There's going to be a 'soft gold' version of the OnePlus 3. Is that a thing?

The popular OnePlus 3 smartphone is, like pretty much every handset these days, going gold. However, the Android upstart is hoping to outflank its competition with a different shade: a "soft gold" color that's more muted than most gold- or rose gold-colored handsets. Could this be the beginning of a trend?

Calling the color variation "a subtle texture reminiscent of holding fine, silky-soft sand," the company says the new color design option was inspired by traditional tones found in Japanese art. 

But although gold has traditionally been very popular in China, according to some, the color is increasingly being seen as a tad gaudy and, according to some, associated with the country's nouveau riche. That may explain OnePlus' decision to tone down the gold color of its handset to this new hue dubbed "soft gold," which is more subtle (dare we say "elegant?") than some of the other gold-colored mobile devices available.  

The new version of the handset went on sale on Tuesday in the U.S. and arriving in Europe, Hong Kong and Canada on Aug. 1 (users in India will have to wait for the company to announce availability at a later date). Apparently, the company expects the new model to be such a success that it even crafted a new video (below) to promote it. 

This "soft gold" version of the handset joins the already popular graphite-colored model. Given the popularity of gold mobile devices in China, this design move from OnePlus was fairly predictable, but it's still a refreshing addition to the lineup. 

To date, the OnePlus 3 appears to be the most robust iPhone challenger to emerge from China, hot on the heels of South Korea's Samsung in terms offering a winning alternative Android device paired with top-tier design aesthetics. 

According to the company's announcement on its website, the color option will only be available in limited quantities.