Buying an affordable phone isn't like it used to be. A few years ago, there were only one or two genuinely good options, and even then these devices made big sacrifices to achieve a budget price. Thanks to the unstoppable march of progress, however, we're at a point where every phone, expensive or not, is good. You no longer need to spend $700-$800 to put a decent computer in your pocket. While OnePlus didn't spark the budget phone trend, the Chinese startup played a big part in taking it mainstream. Two years ago, the OnePlus One defied logic by combining high-end specs with a wallet-friendly price. It was a bonafide hit and earned our top phone honors for 2014. The company then followed that up with the OnePlus 2, and again with an even cheaper OnePlus X—both very decent handsets. Now, it's 2016 and you don't have to look hard to find a good, cheap phone. The market is no longer so much a race to the top as it is a race to be affordable; nobody is going to catch Apple and Samsung, but there's still plenty of business to go around. With so much competition rising up to the challenge, where does that leave the OnePlus 3? At $399, the "Flagship Killer" offers a compelling argument as the cheap phone to beat; it has bonkers specs, a gorgeous design, and software that's silky smooth. Oh, and there's no longer a confusing invite system, which means you can buy one right now. Like, right now, or maybe later at 4 a.m. (We get excited about the weirdest things.) With the OnePlus 3, OnePlus has atoned for its past sins—NFC is back; the camera is good—creating a phone that's damn near perfect.

Let's just address this up front: The OnePlus 3 bears a striking resemblance to phones made by HTC, notably the One M8 and One M9. Without the requisite logos, you'd have a hard time telling them apart. Sure, it would have been great to see OnePlus find its own personality as it did with the sandstone beauties of 2014 and 2015. But there are only so many ways you can design an aluminum unibody device. Also, we brought this up with OnePlus CEO Carl Pei in a meeting, and he said the phone actually resembles the original OnePlus One in form (it does) and that the antenna bands need to exist where they do. So there's the explanation, for what it's worth. Despite looking familiar, it's still gorgeous. It's razor-thin and features a subtle curve that makes picking it up off flat surfaces effortless. The screen features virtually no side bezels and the buttons have a nice tactile feel. The fingerprint sensor is lightning quick, and the Alert Slider is back, too, which is about the best invention known to mankind. But the design, as pleasant as it is, isn't why the device stands out. The OnePlus 3 is a beast, with a Snapdragon 820 chip, 6GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a 5.5-inch, 1080p Optic AMOLED display. It's a striking and perfectly acceptable screen in a market enamored by Quad HD—blacks are deep, colors are vibrant. Never did I pine for the resolution to be unnecessarily cranked up.

Part of the reason OnePlus went with a 1080p panel is because it's more battery efficient. With its 3000mAh cell, the OnePlus 3 is capable of getting through a full day of heavy use without breaking a sweat. (It always varies depending on your usage but in my experience battery life was pretty good.) In the event you do run out, there's always Dash Charge to fall back on, which will replenish more than 60 percent of your battery in just 30 minutes. The nice thing is that you can continue to watch video and play games while charging, though you need to use the included USB-C cable and wall wart for this to work. The aesthetic quality of the device seems at odds with its price; it feels premium, elegant, sturdy, and will likely elicit a few envious glances. OnePlus devices have always looked nice but the OnePlus 3 is a step above.