The OnePlus One dominated the cheap smartphone scene with a simple formula: flagship performance with a low price. For the second iteration, OnePlus isn’t fixing what ain’t broken.
Although OnePlus founder Carl Pei is keen to remind us that “specs are boring”, the internals of the OnePlus 2 are anything but: a Snapdragon 810 processor, the best that Qualcomm has to offer; a probably over-the-top 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, and a 1080p 5.5-inch screen. That’s the same specs as the screen on the OnePlus One, but we’re promised a screen that’s far brighter and better to look at.
The most important spec for OnePlus has always been price. The original OnePlus One was $300, about half of the $650 asking price for an off-contract flagship phone. The Two bumps that up a little: $390 for the top-of-the-line, 4GB RAM/64GB memory version, or $330 for 2GB/16GB.
The new camera is also being played up as a big deal — a 13MP shooter with optical image stabilization, specially fast laser autofocus, and a sensor with larger-than-usual 1.3 micron pixels, for better low-light performance.
Other items of note: the row of buttons at the bottom of the screen are customizable, and there’s a new Alert Slider, a hardware toggle to switch between no notifications, vibration, and audible notifications while the phone is in your pocket. Without having seen it, I already love the sound of that. There’s also a fingerprint sensor, and a USB-C connector with a reversible USB-A connector on the other end of the charging cable.
Launch is scheduled for August 17; in the meantime, go stoke the hype with our hands-on.