# OnePlus phone Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/oneplus-phones/ 21 people recommended OnePlus phone in Hacker News comments, 9 had mixed feelings and 45 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 7 of 12 months, in 12 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** More people criticize it than recommend it. Known for easy bootloader unlocking, custom ROM support and strong specs for the price. Critics say the brand has lost its edge since the Oppo merger, and some report overheating. Summary written by Claude from the comments below. ## What people warn about - Less distinct since Oppo merger (6 comments in the sample): "they're fine, they work, but they're not the magic OnePlus was" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48926156)) "OnePlus is subsidiary of Oppo. Over past few years they were loosing autonomy / reusing more and more work by Oppo." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48935071)) "OnePlus was on the decline and it was clear it wouldn't be a contender for much longer here in the UK" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48933559)) - Runs hot, battery degrades (2 comments in the sample): "they are running incredibly hot on normal usage, and battery capacity detoriates quickly over time" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48934268)) "The phone runs hot on normal circumstances, and in summer when the temperatures are getting higher it becomes unbearable." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48935513)) - Trust and data concerns (2 comments in the sample): "Your scenerio is not improved by making Oneplus phones impossible to use once they're stolen." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46761156)) "OnePlus has been doing sketchy things too. I wouldn't trust them with your data." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46699491)) - Fewer mod options after updates (1 comment in the sample): "OnePlus and other Chinese brands were modders-friendly until they suddenly weren't" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46759246)) ## Why people recommend it - Easy bootloader unlock, custom ROM support (6 comments in the sample): "They consistently have allowed bootloader unlocking without extra fuss and have had good LineageOS support." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46758767)) "The only manufacturers in the world publishing device trees nowadays must be Fairphone and OnePlus" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46644872)) "they consistently give you the option to unlock the bootloader and install your custom ROM" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47234218)) - Flagship specs at lower price (3 comments in the sample): "In the beginning they were flagship phones being sold for half prices, lately I've even forgotten about them." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48933072)) "I bought many of the first models. They were good and very competitive with price and features." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48933011)) "Comparable specs to flagships at half the price" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46570654)) - Strong screens and camera processing (2 comments in the sample): "great screens, high refresh rate, great photos with a much lighter touch of automatic processing compared to Samsung" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48933660)) "OnePlus solved this with their camera software and beefier specs." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48937598)) - Fast battery charging (2 comments in the sample): "No other phone comes close to the battery density and charging speed." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48939566)) "the high-speed charging is awesome" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46698693)) ## Other smartphones people recommend - [Apple iPhone](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone/): 438 recommend, 190 mixed, 789 criticize - [Fairphone](https://hackerapproved.com/p/fairphone/): 110 recommend, 42 mixed, 94 criticize - [iPhone 13 mini](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone-13-mini/): 105 recommend, 32 mixed, 44 criticize - [Apple iPhone Pro](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone-17-pro/): 90 recommend, 45 mixed, 138 criticize ## Where to get it - [Visit the official site](https://www.oneplus.com/us) ## The badge A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged. ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "OnePlus phone", https://hackerapproved.com/p/oneplus-phones/ (21 recommend, 9 mixed, 45 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026). Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.