OnePlus 2 review: the ultra-cheap 'flagship smartphone killer'

OnePlus dazzled reviewers last year when it released a fully-featured smartphone at a fraction of the usual cost. Consequently, its successor, the OnePlus 2, arrives with high expectations and an invite-only ordering system. So is it worth putting your name on the list to try to get one?

OnePlus 2 design

At first glance, the OnePlus 2 looks very similar to its predecessor, says The Verge. "It's still the same 5.5-inch device, but the body material is significantly nicer this time – most of the frame is made of aluminium, but the back keeps the textured, grippy material featured on last year's phone."The slim smartphone offers a number of different wooden backing options, as well as two more conventional-looking black finishes."The handset in general was immediately eye-catching," TechRadar says, "and while it doesn't have the smooth metallic frame of other phones, it doesn't suffer as a result."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

OnePlus 2 screen

The 5.5inch 1920x1080 resolution screen on the OnePlus 2 is essentially identical to its predecessor. So why did the company choose not to upgrade its display? Essentially, higher-end displays require more energy, meaning shorter battery life, Android Authority explains, so in fact "some users out there will be fine with this trade-off."

OnePlus 2 specs

Where the OnePlus 2 really shines is its high-end specs at an affordable price. The smartphone comes with a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chip, and either 16GB of storage with 3GB of RAM or 64GB of storage with 4GB of RAM, depending on how much you wish to pay. Either way, the device is "lightning fast", Tech Radar says. The device also has a fingerprint scanner, similar to its top-of-the-range rivals.

OnePlus 2 camera

The OnePlus 2's main camera has a 13-megapixel sensor with optical image stabilisation, offering crisp, high-quality pictures. The camera also has a laser focusing system and two-tone flash, similar to more recent Apple phones. The front-facing camera is pretty smart too, with a 5-megapixel sensor that should mean sharp Skype chats and decent selfies. That back camera also includes a two-tone flash and a laser focusing system.

OnePlus 2 price

Most so-called "flagship" smartphones cost upwards of £500. The iPhone 6 starts at £539, while the 6 Plus comes in at £619. The Samsung Galaxy S6 is £559 and the curved-screen S6 Edge is a whopping £749. By comparison, the OnePlus 2 will start from £239 for the 16GB model or £289 for the 64GB model, the Daily Express reports. The catch is that to buy one, you have to be invited, but OnePlus promises that it has ironed out its waiting list system, with a larger initial inventory and an improved distribution system.

OnePlus 2 verdict

With its sharp display, high-quality camera, laser autofocus, fingerprint scanner and lightning quick processor, the OnePlus 2 has "done something utterly remarkable", says Tech Radar. It rivals the best offerings from Samsung, Apple, Sony and LG "and yet does it for half the price."