A little less than a year later the OnePlus Ace 3 arrives to replace its predecessor. Comparing the two shows only a few upgrades, but they are important ones.
The Ace series picks a performant but reasonably priced chipset, pairs it with a large OLED display and a fast-charging battery and keeps the price to mid-range levels. Last year’s Ace 2 had a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, this year the Ace 3 gets the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. OnePlus waited a few months to a year after these chips first launched to get a better price on them. And that’s a solid strategy, old flagship chips are popular among our readers.
Another important upgrade is the display – it is now an LTPO panel with 1-120Hz refresh rate. It’s essentially the same size (0.04” bigger) and the resolution sits between FHD+ and QHD+, which helps keep the 6.78” display sharp.
The third and final key upgrade is the battery, which now has 10% more capacity at 5,500mAh. It still supports 100W wired-only fast charging, so a 0-100% sprint takes only 27 minutes (2 minutes longer than the Ace 2 needed to fill its 5,000mAh battery).
All that and the base 12/256GB model starts at just CNY 2,600, which works out to $365. Not that the Ace 3 will ever get a global release, but a version of it might make its way out of China. The OnePlus 11R is very nearly the same device as the Ace 2, so a OnePlus 12R can’t be far. Of course, the 11R only launched in India, so we’re not expecting to see this any further (but we’re prepared to be pleasantly surprised).
The question now is this – if the OnePlus Ace 3 (or a phone very similar to it) launches in your region, will you get one? Let’s go through the competition before you answer.
The OnePlus Ace 2 Pro from last year also had the 8 Gen 2 chip, but not the LTPO display or larger battery. It costs more too, CNY 2,800 for the 12/256GB model. The OnePlus Nord 3 has the Dimensity 9000 chipset, which is still pretty fast, but it also offers only a non-LTPO display and a 5,000mAh battery. This one is ₹34,000 in India for a base 8/128GB model, the 16/256GB one is ₹38,000. The 11R was ₹40,000 for an 8/128GB unit and ₹45,000 for 16/256GB.
The vivo S18 Pro will launch in China later this month at CNY 3,200 for a 12/256GB phone. This one has the Dimensity 9200+ chip, a 5,000mAh battery, a non-LTPO 6.78” display but also a 12MP 2x portrait camera.
The Realme GT5, the 150W version with 12/256GB memory, costs CNY 3,000 in China. It matches the Ace 3 with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and even has a 144Hz display (6.74”), but without the variable refresh rate of an LTPO panel. The battery capacity splits the difference at 5,240mAh.
The Xiaomi Redmi K70 is already available with an SD 8 Gen 2 chip and a 6.67” 120Hz display, plus a 5,000mAH battery with 120W charging. The 12/256GB model is slightly cheaper than the Ace at CNY 2,500. This or something like it could go wide under the Poco brand, but we haven’t heard anything official just yet.
The Honor X60 Pro is another recent arrival with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, 6.78” 120Hz display and a 5,800mAh battery with slow 35W charging. This one has a 108MP camera on its back, but it is only joined by a depth sensor. This one goes for CNY 2,8000 for a 12/256GB unit.
Alright, time to vote:
Alex Mitchell is your go-to expert for all things mobile. With a passion for the latest smartphones, apps, and mobile innovations, Alex provides in-depth reviews, insightful analyses, and breaking news about the ever-evolving world of mobile technology. Stay connected with Alex to navigate the fast-paced realm of mobile devices.
