One Plus One: Simple Math
Self proclaimed “Flagship Killer” of 2014, it is about time you knew about the OnePlus One if you don't. OnePlus is a Chinese manufacturer that did not exist until six months ago, and their One Smartphone follows strictly the company philosophy of never settling for less. It boasts hardware specifications capable of putting the Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8 to shame and then some at a less than half price tag of $350. Except there's one catch, you can't just buy it if you want to.
Having read about it initially on Flipboard, I took to their forums looking for an invite to purchase the one. The incredibly complicated process requires the manufacturer to send you an invite through multiple contests to be able to buy one. Your invite specifies which of the White 16GB or the Sandstone Black 64 GB you get to purchase at $299 and $350 respectively, and despite always having preferred white phones to black ones, I was glad to have received the sandstone unit because such specifications would be a total waste with just 16 gigs. That being said, I still think the white one looks better.
My oneplus arrived a month later in a brilliant red-white packaging that took the unboxing experience to a different level. Everything meticulously detailed and finished, starting from the phone itself to the charger and the box. First impression is always dominated by the sheer size of this thing, with a 5.5 inch screen it stands taller and roughly just as wide as a Samsung Note 3. For average users like me, it does take getting a bit used to. Typing on the gargantuan screen is difficult for one handers, but you soon realise that the size is essential for a complete overall experience.
Design and construction is simple to the core, with great attention to detail and build quality that Samsung has still not been able to achieve in all of it's years in this market. The sandstone black finish with it's pebble like texture is unlike anything else i have seen on a handheld device and contributes to the grip and feel of it in your hand. Up front, the thin metallic plastic frame surrounding the screen dents quite easily as I was unfortunate to discover on the very first day. I also purchased an orange plastic cover accessory on their website, which albeit decent looking, has started to crack and break bits off within a month or two. If you are to get one, i'd suggest you purchase them from Amazon.
The One runs on an operating system called Cyanogenmod, which is a version of the latest Android OS extensively tweaked to extract the absolute best performance for the hardware present. Cyanogenmod is key to the success and experience of this phone, and would require a lot of explanation so I suggest you do your own youtubing on it. In summary the operating system is completely smooth, free of any bloatware and infinite possibilities for customization. You can set it to match the interface of a Samsung, HTC or any android skin through Cyanogenmod. The large 3100 mAh Battery lasts more than a day up to a day and half through power saving settings. However, it all depends on the brightness of the screen which accounts to 60% of power consumption.
My key reason to purchase the oneplus was the camera. The 13 megapixel, 6 element Sony sensor is capable of competing with the likes of iPhone 5S and HTC One, reaping the benefits of Cyanogen's camera interface that allows different modes of shooting and even RAW image support through a later update. To stress on the capabilities enough, I have even substituted it for my DSLR to photograph a full review of the Mazda Axela on SHIFT. The resulting images were spectacular. The front facing camera too is a very high end unit sporting 5 megapixels with resulting images putting big shot selfie takers to shame. This phone makes photos in the dark look like child's play.
Verdict
The Oneplus initially reported a lot of bugs on the interwebs, none of which were present by the time I received mine thanks to Cyanogenmod's quick fixes and updates. The phone has been working flawlessly for a month and half now, getting better along the way with incremental updates and my impression of it has been similar to as the folks at Engadget put it, “It doesn't make sense that the OnePlus One should be this inexpensive”
SPECS
Display: LTPS LCD, 1080 x 1920, 5.5" (~401ppi)
Processor: Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400
OS: Android 4.4.2 (CyanogenMod 11S)
RAM: 3 GB, ROM: 16/64 GB
Camera: Primary- 13 MP dual-LED flash & Secondary- 5 MP, 1080p@30fps
Sensors: Motion sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity etc
Battery: Li-Po 3100 mAh
Price: 32GB Tk. 30,000-32,000/-
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