OnePlus 2 review

Introduction

So, another flagship killer means a) the original left some unfinished business or b) OnePlus ran out of smart taglines. It would've made little sense to OnePlus to revise the job description but, while the OnePlus 2 is clearly superior it lacks one thing the original had, the benefit of surprise.

It's what got OnePlus into the flagship club and it seems the Chinese are now playing by the club's rules rather than trying to break them. Fair enough, we know they're good at the latter. Time to see them in their new role.

To begin with, the OnePlus 2 is clearly more sophisticated. Still a big handset but looking better than its predecessor. It uses some of the best tech currently available and the latest Android OS, while the breakup with CyanoGen is another sign of the company's emancipation. Not a decision that will get everyone's approval but perhaps OnePlus are confident enough to pursue their own brand of skinning Android.

OnePlus started as a rebel company with the single goal of stirring up the flagship segment. The OnePlus One was not just a premium phone at an affordable price - it was good at creating hype and pretty much managed to justify it. The "Never Settle" startup is now a household name, quite an accomplishment in a single generation. Things have been set up nicely for the arrival of the OnePlus 2 but it's got plenty to live up to.

Key features

• 5.5" LTPS display with 1080p resolution; 401ppi; Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset; CPU: 4x Cortex-A57 at 1.8GHz and 4x Cortex-A53 at 1.5GHz; Adreno 430 GPU; 3GB (16GB model) or 4GB (64GB model) of RAM
• 13MP main camera with dual-LED flash, optical image stabilization, laser-assisted auto-focus
• 4K video capture at 30fps; 1080p video capture at 30fps; 720p video capture at 120fps
• 5MP front-facing camera, 1080p at 30fps video recording
• Oxygen 2.0 OS based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop; Android M features
• 16GB or 64GB of built-in storage
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE; UMTS/HSPA+; 4G LTE Cat.4 connectivity
• Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; Bluetooth 4.1; USB 2.0 type-C port; GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS
• Dual-microphone active noise canceling
• Attractive price tag
• Customizable exterior via a selection of extra StyleSwap covers
• 3,300mAh non-removable battery

Main disadvantages

• No microSD expansion
• Non-removable battery
• USB Type-C is still rather new and may require extra adapters
• CPU downclocked to address Snapdragon 810 cooling issues
• No NFC
• No Quick Charging or wireless charging
• Though OnePlus promises a lot less hassle with invites, the stock is likely to be limited

The sequel improves on the design with metal accents and ups the horsepower with a Snapdragon 810 chipset. The main camera now has optical image stabilization and laser-assisted AF, a fingerprint sensor incorporated in a capacitive Home button. OnePlus also promises a more straightforward invitation process and says is better stocked to meet demand.

Design and build quality

The OnePlus does well to tastefully improve a familiar design. The magnesium alloy frame is a strong but not overdone accent, while the back of the phone has a texture called Sandstone Black just as before but the finish and texture are somewhat different and more plastic compared to the OnePlus One. And for good reason, the old texture was a love and hate affair.

Aluminum sides have a smooth anodized finish and subtle chamfered edges. The dark antenna cutouts are discrete and don't detract from the appearance and the bottom has beautifully machined holes placed symmetrically on either side of the USB Type-C port.

Display

Just like its predecessor, the OnePlus 2 comes with a Japan Display-made 5.5" screen of 1080 x 1920 resolution for a pixel density of 401ppi, still a pleasingly sharp, even at this diagonal. While QHD is getting common by the day and would've made a difference in web pages, we still prefer the 1080p screens as the lower resolution as it's less taxing on the performance and battery, while still being adequately sharp.

The display is an LTPS unit, a low temperature polysilicon LCD, meaning it shouldn't heat up too much even with the brightness cranked up for long periods of time. The LCD is also an IPS unit, which should offer wide viewing angles. Finally, the screen is covered by the new Gorilla Glass 3 for extra protection.

Naturally, the LCD has a standard RGB (red, green, blue) matrix with equally-sized sub-pixels of each color.

Battery life

OnePlus 2 is powered by a non-removable 3,300mAh battery, which means 6.5% more power juice than the original. Coupled with the brighter screen and the upgraded hardware, it's hard to make any predictions so we settled down to our trademark test.

The OnePlus 2 did improve the 3G talk time, but didn't impress in the video playback and web browsing tests. The standby performance turned out quite poor (less than the OnePlus One), which led to an overall decrease of the final endurance rating.

Despite our concerns, the OnePlus 2 scored a respectable overall rating of 61 hours - the expected time between charges if you use the device for an hour each of calls, browsing and video playback a day.