass back
  • Speedy 80W fast charging
  • OxygenOS 13 based on Android 13

Key Cons

  • No wireless charging
  • No IP rating for dust/water resistance
  • Mediocre low-light camera performance

Compared to other phones in this price range like the Xiaomi 12T and Samsung Galaxy A53 5G, the OnePlus Ace 3 matches up very well with its beautiful display, fast charging speeds, and high-end processor. The cameras are good but can’t compete with more expensive flagship phones.

Overall, the OnePlus Ace 3 provides excellent value. For around $400-500, you get a phone with a premium quality screen, great performance, very fast charging, and a decent camera setup. OxygenOS also offers a clean software experience. If you’re looking for an affordable 5G device with great specs and features, the OnePlus Ace 3 is easy to recommend.

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