Today I received the OnePlus 2 and as I am sure you are all waiting to hear about this self-proclaimed “2016 Flagship Killer” I quickly put together an unboxing and first hands on impressions.
The OnePlus One was a phone that I didn’t fall for. I admit it was (and remains) a good phone, but it wasn’t a device that really got me going and I just didn’t feel completely happy with it, which is why I sold both OnePlus One I had.
Perhaps part of the reason I didn’t like the OPO so much was because I had really high expectations (and the fact the Vivo Xshot arrived on the same day and was a much better all round device). If expectation was a factor with the OnePlus One, the OnePlus 2 already has an advantage as I simply didn’t have any for the “2016 Flagship Killer”.
I am already throughly enjoying phones that are easier to buy, cheaper (in some cases) but I wonder, can the OnePlus 2 take me by surprise and become my daily driver?
OnePlus 2 Unboxing Video
OnePlus 2 hands on gallery
OnePlus 2 First Impressions
First impressions are good. I’m not blown away, but I’m not disappointed either. The first thing I am sure many of you are going to ask “is the OnePlus 2 as ugly in real life as it is in photos?”, the answer is “No,”. It’s won’t win many beauty contests, but it is far from ugly. The very good build quality and material choices really help the phone out.
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I’ve not used the phone much but what I can tell you is Hydrogen OS doesn’t have Google services, (but it should be very easy to solve) but the OS is very good-looking and clean. The performance seems good, but I’ve not really taxed the phone and need to get some games on it and use it for a day or so to see if the Snapdragon 810 lags in any way. There is a little heat generated when using the camera, but the alloy body of the OnePlus 2 really wicks the heat away very effectively.
Laser autofocus is good once I realised that it is only really effective at certain distances. Too close and it’s not notably faster than regular focus. At more distance the laser autofocus can be so fast you don’t even see the lens adjust its just instant. As I type this the evening is drawing in and I plan to go out and test the night capabilities so watch this space.
I’m impressed by the fingerprint scanner and surprised that the button isn’t actually a physical button but just a simple lens. Once set up you can wake and unlock the OnePlus 2 with a touch and it is very very fast and accurate.
Finally I also like the fact that the rear of the phone comes off much easier than it did on the OnePlus One, and I look forward to getting some nice wooden options to choose from.
Is there anything to complain about? At this point, no there isn’t. The OnePlus 2 is handsome, well made and more compact than the previous OnePlus 2. The performance is fast so far, and I am happy with the features I have tried. I can also happily report that the Chinese version of the OP2 works with Vodafone LTE in Spain.
The real test is how I will feel with the OnePlus 2 after a day/week of daily usage? Can the 2016 Flagship Killer replace my trusty and amazingly good LeTV Le1?
If you are interested in buying the OnePlus 2 without having to wait for an invite then read our 5 stores you can buy the OnePlus 2 without an invitation article.