All OnePlus Phones in Order: A Full History of Releases 2014-2024

Android users have always wanted powerful specs and the latest software at an affordable price rather than gimmicks and bloatware. The stage was always set for OnePlus and its range of flagship killers to finally give Android users what they wanted.

This guide will take you through every OnePlus smartphone in order, from the first OnePlus One phone in 2014, which was hard to buy, to the excitement building for the release of the OnePlus 13 in the next six months.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. Popular OnePlus Cell Phones in 2024: Specs & Prices
3. All OnePlus Phones in Order of Release
4. The Bottom Line
5. FAQs
6. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. Popular OnePlus Cell Phones in 2024: Specs & Prices
3. All OnePlus Phones in Order of Release
Show Full Guide
4. The Bottom Line
5. FAQs
6. References

Popular OnePlus Cell Phones in 2024: Specs & Prices

The best OnePlus phone will depend on your unique requirements and whether you like to look back at your old tech through the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia.

So, let’s look at how they all compare technically.

All OnePlus Phones in Order of Release

2014

OnePlus One: The Original Flagship Killer

The original flagship killer lived up to its name when it burst onto the scene in 2014 with a Snapdragon 801 chipset, a 5.5-inch FHD IPS LCD, 16GB storage, and a 3,100mAh battery under the hood. It also had a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera, all for $299.

Android fans will fondly remember this powerhouse for its CyanogenMod OS and the unbelievable value it offered at the time. But if you remember owning one, you were one of the lucky ones.

The first OnePlus was notoriously difficult to buy due to an invite system, which increased demand due to its must-have status. Only those lucky enough to purchase a OnePlus One could share an invite with another person, who would then have the Willy Wonka-style golden ticket that would enable them to buy the phone.

2015

OnePlus 2: The Difficult Second Album

Following up on the success of the much-loved OnePlus One was always going to be a big ask, and it was something a rock band might refer to as the difficult second album. But if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it was the approach with a new device with flagship specifications at a much more affordable price and an improved invite system.

Within a week of launch, the OnePlus 2 had two million reservations. Many will remember the handset for improving the build quality and adding a fingerprint sensor and USB-C port. But this latest release had more than its fair share of problems.

Stability issues with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 and the ditching of the much-loved CyanogenMod OS upset fans. As a result, many will remember the OnePlus 2 for all the wrong reasons.

OnePlus X: The Side Project

OnePlus X would see OnePlus drift from its mission of releasing flagship killers and offering a cheap and cheerful handset in time for the holiday season.

With an entry price of $250, it was hoped to provide a more affordable alternative, but the audiences could have been more impressed.

The problem was the newly released OnePlus 2 offered premium features for just $70 more.

2016

OnePlus 3 & 3T: The Comeback

Something needed to change with the OnePlus 2 having well-documented problems and the OnePlus X side project failing to win over audiences. It was time to mix things up, return to their original mission and release a new flagship killer with the OnePlus 3. It was also time to retire the invite-only approach.

A new 20W dash charger would provide quicker charge times. However, users were slightly taken aback by the bizarre decision to reduce the battery size to 3,000mAh. Elsewhere, it would be the OLED panel, 16-megapixel single rear camera, and the inclusion of 6GB RAM that impress critics.

2016 also saw OnePlus change its annual release cycle to a biannual approach, which allowed OnePlus to offer a slightly improved handset six months later.

The OnePlus 3T would look and feel the same but feature a few refinements, such as a faster Snapdragon 821 chipset and a bigger 3,400mAh battery that fans expected from the OnePlus 3.

2017

OnePlus 5 & 5T: Tetraphobia

The OnePlus 5 introduced dual rear cameras, consisting of a 16-megapixel primary camera and a 20-megapixel zoom camera with 1.6x optical zoom. Combined with a 5.5-inch FHD OLED display and up to 8GB of RAM, the OnePlus 5 was a powerful alternative to the iPhone 7 Plus ($770) for just $480. But the best was yet to come.

Five months later, the OnePlus 5T arrived without hardware buttons on the front of the handset. The fingerprint reader was moved to the rear panel, which made the 5T look more aesthetically pleasing. But the jury was out on using your index finger rather than your thumb to unlock the phone.

Besides the appearance, there was little else to differentiate between the OnePlus 5 and 5T.

2018

OnePlus 6 Series: Mainstream Adoption

The iPhone X introduced a notched display feature, signaling the move towards bezel-less sides. Android and Apple fans were divided on the notched concept, but regardless of opinion, it would be here to stay as OnePlus jumped on the notch bandwagon.

A glass design, water resistance, and a notched display would give the OnePlus 6 a classier and more premium look. While the iPhone X stepped closer to becoming a thousand-dollar smartphone with a launch price of $999, the OnePlus 6 was a mouthwatering $530.

With 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, the OnePlus 6 would be the moment the company would boldly step out of its niche reputation and into the mainstream, selling over a million units in just one month.

Predictably, a new and improved OnePlus 6T would launch later in the year. After listening to their community, an in-display fingerprint sensor would bring the feature back to its rightful place on the front of the phone on the 6.4-inch OLED display.

2019

OnePlus 7 Series

As innovation stagnated in the smartphone industry, manufacturers began offering options around bigger screens.

The arrival of the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max was seen as a cash grab by many, so when OnePlus also opted to launch two phones simultaneously, it felt slightly reminiscent of Harvey Dent’s quote, “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to become the villain.”

The OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro would split the devices into the haves and the have-nots.

The OnePlus 7 was an incremental update of the OnePlus 6T, whereas the Pro model had a 4000 mAh battery, 12GB of RAM, a 6.67-inch screen, and a hefty $750 price tag.

The OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 7T Pro would follow six months later. The mini refresh would see many Pro features in the OnePlus 7T, reducing the gap between the two models.

2020

OnePlus 8 Series: X-Ray Vision

The OnePlus 8 series will be remembered for the phones launched during COVID-19. TheOnePlus 8 featured a curved edge AMOLED display and was the first of the OnePlus 5G phones. But it would be the Pro model that would dominate the headlines.

It would tick all the boxes with wireless charging, an IP68 rating, a bigger 4,510mAh battery, an upgraded 48-megapixel primary camera, and an 8-megapixel telephoto camera.

OnePlus would continue to flirt with generic features and premium prices.

But the gimmicky chromatic filter camera famously backfired after users uncovered  X-ray vision capabilities that allowed them to see through plastic.

One of the best examples 🤯#OnePlus8Pro Color Filter Camera can see through some plastic pic.twitter.com/UkaxdyV6yP

— Ben Geskin (@BenGeskin) May 13, 2020

Sure, the OnePlus 8T introduced 65W wired charging speeds twice as fast as the OnePlus model. But a 6.5-inch flat OLED display and 48-megapixel primary camera had already become standard fair.

2021

OnePlus 9 Series: Wireless Charging

The OnePlus 9 came with the Snapdragon 888 processor and introduced wireless charging—a feature previously reserved for its Pro siblings. But this generation was all about the cameras with its high-profile collaboration with Hasselblad.

If the OnePlus 9 Pro display looked familiar, it seemed remarkably similar to the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

The starting price was still hovering just under a thousand dollars, with the phone starting at $997 with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

This was when all smartphones began to look the same, with bigger batteries and better cameras.

2022

OnePlus 10 Series

At the beginning of 2022, the OnePlus 10 Pro was launched and predictably arrived with Second-gen Hasselblad cameras, super fast 80W wired charging, and support for 50W wireless charging.

The OnePlus 10 is also the first flagship OnePlus Phone to have a 5,000mAh battery.

Surprisingly, at the end of 2022, the OnePlus 10T was revealed as an affordable variant of the OnePlus 10 Pro.

It also featured the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip and 150W wired charging. But a launch price of only $650 meant no wireless charging.

2023

OnePlus 11 Series & OnePlus Open: Foldable Smartphones

The OnePlus 11 would return the series to what made it famous with a wallet-friendly premium experience. The flagship model would replace the Pro variant from its previous generation and be priced at only $700, which significantly undercuts Samsung’s Galaxy S23.

Don’t be fooled by the cheap price of the OnePlus 11 and its 6.7-inch display. This latest release still had a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 8-16GB of RAM, and 128-512GB of storage, not to mention a more than respectable 5,000mAh battery and 100W charging speeds.

The smartphone has repeatedly been accused of no longer innovating, and users have been struggling to find reasons to upgrade their handsets. Manufacturers began to jump on the foldable phones bandwagon, which has been building momentum.

Rather than get left behind, OnePlus launched its first foldable phone, the OnePlus Open, in 2023 and finally went toe to toe with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5. The OnePlus open price of $1,700 was slightly more affordable.

2024

OnePlus 12 Series

Every smartphone manufacturer in 2024 has fully embraced the AI everywhere narrative as a marketing tool to shift more handsets. Predictably, the OnePlus latest phone is ready to support AI with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and 12-24GB of RAM.

A 6.82-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a large 5,400mAh battery that charges at 100W makes this an incredibly powerful smartphone.

Better still, it’s priced at only $800. But this year is far from over, and rumors about the upcoming OnePlus 13 are beginning to ramp up.

OnePlus 13 Series: AI Everywhere

Although no official information exists, early rumors already suggest that the newest OnePlus phone – OnePlus 13 – will be an AI-ready specs monster.

We expect it to launch with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, Android 15, and Google AI features based on Gemini Ultra.

Only time will tell if it will live up to the hype as one of the best OnePlus phones.

OnePlus Nord: 2020-2024

It’s also important to highlight that OnePlus has also released a budget-friendly range of smartphones called Nord aimed at value-conscious users who were looking for devices packed with essential features but at a more affordable price point.

This gamble paid off, as Nord quickly became a fan favorite, particularly in regions like Europe and India, where consumers were looking for quality without the hefty price tag.

OnePlus has since produced more than a dozen budget-friendly phones, including the OnePlus Nord CE 4, which became the best-selling smartphone on Amazon.

By 2023, OnePlus reportedly shipped over 25 million units of OnePlus Nord smartphones.

The Bottom Line

A decade has passed, and the special invite codes that invited a select few to join the OnePlus ecosystem now seem like a lifetime away. Despite a few missteps, the brand has remained loyal to its principles of providing users with powerful specs at an affordable price.

As we prepare to enter a new era of AI smartphones, OnePlus is still providing flagship killers, giving Android users what they want for under $1,000, and that’s something we don’t talk about enough.

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