OnePlus 3 on track for a VR launch, get your free Loop headset now

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Forget about heading down to the shops to grab a OnePlus 3 – the upcoming “flagship killer” will be sold in virtual reality.

OnePlus head honcho Carl Pei made the announcement over on the OnePlus forums today, inviting fans to get involved come launch day with the company’s second step into VR. Apparently the event will be ‘beamed from the future’, with the OnePlus offices relocated to an orbital space station.

Last year’s OnePlus 2 marked the first time a smartphone launched in VR (although Samsung was a close second with the Galaxy S7), with thousands of OnePlus Cardboard viewers sent out to fans for free to get them ready to watch.

This year, OnePlus is upping the ante with the OnePlus Loop VR headset. It’s a fully wearable plastic headset to slot your phone inside and watch the launch on. According to Pei, it should make for a “more robust, immersive and comfortable experience” than the old cardboard model.

Even better, the new headset will still be up for grabs at a rock bottom price. Techinically, you’re only paying for postage, so it’s not quite free, but with 30,000 on offer, you’re still going to have to move fast in order to get hold of one. VR viewers will be able to order a OnePlus 3 before anyone else after the event.

OnePlus rightly admits it wouldn’t have made it big without fan support, which is why it first tried a VR product launch – it gets everyone involved, not just a room full of journalists.

It’s exciting stuff, but doesn’t give us any clues as to when we can expect the official reveal: the OnePlus 3 is still very much under wraps, even if a series of leaked photos and marketing pics have started doing the rounds online.

We should be in line for a 5.5in, 1080p AMOLED screen, Snapdragon 820 CPU, 32GB of storage as standard, and 16MP rear camera, along with USB Type-C charging and Android 6 Marshmallow.

No word on a price or official launch date yet, but with today’s announcement that can’t be too far away.

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A tech addict from about the age of three (seriously, he's got the VHS tapes to prove it), Tom's been writing about gadgets, games and everything in between for the past decade, with a slight diversion into the world of automotive in between. As Deputy Editor, Tom keeps the website ticking along, jam-packed with the hottest gadget news and reviews. When he's not on the road attending launch events, you can usually find him scouring the web for the latest news, to feed Stuff readers' insatiable appetite for tech.