The OnePlus 3 Came Out of Nowhere to Be the Tech World's Most Hyped Phone

Hyped doesn't necessarily mean best, but the OnePlus 3 isn't sitting in Apple or Samsung's shadow. 

The OnePlus 3 is a damn good option if you don't want to pay over $500 for a new iPhone 6 or Galaxy S7 with substantial memory. The OnePlus 3 costs $399, making it a more affordable alternative if you don't already pledge allegiance to Apple or Samsung. 

A huge reason people hopped aboard the OnePlus 3 hype train was because OnePlus — the Chinese startup behind the device — finally ditched its invite-only system. The One Plus 3's predecessors were not easy to come by — you had to sign up for a reservation, win a social media promotion or get invited by a friend who already had a OnePlus, in order to hold the shiny new phone in your gadget-thirsty hands. With the OnePlus 3, you can buy it like any other old phone — by clicking on the big "buy now" button. RIP exclusivity. 

Aside from the affordable price (which is a pretty good incentive) the OnePlus 3 meets a lot of expectations. It has plenty of storage and memory as well as a powerful processor. The OnePlus 3's 5.5-inch screen makes it more of a handful than the iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy S7, but it's equipped with an impressive AMOLED display and barely-there bezels.

It's affordable, powerful and not so bad to look at. It may not be as flashy as an iPhone 6 or a Galaxy S7, but at a significantly lower price point, you get more than you pay for. The point is, just because a Ferrari purrs and turns heads, doesn't mean a Toyota Corolla isn't reliable and good-looking in its own way. And it won't break the bank. 

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