Tonight, OnePlus finally showed the world the device that will take the company into the future. Carl Pei, the leader of OnePlus, was joined by various employees and fans in a pre-recorded virtual reality launch event. Everyone participating in the introduction of the OnePlus 2 provided a detailed explanation of why the device features a particular component and how the user benefits from it.
The exterior of the OnePlus 2 is what gives it a premium look and feel. And, honestly, the build quality is likely going to be what makes this phone as high-end as OnePlus expects it to be. The OnePlus 2 is constructed from a “strong and lightweight” metal. The buttons and ports along the sides of the OnePlus 2 are pretty simple. The left and right sides feature the power button, volume rocker, SIM card slot (with dual SIM support), and alert slider. The latter is what will allow users to control which incoming notifications provide sound or vibration. The bottom of the OnePlus 2 has a USB Type-C port for both charging and data transfer.
Keeping up with the trend of large displays, OnePlus opted to use a 5.5-inch display. But the resolution (at least on paper) does not compare with the Samsung Galaxy S6 and LG G4. Those two devices have Quad HD (2560×1440) displays while the OnePlus 2 remains at Full HD (1920×1080). The company explained that bringing in additional pixels “brings nothing to the user experience.” Furthermore, during the launch event, someone from OnePlus stated that the technology “isn’t there” for Quad HD to bring any benefits.
Below the display on the OnePlus 2 is a fingerprint sensor that stores up to five unique fingerprints with quick processing time.
The camera is vastly improved compared to the original OnePlus One, an area that received many wanted to see changed this time around. OnePlus is using a 13MP camera with last focus and optical image stabilization that apparently takes less than 0.3 seconds to produce a photograph without blur or fuzziness. The camera is capable of capturing video in 120 frames per second.
The processor inside is indeed Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 paired with 4GB of RAM. The phone will draw its power from a 3300mAh battery.
Once again, OnePlus has a device with a clean version of Android that also has a few areas of customization. OxygenOS returns, likely based on Android 5.1 Lollipop, alongside different color modes that change accent colors throughout the operating system. The OnePlus 2 also supports custom icon packs, icon grid resizing, and various LED indicator settings.
Color options will start with Sandstone Black and expands over time. OnePlus has four StyleSwap covers to choose from as well: Bamboo, Black Apricot, Rosewood, and Kevlar.
When it came down to pricing, though, OnePlus shied away from speaking up… for a few minutes. The company ended its livestream just after bashing Samsung, Apple, and LG for pricing their flagship devices at $700 or more. Shortly after, OnePlus announced that the OnePlus 2 will cost $329 for the 16GB model and $389 for the 64GB model.
People located in the United States, Canada, India, European Union, and China can purchase the OnePlus 2 on August 11. Countries in southeast Asia will unfortunately have to wait until the final quarter of 2015. Prior to that date, starting on July 31, the company will operate nine pop-up experience stores around the world to meet OnePlus employees and test the OnePlus 2.
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