OnePlus 2: The Budget-Friendly Alternative to the iPhone

Let’s face it: Smartphones are expensive. Off contract, the best phones on the market can put a serious hurt on your wallet. To take just two examples, the entry-level versions of Apple’s iPhone 6 and Samsung’s Galaxy S6 both cost north of $650.

That’s why the latest smartphone from Chinese handset maker OnePlus is so impressive. The follow-up to last year’s OnePlus One, the aptly (if unimaginatively) named OnePlus 2 not only packs the same kind of impressive features as the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6, but it does so at an unsubsidized starting price of just $330.

Display and design

Available starting Aug. 11, the OnePlus 2 comes with a 5.5-inch, 1080p display, which is larger than (though just as sharp as) the iPhone 6’s 4.7-inch screen and the Galaxy S6’s 5-inch panel.

And while the OnePlus One is saddled with a rather bland design, the OnePlus 2 will be available with optional wooden and Kevlar back panels.

Android with a twist

Like the OnePlus One, the OnePlus 2 runs a modified version of Google’s Android operating system. But whereas the OnePlus One ran the popular CyanogenMod, the OnePlus 2 features the company’s own OxygenOS.

OnePlus says the new operating system will give you a “pure Android experience,” which means it won’t be packed with all of those extra apps and themes that companies like Samsung and LG load on their Android phones.

Power and performance

Beyond its large display and new OS, the OnePlus 2 also comes with a super-fast processor and 4GB of memory, which means the low-cost handset should be able to run apps and games at speeds comparable to its more expensive contemporaries’. Storage options include the base 16GB model and a 64GB option that costs $389.

Camera

Of course, as with any new smartphone, a great camera is a must. The original OnePlus One’s was a bit of a letdown, especially when compared to the competition.

But the OnePlus 2 gets a new 13-megapixel camera, with optical image stabilization (OIS) to help make sure that photos look sharp even if the camera shakes.

USB Type-C

The OnePlus 2 is also among the first smartphones in the world to come equipped with the new USB Type-C connector. Unlike the micro-USB cable used by most Android smartphones or Apple’s Lightning cable, USB Type-C not only lets you charge your phone and transfer data from it to your PC, it also lets you use your phone to charge your laptop.

The cable can also carry video signals, so you’ll be able to use it to connect your phone to your TV to stream movies. Oh, and all USB-Type C devices use the same cable, so you’ll be able to cut back on that rat’s nest you carry around in your bag.

Fingerprint reader

Like the Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6, the OnePlus 2 comes with a built-in fingerprint reader for unlocking the phone. But while Apple’s and Samsung’s phones let you use their fingerprint readers in conjunction with their mobile payment apps to buy items at brick-and-mortar stores, OnePlus hasn’t said if it will provide a similar option.

Stay tuned for our full review of the OnePlus 2 in the coming weeks.