OnePlus 2

Improved and In Demand

By Anca Gagiuc on Aug 11, 2015 in Technology

Remember last year’s $300 smartphone? If you liked it, soon is your chance to upgrade to the next generation of good, cheap smartphones built by the Chinese manufacturer OnePlus.

Following OnePlus One – the little Android that could –  OnePlus 2 has already requested by over 2.6 million people, even though the device has just been unveiled, with the official launch scheduled for later this month. The new OnePlus phone shows significant improvements to the specifications while keeping the price relatively low – $329 (£239) for 16GB, $389 (£289) for 64GB.

Sandwiched in the middle of this meaty smartphone are high quality ingredients paired tastefully for a satisfying experience. OnePlus 2 is fueled by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor that’s been tweaked to correct the notorious overheating issue experienced in other phones. The octa-core runs at 1.8GHz with 4GB or RAM if you opt for the model with 64GB of internal storage; only 3GB of RAM are allocated for the 16GB version of the phone. Both have Adreno 430 GPU running graphics duty. The device is powered by a 3300mAh non-removable battery, ample enough to get you through the day without recharging.

One of the downsides of the device is the missing micro-SD card slot and of the NFC chip (present on last year’s model). Yet, OnePlus 2 features dual nano SIM support with 4GT LTE capability. An interesting addition is the new USB Type C port and charger made popular by the new MacBook, making OnePlus 2 one of the few smartphones out there that’s laying the bricks for the adoption of the USB-C. Furthermore, the company claims that the OnePlus charging cable uses patented technology that makes the Type-A side reversible as well. The smartphone comes equipped with a fingerprint scanner too, something the first OnePlus didn’t have.

OxygenOS, based on Android 5.1, replaces last year’s CyanogenMod and brings subtle customizations, the return of screen gestures and apps you can configure as you like. Moreover, it’s said to be lighter and more refined, with a very clean skin and minimal extra features—a menu that lets you enable gestures to tap the screen to wake it, draw a circle on the screen to launch the camera, or a “V” to toggle the flashlight (even when the device is asleep). Google Now can still be accessed by long-pressing the home button and when swiping to the left from the home screen, pops the area that collects the favorite contacts and most used apps.

The camera received attention, for as we know, these days cameras are one of the most hotly contested aspects of smartphones. OnePlus 2 has a 13-megapixel rear camera, just like its predecessor, but with one major difference: the size of the pixel increased to 1.3 microns. It places itself between the 1.1 microns of the S6 and 1.5 microns of the iPhone 6. What does it mean? The larger the pixel, the more light it lets in and this means a whole lot when taking photos in darker environments. It is complimented by a dual LED flash and f/2.0 aperture and a 5MP front-facing camera. The rear camera has optical image stabilization, laser autofocus, and 4K video recording.

OnePlus 2 features a 5.5-inch, 1920×1080 resolution IPS LCD, with a display that has a good amount of sharpness and natural colors, even though a bit bland compared to the AMOLED displays; the brightness is in the lows when taken outside. The smartphone is thicker that its older brother, but it sports a more premium design through its aluminum-magnesium alloy frame. The back has the same sandstone black finish as the OnePlus One and a range of covers, including actual wood built Bamboo, Black Apricot, Rosewood, and Kevlar are available on the OnePlus website for ($24.99).

Even though the device will be launched on August 11, the company’s co-founder Carl Pei has announced a third OnePlus handset available by the end of the year. Will that damage OnePlus 2’s chances? Time will tell.