OnePlus announces the OnePlus 2, starts at $329, invitation sales begin August 11th
$300 got you a SIM-free, well-specced, albeit 16GB storage, smartphone that afforded endless user customizable experiences. For the money, not other manufacturer could match it.
OnePlus calls its second-gen phone a '2016 flagship killer'
The idea was two-fold, it controlled inventory so that nothing was ever left on the shelf, and it also allowed the company to optimize the manufacturing process and weed out any bugs between production runs. As good as it is, the OnePlus One was a get-what-you-pay for affair. While not universal, there were more than a few complaints about post-sales support for warranty or repair issues.OnePlus has grown since then. The company has been prudently teasing the waiting public with tid-bits about the next generation “flagship killer” (even for next year), aptly called the OnePlus 2. There have also been a few leaks, including some high-resolution photos earlier today.
Still, for the unveiling of the OnePlus 2, the company put together the world’s first VR product launch, made easy thanks to Cardboard, and what a presentation it was. Let’s get into the details.
Design and Features
True to the leaked images earlier today, the OnePlus 2 is an incremental step in terms of overall design language. The frame is a magnesium and aluminum alloy, which should keep weight in check, and provide a high-quality feel to the physical build of the device. The upper face and forehead is instantly recognizable as a OnePlus device or one of its cousins from Oppo. On the bottom is a home button and fingerprint sensor, accompanied by two configurable capacitive buttons. The speakers remain oriented along the bottom.
Display
OnePlus kept it “real” by opting to stay with a 5.5-inch 1080x1920 resolution in-cell LCD HD display. While the newer, and higher resolution panels look sweet, they place a significant burden on system and battery resources. Instead, OnePlus opted to ensure a high-quality experience with the display, claiming a wide 1,500:1 contrast ratio. OnePlus claims it will be very bright for outdoor use, and very dim if you are among the millions who use their phone before bed after the lights are out.
Interface
OnePlus has followed through on its largely stock-Android-looking OxygenOS, but the OnePlus 2 will ship with version 2.0. This new iteration of OxygenOS maintains the clean appearance and favors stable performance, but allows for wide customizations without heavy gimmicks found on other Android skins.
There are different modes and icon packs that can be used, and OxygenOS even takes a page from the Android M playbook by allowing discrete app permissions within the OS. You can also select a dark UI mode, which replaces the bright white features of materials design with dark panels and accent colors you can choose. You will be able to fine-tune your LED notifications and icon grid size.
Processor and Memory
Powering the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor is a 3,300mAh battery. There is 4GB of RAM, and either 16GB or 64GB of storage with no microSD card slot in sight.
Camera
Pricing, Availability, and Expectations
As previously confirmed by OnePlus, the OnePlus 2 will cost under $450. Initial availability is still going to be through what is said to be a shorter and faster invite period. How short and fast that period will be remains to be seen.
That is an excellent price point, but out of all these amazing features, one was strangely absent – no NFC – so if you planned on using Android Pay, contactless payments will not be an option. Given all the attention paid to the other features, including security, it is possible NFC was deemed too much a potential problem. Even then, the lack of NFC may be a show stopper for some people.
Claiming it sold over a million OnePlus One smartphones, OnePlus remained committed to a vision that a smartphone could change the world. Moreover, the company acknowledges that it needs to prove that the OnePlus One was not a fluke, and that the OnePlus 2 needs to make a big impact.
Things that are NOT allowed: