OnePlus 3 Soft Gold launch dates announced

No one really knew, or probably bothered, about the different shades of gold (not grey) until Apple decided it was time to go with a dash of pink. Since then, we've seen various permutations of Rose Gold, Pink Gold, and now, Soft Gold. This last color is what OnePlus has confirmed to be coming for the OnePlus 3, to add a somewhat luxurious spin to a wallet-friendly but premium flagship smartphone. Those who are enamored with this new tone won't have to wait long, as the OnePlus 3 Soft Gold launches tomorrow, or next week, depending on where you are.

One can probably also call it "Pale Gold". OnePlus describes it as a "not gaudy" gold toned down for a more somber, elegant look. To the point that it looks almost white. But, of course, it's still gold. It's not the looks alone that has changed either. OnePlus claims that it has applied a subtle texture that is more associated with "silky soft sand". That could partially solve the usual problems with how slippery these all metal smartphones tend to be. Though, as the company says, you'll really have to feel it to understand. Considering it's not sold directly in most stores, that means either buying one already or hoping for a OnePlus pop-up store event.

In all other aspects, the OnePlus 3 Soft Gold remains the same. Which means it has the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, 6 GB of now fully utilized RAM, and a 5.5-inch still Full HD only screen. The OnePlus 3, on paper, has a lot going for it, but its initial launch has been marred by issues and controversy, especially with regards the way it exposes, or hides, rather, features. The latest in this volley of criticisms is how OnePlus hides the smartphone's USB OTG feature, making it seem that the OnePlus 3 doesn't support the standard feature.

Although OnePlus hasn't explicitly said so, we can only presume that there will be no price difference between the Soft Gold version and the existing Graphite color, which means $399.00. The launch dates are as follows:

• US – July 26, 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time

• Europe – August 1, 12:00 p.m. CEST

• Hong Kong – August 1, 6:00 p.m. Hong Kong Time

• Canada – August 1, 6:00 a.m. Canada Eastern Time

SOURCE: OnePlus