OnePlus 2

Last year, when it launched its first phone, OnePlus frustrated many buyers by having an invite-only system. Part of the frustration was waiting, the other part was having no idea when you would actually get an invite. A friend who had managed to buy one, or a forum member would have to send an invite in order for you to be able to give the company your money for a phone.

This year, OnePlus kept the invite system for the OnePlus 2 but also introduced a reservation list. Although you’d still have to wait for an invite, at least you’d know you were on a list to receive one eventually. That reservation list will soon close…

Unboxing and comparing all the OnePlus 2 StyleSwap covers [Video]

Cam Bunton Oct 12 2015 - 3:03 pm PT

When OnePlus released its first smartphone, it also launched a bamboo StyleSwap Cover, giving you the option to go with a wooden back to replace the standard plastic one. To say it was tricky to install would be something of an understatement. This year, the company’s learned its lesson and released a cover which is much easier to install and comes in four different flavors. I unboxed them all, applied them and compared them…

OnePlus’ rumored ‘X’ budget handset leaks again, this time pictured by the FCC

Stephen Hall Oct 9 2015 - 11:30 am PT

The OnePlus One

OnePlus has a budget handset on the way, and just this morning, Pete Lau, the company’s co-founder, came out on Weibo to tease the device. We don’t know much about the phone yet, but we do know that OnePlus has an announcement to make in India on October 12th. We’ll probably see the company’s third phone announced at this event, and if these FCC images are to be believed as credible, we might now have our first look at the device in the flesh…
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OnePlus 2 available without an invite for an hour on October 12 in Open Sales event

Cam Bunton Oct 9 2015 - 2:00 am PT

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Despite its faltering launch and initial struggle to get enough inventory in place, it seems OnePlus has its manufacturing and shipping process organized enough to open up sales for the OnePlus 2 to everyone. For one hour, of one day next week, customers will be able to order a OnePlus 2 without an invite…

Budget OnePlus ‘X’ could feature Snapdragon 801, 5-inch display

Cam Bunton Sep 30 2015 - 8:38 am PT

OnePlus first announced a couple of months back that it will be releasing a second phone this year. It confirmed that it wouldn’t be a flagship-killing OnePlus 3, but rather, a more budget-friendly smartphone. We’ve already seen some sketchy render leaks, and today further details have seemingly been revealed.

GizmoChina — which has a somewhat hit-and-miss reputation when it comes to rumors — has heard from its sources that the OnePlus ‘X’ will be powered by a Snapdragon 801 processor, the same found inside the original OnePlus One. The device could also feature a 5-inch display, although the publication seems unsure whether it’s going to be 720p or 1080p resolution. Either way, with last year’s flagship chip inside, it should easily offer fast and fluid performance, especially given how light and smooth OnePlus’ Oxygen OS is.

We’re expecting OnePlus to release the device in time for the holiday shopping season, and GizmoChina states that we could see an announcement as soon as next month. Pricing could be around $249, and we’d be surprised if it was any more than. If it’s too close to the $329 price point of the OnePlus 2, it’ll surely make the device redundant.

OnePlus founder Carl Pei’s latest baffling move (or marketing stunt?): Asking Samsung for internship

Cam Bunton Sep 30 2015 - 4:57 am PT

OnePlus’ approach to market has always been a little unorthodox. Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether they’re criminally great marketers or just a little “out there”. Either way, whatever they do, it seems to work from them. Most of that seems to come from Carl Pei, the company’s co-founder, whose approach to business, and perhaps life in general, raises eyebrows…

Xiaomi Mi 4c officially announced, features Snapdragon 808 chip, 5-inch 1080p display and USB Type-C for under $205

Cam Bunton Sep 22 2015 - 3:18 am PT

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Xiaomi has a growing reputation for releasing smartphones with impressive spec lists and features for very affordable prices. Its latest “flagship” was unveiled just a short while ago and features some flagship matching specs, but with a price that’s far below what you’d expect it to be…

OxygenOS 2.1.0 update for OnePlus 2 rolling out w/ manual camera controls, screen color temperature slider, more

Cam Bunton Sep 21 2015 - 8:19 am PT

OnePlus has announced via its blog that it’s going to be rolling out an important OTA software update for its OnePlus 2 users. OxygenOS 2.1.0 for OnePlus 2 will be pushed to a small percentage of users today, with a wider rollout beginning tomorrow…
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Third OnePlus smartphone allegedly shows up in sketchy render leak

Cam Bunton Sep 21 2015 - 3:02 am PT

Pinch of salt at the ready? A leaked render published this morning seemingly shows what OnePlus’ second phone of the year will look like, and it seems a bit of a change from the angular, flat frames and edges of the current devices. At least, it does from the back. From the front, the renders look very familiar; with the chrome-finished edges surrounding a large, flat, glossy black panel.

From the back, the smartphone seems to be a solid piece of plastic with slightly rounded edges and corners. The bottom edge looks to be hosting a USB Type-C connector, flanked by two identical sets of machined holes, presumably for the microphone and single loudspeaker like the OnePlus 2.

OnePlus now sells a $100 handmade leather case for the OnePlus 2

Stephen Hall Sep 15 2015 - 8:19 am PT

OnePlus came out on Google+ a couple days ago to tease “something luxurious” (and no, we didn’t cover it at the time because we aren’t going to simply regurgitate all of the company’s endless marketing ploys), and now that “something” is available for purchase. Apparently, it’s a $100 leather case, handmade and built specifically to fit the OnePlus 2…

The case comes from a company by the name of Hard Graft, known for its premium accessories for a variety of smartphones. It’s “handmade in Italy,” built with “buttery soft leather,” and comes with a couple pockets for storing credit cards and cash. And while it’s currently “Out of Stock,” you’ll be able to grab one from the OnePlus store for $99 + shipping.

My first instinct is to criticize OnePlus because, well, it’s really easy to do. But this isn’t the kind of thing that OnePlus deserves criticism for. These kind of cases are more than popular in (majority) iPhone part market, and it makes sense that OnePlus would try to capture some of those kind of buyers on the Android side. The company’s website definitely looks familiar, too.

OnePlus co-founder apologizes for month-long delay in shipping OnePlus 2 handsets: “we messed up”

Ben Lovejoy Sep 11 2015 - 4:59 am PT

OnePlus may have created a “new and improved” reservation system for the OnePlus 2, but that doesn’t seem to have helped would-be customers get hold of them. With more than two million customers waiting for them, the company’s co-founder Carl Pei has admitted in a support forum post that the company “messed up” the launch, with almost a month-long delay in shipping.

We messed up the launch of the OnePlus 2 […] We made rosy plans. We were more confident, and prepared a lot more inventory. We told our users it would be 30-50x easier to get invites, and they needn’t worry. Yet, we only began shipping in meaningful quantities this week, nearly a month after our initial targeted shipping date. You can talk all you want, but in the end, flawless execution speaks much louder than unfulfilled promises. I’d like to apologize on behalf of OnePlus for the delay.

We had mixed views on the OnePlus 2 here. Dom Esposito was impressed with the phone, Stephen Hall less happy with the lack of quick-charge and NFC.

Via Engadget

Roundup: 5 best ‘disruptive’ Android phones – flagship specs without the price tag

Cam Bunton Sep 9 2015 - 6:12 am PT

I won’t lie, in recent months I’ve found the traditional flagship smartphone market decidedly boring. Although phones from the likes of LG, Samsung, HTC and Sony are all steadily improving all they time and — by all accounts — are very good phones, they all cost a small fortune. The price of flagships from the “big” manufacturers can be anywhere between $500-$900, which is a heck of a lot to spend on a small pocket computer. With the prices steadily rising, it’s created the perfect opportunity for smaller companies to take advantage and release great devices that cost less. In my mind, if it’s below $400 full retail, has a full HD (or better) display and an octa-core processor, that makes it a flagship killing, disruptive smartphone…

Moto X Play Review: A serious mid-tier phone without the flagship features and price [Video]

Cam Bunton Sep 4 2015 - 12:11 pm PT

As far as the major manufacturers go, Motorola is one of the few trying to push the boundaries of what we should expect to get for our money. It wants to give us the best mobile Android experience possible for each price range. The Moto G is the king of the low-end phones and the Moto X has been a wonderful high-end phone. The Moto X Play sort of sits in between, and despite not being absolutely perfect, it’s a very good phone overall.

Review: The OnePlus 2 is an integer away from the perfect flagship killer [Video]

Dom Esposito Aug 20 2015 - 11:44 am PT

It’s no surprise that the OnePlus One was a huge hit. Flagship specs at a mid-range price wasn’t something normal for the mobile industry. OnePlus made waves with this “flagship killer’s” announcement more than 15 months ago, and now its much-anticipated successor is available for purchase (if you can get your hands on an invite), but does the OnePlus 2 live up to the hype? Let’s go ahead and find out…
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OnePlus let more than 200 people line up to buy 20 OnePlus 2 units in Paris

Stephen Hall Aug 12 2015 - 8:48 am PT

OnePlus is just having too much fun marketing the OnePlus 2. In their latest stunt, the company invited the public to a special launch of the device at colette Paris. “We’ll be there from 11:00 am until the OnePlus 2 is sold out. It’s a very limited stock sale, so be sure to come early,” the company said. More than 200 people came out, according to a post on the company’s forum. It seems OnePlus really meant it when they said “very limited stock sale,” though…
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OnePlus 2 shipments delayed 2-3 weeks for United States and Canada

Tom Maxwell Aug 10 2015 - 10:52 am PT

OnePlus may have increased manufacturing capacity this year in preparation for the launch of its successor to the OnePlus One, the OnePlus 2, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely ironed out its processes: North American customers will have to wait a little longer to receive their phones.

In a post to its community forums, a staff member of OnePlus today said that “due to production schedules,” shipments to the United States and Canada will begin 2-3 weeks after shipments to Europe. We’re not sure exactly what this means and why it’s the case, but hiccups in the manufacturing process happen regularly before the release of new products, even to large companies like Samsung and Apple.

OnePlus says that customers in North America will still be able to place their orders starting tomorrow, August 11th, though. That’s if you even have an invite to buy one, which you’ll need. The waitlist to get yourself an invite if you weren’t an early adopter of the OnePlus One is 3 million people strong, however, so these shipment delays shouldn’t even impact you if aren’t fortunate enough to have one. Sans-invite purchases will open up at some point weeks or months after the phone goes on sale tomorrow.

OnePlus 2 reservations hit 2 million, would-be customers unimpressed

Ben Lovejoy Aug 6 2015 - 6:10 am PT

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OnePlus has tweeted that it has now notched up two million reservations for the OnePlus 2, just a week after it hit the 1M mark. Would-be customers, however, seem unimpressed by the number, with many replies asking the company to focus less on celebrating the number and more on meeting demand for the phone …
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OnePlus auctioning OnePlus 2 invites on eBay for charity

Cam Bunton Aug 5 2015 - 2:22 am PT

In a blog post this morning, OnePlus announced that it is auctioning off 100 OnePlus 2 invites on eBay with the proceeds going towards the UNICEF Tap Project. Fifty invites have already landed on OnePlus’ official eBay shop with the other fifty due to hit the store a little later.

All invites are for the 64GB Sandstone Black OnePlus 2 and the auctions work just like any regular eBay auction. Winning bidders will be sent the invites by email and once received, will be able to use those to immediately go and buy one the new OnePlus 2 handsets from the manufacturer’s store. All invites will be sent out on August 10th and unlike regular invites, winning bidders will have an entire month to purchase the phone. With the reservation list having already hit the 1 million mark, there will surely be a number of people clamoring to get an invite any way they can.

Part of this move was in order to combat the invites which would unofficially make their way to eBay. In the past, people have been selling their OnePlus invites online and pocketing the pure profit. With this strategy, OnePlus doesn’t just open up a more “official” way to buy invites, it’s also helping out an important cause.

UNICEF’s Tap Project was started to get clean, safe water to children in underprivileged areas and 100% of OnePlus’ eBay auction proceeds will go straight to the charity. If you’d like to, you can read more about the charity here. OnePlus Invite auctions on eBay last 5 days and — at time of writing — there are invites that have raised more than $500.

As promotional moves go, this is a hugely redeeming strategy from a company which has drawn so much negative attention over the past couple of years. Kudos, OnePlus.

Software engineering student ‘hacks’ OnePlus reservation system to jump the queue

Ben Lovejoy Aug 4 2015 - 4:00 am PT

A software engineering student has used a few lines of code to jump the queue for a OnePlus 2 invite, moving himself up from over 70,000 to position 1,694.

While queue-jumping isn’t something we’d generally condone, Jake Cooper said that his motivation here was to hit back at the way OnePlus encourages spam, by moving people up the queue when they email the link to others.

When the OnePlus Two rolled around, I made sure to be on the ball and put my email in early and secured position ~9000. However, with the invites for the OnePlus Two, OnePlus opted to allow users to jump the queue by referring their friends to the invite waitlist. Last night I checked my invite status and I was position > 70,000.

In a Medium post, Cooper explains how he used a few lines of Python to effectively spam a series of fake email addresses, and a little more code to obtain the confirmation URLs from those emails. The result was that, in the time it took him to get a cup of tea, he had moved up over 68,000 places in the queue.

The waitlist for an invite recently exceeded a million people. The company recently revealed that it will be releasing another model later this year, but gave no details on features or spec.

Via AndroidCentral

OnePlus: This year’s 2nd phone won’t be OnePlus 3, lack of NFC and Quick Charge for the best

Tom Maxwell Aug 3 2015 - 10:22 am PT

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Today in a Reddit AMA (“ask me anything”) held by four employees of OnePlus, the Chinese smartphone upstart fielded questions on everything from when VoLTE (voice-over-LTE) will be enabled in the OnePlus 2 to what exactly happened in its fallout with Android-focused blog Android Police. But the most interesting questions the four employees answered were in regards to why the new phone doesn’t include hardware features standard in other recently launched smartphones like NFC for touch-based payments or wireless charging.
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OnePlus founder: Third phone will be out before the end of the year

Cam Bunton Aug 3 2015 - 5:02 am PT

In a quick, but far-reaching, interview with USA Today, Carl Pei (OnePlus co-founder) states that his company will have a second phone out this year, hopefully in time for Christmas. He didn’t give any clues as to what the phone may or may not feature, but he did say it’d be a tough choice between using the OnePlus 2 or this unreleased phone as his daily driver.

The invite waitlist for OnePlus 2 purchases has surpassed one million people

Tom Maxwell Jul 30 2015 - 4:13 pm PT

OnePlus earlier this week finally took the wraps off the much anticipated OnePlus 2, the successor to the company’s first Android smartphone, the OnePlus One. And while the young Chinese company says it significantly increased manufacturing capacity for the 2 over the One, it still seems to believe that demand will initially outstrip supply. As such, once the OnePlus 2 launches on August 11th you’re likely to do some more waiting before you get it.
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OnePlus 2 vs iPhone 6: Hands-on comparison [Video]

Dom Esposito Jul 29 2015 - 10:05 am PT

3 Comments

Today we’re comparing Apples to Oranges. Well not really, but instead Apple’s iPhone 6 to OnePlus’s new flagship killer on the block. Question is, does the OnePlus 2 bring enough to the table in order to take on one of the most popular smartphones on the planet?