OnePlus 2 review roundup: how does the new flagship hold up?

Techradar

“Come on, Apple and Samsung - this is how it should be done” writes Lily Prasuethsut for TechRadar. “OnePlus has done something utterly remarkable here: created a fingerprint sensor to rival Samsung and Apple, a screen to take on Sony, a laser autofocus that steps up to LG and a build quality that elevates it above most of its other rivals, yet does it for half the price.”

High praise indeed. TechRadar is seemingly sold on what the OnePlus Two offers at the price point.

The OnePlus 2 from all sides. / © OnePlus

Engadget

Engadget wrote an in-depth feature on the OnePlus 2, and made some telling comments about the display: “If you place the One and 2 side by side, you should notice the improvement. But by itself, the OnePlus 2's display didn't strike us as particularly noteworthy at first glance. It's certainly brighter than most smartphones in its class (about 600 nits of brightness, we're told), but brightness alone won't necessarily make it stand out.”

The OnePlus 2 comes with a choice of rear covers. / © OnePlus

The display may be a sore point for some users, given that it sticks to the Full-HD resolution of its predecessor. Engadget was keen to highlight what it's improved with its camera, though. 

“Camera-wise, don't be fooled by the same 13-megapixel and f/2.0 specs," writes Richard Lai, "because the real upgrade lies within the pixel density: a generous 1.3um instead of the common but smaller 1.12um for this resolution, meaning it's more capable in dark environments and therefore [takes] fewer blurry shots.”

The Verge

In some early impressions from The Verge, Nathan Ingraham wrote: "While most of these specs are pretty standard fare for a high-end smartphone, the price remains anything but: the 16 GB model will retail for $329, while the 64 GB version will go for $389. That’s more than last year’s model, but after spending some time with the phone, I feel like the price increase is justified for what you get."

The Verge’s feature was generally positive. Ingraham said that OnePlus’ software implementation was "graceful and minimalist," and that the fingerprint scanner did indeed "work as advertised".

The OnePlus 2 camera comes with a 13 MP sensor. / © OnePlus

Gizmodo

Finally Sean Hollister, writing for Gizmodo, says the OnePlus 2 is “so good, it makes me want to leave Verizon,” adding “the moment you touch this phone, you won’t believe it costs just $330. Why? Because in terms of materials and build quality, it’s only a stone’s throw away from the best you can buy”

We’ll have our hands-on OnePlus 2 review up tomorrow, once we’ve had a chance to fully test the device. The initial response has been generally positive, but what’s your opinion? Let us know in the comments below

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Moto X Style review: right look, great price [hands-on]

Good

• ✓Excellent build quality
• ✓Front camera with above-average performance thanks to thermal flash performance
• ✓MicroSD card support up to 128 GB

 

Bad

• ✕The 5.7-inch display may be too large for some users

Motorola Moto X Style release date and price

As stated above, the launch event of the third generation Moto X Style took place today (28/07) in São Paulo, where Motorola also introduced the Moto G 2015 and the Moto X Play. According to company executives, the new Moto X Style will come to the domestic and international markets in September this year. The phone will cost US$399, making the Style, which will be called the Moto X Pure Edition in the US, about US$200-$300 cheaper than current flagships from Samsung and Apple.

Motorola Moto X Style design and build quality

The Moto X Style has a 5.7-inch display, so it is significantly larger than the Moto X 2014. The back of the device remains curved, but now we have a metal detail built from the manufacturer logo to the rear camera.  When I saw the first rumors about this design detail, I immediately thought that it would get in the way, particularly when it is placed onto a table. However, that didn't happen - Motorola found a way to adapt this metallic detail without interfering with the user experience.

Note that the Moto X 2014, for example, has a dual camera flash with an LED holder placed around the camera sensor, forming a ring around it. Motorola said that it would optimize image quality and chose to remove that LED and re-use it just below the camera.

The "Style" in the device name is directly connected to the machine's construction standards. / © ANDRODIPIT

The backing comes in different materials such as leather Saffiano and genuine wood. The first has a texture reminiscent of denim and, I must say, is quite comfortable in the hand. Although I also use the Xperia Z2 and Samsung Galaxy S6, which both made of glass, the Moto X Style offers much more security in the hands because of the choice of material - it doesn't slip easily.

Apart from these features, there are other similarities in relation to the previous Moto X, such as the speaker for making calls and the loudspeaker positioned on the front, as well as the device's aluminum housing. But what can only be said is that in the upper-right corner we find an LED flash next to the front-facing camera, which serves to optimize the pictures captured in low light.

The front flash proved very functional in my early tests. / © ANDROIDPIT

At the top of the device is a slot for the SIM card. Just behind the tray is the entrance to a microSD card slot, with support for up to 128 GB. At the bottom is a micro USB port and at the right side are the wake/sleep and volume control buttons. As we have seen with other models from Motorola, the power button is textured so that users do not confuse with it with the volume control. Both buttons are accessible when using the smartphone with one hand.

The materials used on the back of the Moto X Style offers a secure grip. / © ANDRODIPIT

Finally, besides the traditional black and white colors, you can also use Moto Maker to customize it in up to three different frames and back covers. In the time I spent with this device, I can say that the unit's size is good and the design features have been done well, despite the changes on the back or even the addition of a flash on the front. Thus, Motorola continues to offer, in my opinion, one of the best-designed phones on the market today.

Motorola Moto X Style display

Motorola decided to go with a 5.7-inch screen and greatly increase the resolution to QHD. So now we have a display of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels at a density of 515 dpi. The screen is better than the Moto X 2014 and apparently Motorola was able to correct the yellowing that we saw in the last generation. With this, the whites are more pure and the colors on the screen look more realistic.

My first impression with the Moto X screen was good and gave good response to touch inputs.

The Moto X screen offers superior clarity. / © ANDRODIPIT

Motorola Moto X Style special features

The Moto X series has a voice control system which is, according to Motorola, even smarter than previous years. The "Moto" is still in the device settings menu and under the category "voice assistant" where the Moto X is different from others. In this intelligent command center we find the options Assist, Stocks, Voice and more - the same as we had in the 2nd gen. But the software learning mechanism has been optimized and we can now understand more complicated questions and prepare more complete answers.

However, the process will not happen overnight. You'll have to use the service often until the software gets used to the input.

Motorola Moto X Style software

Regarding Moto X 2015 software, all UI features are quite similar to those found in the Nexus line. That is, there are few changes made to stock Android. And that's one of the strengths of this series since it makes the line one of the first to receive Android updates. However, as mentioned above, the way the software interacts and learns from users is what distinguishes Motorola smartphones from those launched by Google in partnership with other manufacturers.

The Moto X Style comes with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. / © ANDRODIPIT

Furthermore, it's quite clear that the integration of software and hardware delivers good performance and operating system fluidity. At this point the Moto X 2015 runs with Android 5.1 and upgrade to the latest version of Android is already guaranteed. However, it was not said when and if this device will receive Android M this year. I was told that the device would receive Android M towards the end of this year or even early 2016, but that will depend on Google.

Motorola Moto X Style performance

The official announcement finally gave proof that the new Moto X is packing a six-core Snapdragon 808 processor and all the worry surrounding the Snapdragon chipset 810 has since disappeared. As a result, Motorola joins LG by opting for performance that is supposedly inferior, in favor of a better user experience. The GPU of the new Moto X is the Adreno 418, which promises the same graphic quality of LG G4, for example. Together with the CPU and GPU, we have 3 GB of RAM and two variants of internal storage: 32 GB and 64 GB. The Moto X Style has microSD card support up to 128 GB.

The dual-function chip has a smart pair mode connection, which means you do not need the SIM card to be switched manually to make calls, for example, as the chip does it automatically.

The device scored 48,833 points in AnTuTu. / © ANDROIDPIT

With the time I spent with this device, I can say that the performance of the Moto X Style processor does not lack in relation to other high-end smartphones announced this year. Incidentally, this generation of the Moto X is the best smartphone ever released by Motorola.

Motorola Moto X Style audio

Finally we have a Moto X with a pair of stereo speakers on the front. With this, the device wins in sound quality, but unfortunately during the launch event I couldn't tell how much better the audio delivered by Moto X Style was when compared to the 2014 model. But it already seems to me a gain in terms of sound quality.

Now we have two speakers for true stereo audio in the Moto X. / © ANDRODIPIT

Motorola Moto X Style camera

It is no secret that many users of the first two generations of the Moto X have been satisfied with performance of these devices' software functions - but for many, the camera is a point for criticism. However, Motorola this time seems to have devoted special attention to the Moto X's camera. For starters, the Moto X Style comes with a 21 megapixel rear camera that is more sensitive to specific colors, matching the intensity of light to each of these colors. In addition, the sensor is capable of recording videos in 4K and in slow motion. When recording in 1,080 pixels (Full HD), you can capture up to 120 frames per second, and 240 fps are possible when recording in 720p.

The Moto X Style camera has a 21 MP sensor and, at first glance, does a good job in low-light environments. / © ANDRODIPIT

However, what really draws attention in Moto X Style is the front camera, and not the 5 megapixel sensor. The Moto X Style's front camera has an LED flash that allow users to improve selfies, since they can now do self-portraits in low light. I tested it and, at first, it seemed to improve more details in the pictures, but I'll need to use it at night to know whether this is a feature which delivers on what it promises.

In this image, on the left we have the iPhone 6 and on the right an example of selfie with the Moto X Style. / © ANDROIDPIT

Wait for the final review of Moto X Style to see the device's camera quality and what modes you can use. So far I can only say that we have HDR, panorama and burst mode, along with manual exposure options.

Motorola Moto X Style battery

The Moto X 2015 has a 3,000 mAh battery capacity and has Turbo Charging technology. According to Motorola, you can use the Moto X Style under average load for more than 40 hours. Unfortunately, the battery is one of the topics I can answer only in the full review, as I need more time to provide a full account. However, it is good to see that Motorola has upgraded the capacity in comparison to the Moto X 2014, which was only 2,300 mAh.

Motorola Moto X Style technical specifications

• • TYPE:
  • Phone
  • MODEL:
  • Sorry, not yet available!
  • MANUFACTURER:
  • Motorola
  • DIMENSIONS:
  • 153.9 x 76.2 x 11.06 mm
  • WEIGHT:
  • 179 g
  • BATTERY SIZE:
  • 3000 mAh
  • SCREEN SIZE:
  • 5.7 in
  • DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY:
  • LCD
  • SCREEN:
  • 2560 x 1440 pixels (515 ppi)
  • FRONT CAMERA:
  • 5 megapixels
  • REAR CAMERA:
  • 21 megapixels
  • FLASHLIGHT:
  • Dual-LED
  • ANDROID VERSION:
  • 5.1.1 - Lollipop
  • USER INTERFACE:
  • Stock Android
  • RAM:
  • 3 GB
  • INTERNAL STORAGE:
  • 32 GB
    64 GB
  • REMOVABLE STORAGE:
  • microSD
  • CHIPSET:
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 808
  • NUMBER OF CORES:
  • 6
  • MAX. CLOCK SPEED:
  • 1.8 GHz
  • CONNECTIVITY:
  • HSPA, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1

Early Verdict

The Moto X Style is a real device upgrade competing directly with the LG G4, the Xperia Z3+, HTC One M9, the iPhone 6 and probably the iPhone 6S, among others. Looking at the mobile market, however, the price of the 3rd generation of the Moto X is its great advantage, which is well below other smartphones out there.

When we look at the technical specifications in this Moto X Style review, we realize that Motorola has optimized the hardware and brought great improvements to the software. Therefore, the Moto X line has evolved in all aspects. In summary, the Moto X Style is a great handset which is even greater when we analyze its cost-to-benefit ratio in comparison to the wider smartphone market.

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Here's how to safely clean your Android device

Water and cleaning solutions don't mix too well with electronic circuitry, however, so it can be difficult to know how to keep your handset looking its best without ruining it. We've gathered together some tips on device maintenance to help you clean your phone or tablet safely.

1. Cleaning the screen

The screen is the part of your device where you're likely to notice dirt and smears the most, so it's important you know how to clean it effectively. Your first port of call should be a microfiber cloth, which you can run across the display — in fact if you're lucky your phone might have come with one.

Microfiber cloths can be used on the screen. / © Flickr

Ordinary water is more effective than you might think, but use it sparingly and distill it first to remove any lurking chemicals (avoid using any type of chemicals on your screen, as they will interfere with the coating). Wipe the display in steady, straight lines using the cloth and possibly a little water.

Scotch tape is one way people have tried to get the grime and prints off their smartphone display, though we've found the aforementioned microfiber cloth to be a more effective method. Stock up on plenty of the cloths and change them regular to keep getting an effective clean.

The screen is the most important part of your phone. / © Samsung

You can try the cloth with or without a small amount of water to dampen it but if you do opt for the later then turn the device off first. The trick is to take your time and to work in small sections. When you've finished, use a dry part of the cloth to remove any lingering water on the screen.

2. Cleaning the body

For the rest of your device, a cotton tip dipped in a watered down alcoholic solution works a treat provided you keep the moisture to a minimum. The end of a paperclip or a toothpick can be used to clear out cruft from speaker holes, although this is admittedly a rather time-consuming process.

Use cotton swabs for the casing. / © Wikimedia Commons

You can use a dry cotton swab or a can of compressed air to remove dust and other dry bits of dirt that have become attached to your phone. Avoid using standard household cleaners and disinfectants in your work, as they'll stain or otherwise damage your precious Android device.

A 50-50 mixture of water and white vinegar can work as well as rubbing alcohol if you want to give the casing of your phone a thorough clean. If you're dealing with a metal backing or trim then sticking to ordinary water may prove a better option (check with the manufacturer if you're not sure).

Different methods require different techniques. / © Samsung

The best method for cleaning the phone case depends on the materials used: Obviously you can be relatively aggressive with a plastic back, especially if you have a waterproof phone. Leather backs (like those on the new LG G4) are going to need a dedicated leather cleaner for best results.

3. Maintenance tips

Besides the actual process of cleaning, there are some day-to-day maintenance tips to bear in mind if you want to keep your smartphone or tablet running healthily. It's a lot like making sure your car is regularly maintained and serviced to keep it in a roadworthy condition.

Keep your phone at the right temperature, especially while charging. / © Samsung

Temperature is a big one: Take note of the minimum and maximum temperatures listed in your phone's documentation and make sure it's not left anywhere where these could be exceeded (like on a cold window ledge or inside a hot car). You could risk permanent damage to the handset.

Cases and screen protectors are obvious ways of keeping your smartphone from coming to any harm but make sure you check ratings and reviews carefully and double-check on compatibility before you make a purchase. When charging, it's a good idea to take your phone out of its case to prevent temperatures from rising too high.

If you have any common sense you'll take particular care when holding your phone above a large drop or a body of water, and you should also avoid handling it when you've been using your hands for preparing food, digging in the garden or doing anything else that could get dirt or germs on it.

Microfiber cloth and cotton swab pictures courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and Flickr.

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5 superpowers you didn't know your Android phone had

You're probably aware of most of these uses — checking social media, sending emails, even making phone calls and texts — but you might not have discovered all of the ways you can use your Android smartphone. Here are five superpowers your phone has that you can take advantage of.

Document scanner

In the early days of digitizing documents and photographs, you had to invest in a large flatbed scanner to turn the physical into the digital. Nowadays you can use your smartphone camera as a makeshift scanner, and although the quality isn't quite as good the process is a lot more convenient.

If you want to use your phone in this way there are a number of options — you can of course just snap a document and save it as an image, for example. Google Drive can convert scans into PDF files and read the text within them, as can the excellent CamScanner. Evernote is another app with this function.

Wi-Fi hotspot

Tethering is a feature that most of you will be aware of but not everyone knows you can turn your smartphone into a Wi-Fi hotspot, and it's easier than ever to do on Android Lollipop. The process turns your phone's cell connection into a Wi-Fi network that other devices can log into.

So how do you do it? On Lollipop head to Settings then choose More and select Tethering & portable hotspot. You can set the network name and the password required to access it, but make sure you keep an eye on your phone's data usage — otherwise you might be met with a steep bill.

Compass and barometer

Do you know about all of the different sensors packed inside your phone? Not only does your mobile know which way is up and down, it also knows which way is north, and you can download an app such as Smart Compass or AndroiTS Compass Free to use your phone to navigate your way around.

Many phones have a barometer in them too, so you can turn your mobile into a portable weather station and get your own forecast for the exact spot you're standing in. Apps such as Barometer Altimeter DashClock and Barometer Monitor can help you see which way the weather's turning.

Barcode reader

Back to the camera on your smartphone: You can turn it into a useable barcode scanner with ease and an app such as the aptly named Barcode Scanner. The app works with QR codes as well as barcodes and there are plenty of third-party apps on the Google Play Store that do the same job.

Why would you want to scan a barcode? It largely depends on the app you're using but shopping is the main reason: If you see something in a store you can check up on the online price, for example, or you can use your smartphone to quickly order something you're about to run out of.

Fitness tracker

Many of the same sensors and bits of circuitry you can find inside a smart wristband can also be found on your phone, which means you can track your walking, running and other activities without having to fork out for an extra fitness tracker and wear it around your wrist or clipped to your clothes.

Google Fit in action. / © Google

Google Fit is the obvious place to start but many of the well-known fitness tracking apps can work with phones as well as wearables. If you need extra data then that's possible too — apps like Runtastic Heart Rate Monitor and Instant Heart Rate can measure heart rate through your phone's camera.

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10 best Android features you can’t live without

Wireless charging: great, and becoming more useful by the day / © Samsung

1. OK Google

Remember back in the day when we used to operate our phones with our fingers? Crazy times. These days, of course, it’s all about voice control and the always-attentive Google Now. A single “OK Google” is the first step of a journey of discovery, or at least of setting a reminder to get some milk on the way home.

2. Google Now

Apple’s still trying to copy this one: Google Now, and the incoming Google Now on Tap that will make the feature work inside apps in Android M, is a marvel. There’s a price to pay for its usefulness, and that price is giving Google access to your email, your calendar, your private thoughts and your darkest desires, but that’s a small price to pay for a system that makes the information you appear when you need it, even when you didn’t know that you needed it. It’s mobile magic!

3. User accounts

We don’t use this much on our phone, although it’s nice to have the option, but if like us your tablet isn’t your tablet but everybody in the building’s tablet then having multiple user accounts is a feature you genuinely couldn’t manage without. It’s also handy to have a guest mode for when people are over: it means they can get online and check stuff without seeing your private emails or secret plans for world domination. And of course it’s good for keeping kids from messing with your stuff.

4. Active/Ambient Display

It’s not available on every device - you officially need a device with an OLED screen, although third party apps can add similar features to other devices - but on the devices that have it it’s a really great thing to have. Like many good things it’s both simple and useful: when a new notification arrives, the screen briefly displays it so you can either do something about it or ignore it without having to reach for and wake your phone. It also wakes the screen when you pick the device up, saving you a swipe.

5. Quick Settings

Android’s Quick Settings panel appears in many guises, often with redesigns courtesy of phone firms, but no matter what it looks like it’s an incredibly useful thing to have. Quick Settings doesn’t just provide you with instant access to the most commonly used features and settings on your phone; it also notifies you if there are problems with any of them. Apple liked Quick Settings a lot, but it definitely didn’t copy it: while Android’s Quick Settings slide from the top, Apple’s equivalent slides from the bottom. See that? That’s innovation.

6. Priority Mode

If like us you carry your device with you at all times, being able to set different priority levels for different things is a really useful feature: it means you can ensure you don’t get bothered with personal stuff when you’re at work, or that you won’t be bothered with work stuff when you’re trying to have a nap. This is another thing Apple has copied, but Android’s version is more nuanced: we particularly like the ability to set downtime, a period during which interruptions are blocked and after which the interruptions are automatically switched back on. That’s really handy.

7. Pin App

The ability to pin an app - to make it full screen and keep it there until you enter a passcode - isn’t just for keeping kids in games; it’s also useful when you show somebody a funny text and they immediately start trying to look at your other messages or your photo album.

8. Wireless Charging

Not all Android phones belong to the wireless charging club, but the ones that do are that little bit less demanding than ones that don’t - and with wireless charging mats starting to appear in everything from coffee shops to IKEA furniture, they should become that little bit more useful when we’re out and about too.

9. Fast Charging

If your device supports it (and the manufacturer includes a fast charger in the box - not every one does), fast charging is awesome: it amps up the power to start off with and get as much juice into the battery as quickly as possible, and once it’s done that it calms down a bit to finish topping up the charge. What that means in practice is that you can go from no-battery to woah-battery very quickly, which is a real boon for anybody who really hammers the battery on their phone and needs to charge it during the day.

10. Choice

Not strictly a feature, no, but it’s one of the reasons so many people like Android: unlike certain other platforms, there’s a massive choice of handsets to choose from at all kinds of prices - and even the really cheap ones are really good.

Do you have a favorite Android feature we’ve missed? Let us know below!

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