OnePlus 3 Leaks Showing Close Resemblance To HTC 10 Design

Chinese smartphone companies have long been accused of copying Apple, but it appears that OnePlus has taken inspiration from a different source for its newest smartphone, the OnePlus 3.

Expected to be launched in the coming weeks, the OnePlus 3 is set to resemble the look of smartphones from struggling Taiwanese manufacturer HTC, at least according to an image posted on Twitter by Evan Blass, a journalist with a strong track record of leaking smartphone details before they are officially announced.

The image shows antenna lines along top and bottom of the rear cover, mimicking those seen on HTC’s smartphones since the launch of the HTC One in 2013. The OnePlus 3 also features a centrally located camera sensor that again is strikingly similar to the HTC 10.

While the camera on the OnePlus 2 was also centrally mounted, the rounded-square design on the OnePlus 3 looks identical to last year’s HTC One M9.

OnePlus says it doesn’t comment on leaks but the company, which gained attention for its low-cost smartphones with premium hardware over the last two years, is expected to launch a new smartphone before the end of June.

Besides revealing the image, Blass says the new phone will have a 3,000 mAh battery and will use AMOLED display technology for its screen. According to documents from China’s telecoms regulator, the OnePlus 3 is also set to feature a fast-charging battery technology that would be able to recharge the phone in just 15 minutes.

The phone is expected to come with a 16-megapixel sensor powering its rear camera and OnePlus CEO Pete Lau posted a sample picture showing the device will be capable of creating excellent depth of field results.

The key to OnePlus’ appeal to date has been budget pricing and GizmoChina suggests this trend will continue, with the base model costing 1,999 yuan ($310) while the most expensive model will cost 2,499 yuan ($385), which is considerably cheaper than the flagship devices from Samsung, LG, Huawei and HTC launched this year.