I've always said that OnePlus is at its best when it is rolling out innovative designs. The Chinese manufacturer made a habit of it in years past, consistently teaming up with other franchises to come up with striking collaborations that elevated its products. I still cherish the OnePlus 5T Star Wars edition and the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren version; the attention to detail to the design and packaging makes these among the best phones in my collection.
OnePlus hasn't done much in this area following its acquisition by OPPO, with the manufacturer instead focusing on building out its portfolio to cater to a wider audience. While that's led to budget and entry-level devices in the Nord series and region-focused models like the OnePlus 11R, there hasn't been much in the way of limited-edition phones. Until now.
The OnePlus 11 Marble Odyssey isn't technically a collaboration, but the amount of thought that went into the design of this phone hearkens back to the heady days of OnePlus's journey. As the name suggests, the Marble Odyssey version features a back made out of microcrystalline rock crystals that mimics the feel of marble, leading to a phone that looks and feels unique.
It is distinctive to say the least; the way the marble back is manufactured means that no two phones are alike, and that alone makes the Marble Odyssey stand out. I used the Titan Black variant of the OnePlus 11 for a few months before switching to the Marble Odyssey, and the in-hand feel is about as different as it can get; the marble version has a smooth finish and a heft that's much more pronounced, and that design at the back is gorgeous.
OnePlus did a terrific job accentuating the marble design at the back with a gold colorway for the mid-frame and camera housing, and it makes the Marble Odyssey look like a much more upmarket device. OnePlus says it took a year to get the material ready for mass production, and that yields of the marble back were roughly half that of the standard glass backs used in the other variants.
That difference was noticeable from the moment I started using the Marble Odyssey, and the uniqueness of the design combined with the excellent in-hand feel makes it an easy recommendation. It also helps that the OnePlus 11 by itself is a terrific phone; the device does a magnificent job distilling the essentials of a flagship while undercutting its rivals by a few hundred dollars. Even though there isn't a Pro model this year, the upgrades to the OnePlus 11 allow to it hold its own against the likes of the Galaxy S23+ and Xiaomi 13 Pro.
And like other OnePlus limited-edition phones, the Marble Odyssey comes in an custom packaging that includes a letter from Pete Lau along with a few stickers and unique SIM card ejector (also decked out in grey). I wanted to see a similar golden-accented charger and cable, but that isn't the case — you get the same white charger and red cable as the standard version of the OnePlus 11.
The only shortcoming here is that the OnePlus 11 Marble Odyssey is limited to India. This was true for earlier limited-edition variants as well, and while I understood the reasoning for that — OnePlus didn't get the license to sell the phones outside the country — I don't see why this version cannot be sold in other regions. I don't see any hurdles in doing so, but for whatever reason, the Marble Odyssey version is exclusive to customers in India.
Ultimately, the OnePlus 11 Marble Odyssey is all about making a statement — just like the brand's earlier efforts with limited-edition phones. The distinctive design is sure to turn heads, and the fact that no two phones are alike gives it a lot of character. You're not paying a heavy premium to get your hands on the device either; it is available for ₹64,999 ($793), just ₹3,000 ($36) more than the standard 16GB/256GB version.
So if you've decided to get your hands on the OnePlus 11, you may just want to pick up the Marble Odyssey version instead of the regular variants.
