OnePlus 2 – Everything you need to know
Although OnePlus 2 is not officially launched yet, we will try to provide you a roundup of what is known about the phone. OnePlus has mentioned that they will leak specifications of the phone bit by bit. We know that the phone will be launched by 27th of July globally in a VR (virtual reality event), first of its kind in the world. This VR event will allow you to stand next to the OnePlus team and fans as if in reality.
The Blueprint
Technically, OnePlus 2 is touted to be one of the cheapest phone featuring Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, and the most affordable Quad HD smartphone. The finer details of the phones are not yet out, but we do know from announcements made by OnePlus that the phone will sport a decent 5.5 inch screen with a 3,300 mAh battery. This will make it larger than most of the phablet batteries. Finally, the back cover will be replaceable with ‘StyleSwap’ covers for added customization.
Display
Rumors
suggest that the phone may sport a 5.5 inch screen with 1080p screen resolution similar to the current one. However, according to two leak image posted on Know your mobile by OnePlus, there is a OnePlus 2 below the OnePlus One. This means that probably the phone will have almost zero bezel thickness and probably the phone will be a bit smaller than the current phone without compromising on the screen size.
Camera
This phone will come equipped with a 16MP rear shooter and a 5MP selfie snapper. Not much details are currently available on the camera but most likely it will follow footsteps of its predecessor.
Hardware and Performance
As mentioned above the phone will come equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor with 4GB LPDDR4 RAM, USB Type C and a fingerprint scanner. Most of these details have been confirmed by the company itself. LPDDR4 RAM is the mobile equivalent of DDR4 RAM which can be found on current PCs, and is primed to take full advantage of 64-bit processors like the Snapdragon 810.
This type of RAM offers a number of benefits including better battery life (the LP in LPDDR4 stands for 'low-power') and faster load times compared to other memory types.
In another one of the firsts, OnePlus 2 will sport a Type C USB port.
The new USB C type port will support power, data transfer and 4k video output. This new USB interface carries USB 3 speeds and was recently introduced on Google Chromebook Pixel. The earlier USB’s were only helpful in transferring data or power, this new C type port will allow 4K video output as well.
Software
OnePlus 2 will use company’s own OxygenOS, rather than Cynogen. Company says that this will allow them to better interface with users and bring in new features at a faster rate than earlier. This will also allow the company to reduce their turnaround time in case of any user feedback. Integration between hardware, software and cloud will become more seamless in this case.
"With a familiar shape and design, the OxygenOS logo is dominated by red, contrasting the negative space that characterizes the OnePlus logo. Together, these designs represent the harmony between hardware and software, working to create a perfect balance within the OnePlus ecosystem," said OnePlus.
Security – Touch ID
OnePlus 2 will also sport a fingerprint scanner. Jury is still out as to what will be the position of the scanner, front screen or on the back panel. But one thing is sure that the company confirmed that this feature will be available on the phones. The OnePlus 2 will be capable of storing five different prints to access five different user profiles (or five fingers of the same person).
According to the announcement on the OnePlus forum, the OnePlus 2 fingerprint scanner will be twice as fast as Apple's TouchID.
The company explained its rationale in one of its forums, “In the past, fingerprint sensors were great in concept, but the technology was just not quite there yet. They could be inaccurate and often times took longer than it would take to just enter a password manually. In a nutshell, fingerprint scanners were tacked on to a phone just to hop on the “me too” bandwagon. A selling point, not a useful feature. We could’ve done this with the One, but we felt it
was better to wait.
With the OnePlus 2, the fingerprint sensor is done right. It’s refined and lightning quick, unlocking your device faster than TouchID. The average person checks their phone over 200 times per day. If you spend just three seconds inputting a PIN number or pattern, that’s over an hour of your time gone each week.
On the OnePlus 2, one quick tap takes you right to your home screen. With the ability to store up to five fingerprint profiles, it’s fast, it’s safe, and it’s secure. Your smartphone is your most personal device, and its security should be personal, too.
A flagship phone deserves flagship features, and security shouldn’t have to be traded for convenience. With one of the fastest sensors on the market, you can rest well knowing that all of your information is conveniently secure. It’s just one of the ways we’re making the OnePlus 2 more impressive, thoughtful, and versatile.”
Conclusion
In a nutshell, OnePlus is continuing with its trend of being a “Flagship Killer”. With an attractive pricing as is OnePlus known for, this smart phone will become a real eye candy as soon as it is launch. Plus, due to the technological features introduced, this might turn out to be a future safe phone. If you are looking out for an extremely capable device without burning a hole in your pocket, your search ends here. But as the company has mentioned that it will follow an invite only sales with OnePlus 2 as well, you need to get started right away on getting an invite!