OnePlus 2 Review: First Impressions Of Killership Provocative Smartphone

Earlier this week I received a review sample of the latest smartphone from OnePlus. The OnePlus 2 is the follow-up to one of the most critically acclaimed smartphones of 2014, and like many others I’ve been eager to see if the Shenzhen-based manufacturer can capture lightning in a bottle for a second time.

I want to spend some time with this handset before giving the OnePlus 2 the full review treatment, but before then I wanted to write a little bit about the handset, my first impressions, and if it is worth considering a purchase. Think of this article as the snap decision, the emotional feel of the OnePlus 2, before a more detailed approach to the handset in the next few weeks.

There’s no doubt that the OnePlus 2 is a big phone. It’s not quite a phablet, although if I was feeling argumentative I’d be happy to fight its corner as the smallest phablet around. The 5.5 inch screen matches the size of Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus 5.5 inch screen, and both are full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixel resolution). The screen uses an LCD display, which means colors will be a little less vibrant when compared to the Galaxy S6 handset, but this has been compensated for with a brighter backlight giving the OnePlus 2 a sharp and easy to read display. That brightness does not have as wide a viewing angle as the pixel elements, so if you are viewing from the side you will still see a sharp image, but not as bright as viewing head on.

OnePlus has done its best to minimize the screen size, with relatively thin bezels on the side of the handset. There’s a larger footprint above and below the screen, making the handset feel quite tall – although when watching videos it does give me a handy place to rest my thumbs.

I’m reviewing the ‘sandstone black’ colored handset, which offers a black bezel and a dark grey cover on the back. This back cover has a deliberately rough texture, feeling like the surface of a nail file, which offers a great tactile feel and excellent grip. With the OnePlus 2 being a large handset that’s important, the rough surface combined with the gentle curve allows the OnePlus 2 to sit comfortably in my hand without raising my anxiety levels about dropping the handset.

Remove the cover and you’ll see that there’s not much going on, with only a NanoSim tray accessible. Pull out the tray and you’ll find that the OnePlus 2 supports dual-SIM operation out of the box, which I’m happy to see. I’ve no doubt alternative covers will be available in different colors and materials in the near future (OnePlus’ business model relies on higher margins on peripherals to make up for the razor-thin margin on the handset). There are two charging pins hidden under the back cover, so I’m hopeful that a QI enabled wireless charging cover will be available in the future (preferably in orange, in which case count me in).

For a handset that is built around the slogan of ‘never settle’ and maxing out the specifications at a competitive price, the lack of Qi charging is a personal disappointment. The OnePlus 2 also lacks the ‘quick charging’ hardware present in many other modern flagships. With a fixed 3300 mAh battery the OnePlus 2 should have more endurance than most handsets, but the longer and less convenient recharge time might be a hindrance. I’ll be taking notes over the next week on this issue.

One point around charging that’s already got me thinking is the charging cable. The OnePlus 2 is one of the first smartphones to ship with USB-C, and that means the variety of chargers and portable batteries I have are all reliant on this single cable. It’s bright red, so I’m not going to lose it in a hurry, but just as I have to keep a careful eye on the lightning cable location for my iPhone, the OnePlus 2 adds a touch of worry… at least until USB-C becomes more prevalent.

Other hardware specifications on the OnePlus 2 are high. My review unit sports 64 GB of on board storage and a 16 GB unit is also available. With no MicroSD support, I would find it hard to recommend the smaller capacity device.

4 GB of RAM in the 64 GB handset gives the Android-based OS lots of room to breath in, and while that might not be a key factor right now, over the expected two years of life the extra RAM could become one of the key features that provides longevity for the handset (it’s worth noting the 16 GB handset ships with 3 GB of RAM). OnePlus has shipped the handset with the SnapDragon 810, providing 64-bit computing and a 1.8 GHz Octa-core CPU which sits alongside the Adreno 430 GPU. In terms of raw numbers the OnePlus 2 should be a beast of a smartphone.

How that works out in practice will be another area for me to consider. The first day has shown the combination to work surprisingly well, with no obvious lag and able to handle complicated applications and games.