TL; DR
- OnePlus co-founder Carl P has released a review of the OnePlus 11.
- While Carl Pei has a lot of good things to say about the “beautiful” phone, he laments that it has “no real identity.”
- PE also wonders why Oxygen OS is so different now.
Karl Pei is the co-founder of OnePlus, but since then he has moved to his own company, nothing. Previously, Carl dipped his toes into the world of smartphone reviews by checking out the latest iPhone. Now he is back with a very interesting review of the latest phone from his former company, the OnePlus 11.
In a 12-minute OnePlus 11 review video (which you can watch above), Karl looks at his reactions to the phone’s hardware and software. At first he had a lot of good things to say. He calls the device “beautiful” and talks about the details of the design that most consumers can see. This includes the subtle textures of the camera module and the edges of the phone, which make them appear thinner than they really are.
However, he criticizes some obvious corner-cutting. This involves how the camera module looks like it’s connected to the phone’s rail, but isn’t, and some misplaced buttons. Karl often returns how impressed he is with the overall premium feel of the phone.
The software is where Carl is more critical. This is the first time using Oxygen OS after switching to the Color OS codebase. He says he is confused as to why the company would take something that works and screw up the formula. He also pointed out a number of problems with the software’s usability, including problems opening the app drawer and text blocks that were clearly designed in Chinese characters.
Finally, Karl says that the phone is generally good but lacks any real personality. Physically, he doesn’t have the brand cohesion he wants when it comes to the companies he supports. Additionally, the software is not as polished as it should be, even though it has many useful features.
While smartphone reviews are easy to find all over YouTube, it’s not every day you get to see someone who was instrumental in a company’s launch give an objective review of its latest device. Be sure to check out the full OnePlus 11 review above!