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Also, we spend a few nights with the new Nest Hub and test the OnePlus 9 Pro.
OnePlus One
90
Engadget Review
For $300, no other phone comes close to what the OnePlus One offers. Not only does it look and feel like a premium device, but it also comes with specs similar to what you'd find in a flagship smartphone. If you want a high-end phone on a budget, look no further.
Pros
- Great value
- Fantastic display
- Premium hardware
- Top-of-the-line specs
- Firmware is as customizable as you can get
Cons
- Minor stutters in processor-intensive tasks
- Limited availability at launch
- Low speaker volume
View All Critic & User Reviews
OnePlus One
- Critic Reviews (12)
- User Reviews (82)
- 89AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE12 ReviewsComputerworld90OnePlus One deep-dive review: Unbeatable value forWith a starting price of just $299, this unlocked, Cyanogen-powered phone beats the bigger brands at their own game.Gizmodo90OnePlus One Review: An Unbelievably Fantastic SmarFor now it's an awesome oddity that will take some connections and/or dumb luck to get your hands on. But if you get the chance, take it.CNET80OnePlus One review: A high-end smartphone for AndrGiven its blistering performance, the OnePlus One is a phenomenal deal for a high-end smartphone, as long as it's compatible with your network and you're happy to compromise on customer support and slightly sketchy software.TechCrunch90OnePlus One Review: Smartphone Value Redefined ByIts flaws are small things, details that fail by matters of degrees rather than huge margins, and for a smartphone that costs less than half of many of its competitors, that’s nothing short of amazing.PC Mag90OnePlus One (Unlocked)With an unbeatable price and power to spare, the OnePlus One is an Android revelation that challenges expectations for affordable smartphones.Engadget90OnePlus One review: a $300 smartphone has never loFor $300, no other phone comes close to what the OnePlus One offers. Not only does it look and feel like a premium device, but it also comes with specs similar to what you'd find in a flagship smartphone. If you're keeping costs down, look no further.Ars TechnicaNot RatedOnePlus One is a high-end phablet with CyanogenModOnePlus' Oppo heritage is clearly visible in the One. The design looks identical to the Oppo Find 5—which consequently causes a problem with the navigation button layout. OnePlus gives you the option of capacitive or on-screen buttons, but neither choice is ideal.EngadgetNot RatedMeet the One, OnePlus' $299 Nexus killerThe external design of the phone is just as nice. In fact, the One is built by CEO Pete Lau's former company, Oppo, so you'll spot some similarities in terms of build quality, appearance (the back reminds us of the Find 5) and ergonomics.PC MagNot RatedHands On With the OnePlus OneOnePlus is a brand-new phone maker with zero track record, although it was founded by a guy from Oppo, which is known for quality electronics. If OnePlus can build sufficient units, keep product quality up, and squash all the bugs, this phone could be a real game changer.CNETNot RatedA beautiful, Full HD Android phone from ChinaAs cheesy as the name sounds (and confusing, if you were to start referring it as just the One), this 5.5-inch quad-core smartphone is actually pretty good. I've been using an early model that's very similar to the final product, bar some slight cosmetic alterations, and I must say I'm impressed.Mashable80OnePlus One Equals the Best Smartphone You Can BuyIt's no surprise that a product from a brand new company is having distribution issue. What is surprising is just how much OnePlus was able to get right.Pocket-Lint100OnePlus One reviewOnePlus hasn't just rocked the boat with the One, it's good enough to see some competitors fly from its wake and crash into the rocks. If the One retailed for £450 with a more recognisable brand name stamped onto its rear then it would be snapped up from the shelves.Android Authority90OnePlus One review – no, we don’t have an inviWith the performance aspect, the above average camera quality, and Cyanogen in its corner, the price you pay for such a powerful package seems way too good to be true.Android AuthorityNot RatedOnePlus One hands-on: first look at the $299 “flOnePlus made a lot of lofty promises for its flagship smartphone, and the company has definitely delivered. Just the amazing price point of the device is more than enough to forgive any of its shortcomings, but luckily, there aren’t any major flaws with the OnePlus One.Android Central90OnePlus is trying to turn the smartphone industryIn the $299 unlocked price bracket, The OnePlus One is crushing pretty much everything around it.TechRadar90Here's why OnePlus One equals 4.5The OnePlus One offers Samsung Galaxy S5 performance for less than half the price. If that doesn't make it attractive it also has a customisable OS and a 1080p display. There are a few downsides, but overall the OnePlus One is amazing value for moneyPhandroidNot RatedHands-on: OnePlus One with CyanogenMod 11s [VIDEO]The device is everything we thought it’d be at first glance. Fast. Powerful. Beautiful. Sleek. Slick. Big. REAL big.Android CentralNot RatedOnePlus One hands-on and first impressionsThe phone looks and feels great, and for once it seems the press images didn't have our expectations set too high for the quality of the phone when it's actually in our hands. The solid back cover — rightfully adorned with "Cyanogen" branding — tapers off to the edges perfectly.TechRadarNot RatedHands on: OnePlus One reviewWith impressive specs, a fluid Android interface and a price tag which quite simply blows the competition out of the water the OnePlus One is the most surprising smartphone so far this year.Android Police90OnePlus One With CyanogenMod 11S Review: The BestThe OnePlus One is not the perfect, everything-to-everyone phone that its creators might like you to think it is. But it is an amazingly powerful and versatile device, even before you consider its staggeringly low price.DroidLifeNot RatedOnePlus One Hands-on: Video and GalleryFrom the brief amount of time I have spent with the device, I am somewhat saddened to say that the phone is just a tad too big for my tastes. It is much larger than the G2, Moto X, and Nexus 5, and is more along the lines of the Galaxy Note 3 and Note 2.Android PoliceNot RatedOnePlus One Revealed: Coming Mid-May For $299 (16GThe design of the device is a bit plain, but inoffensive. It looks a lot like any number of Oppo devices in recent years, though this one has that snazzy new Cyanogen logo.BGRNot RatedThe OnePlus One is the only Android phone you shouThe phone will offer some unique software features as well, including always-on voice commands and support for gestures shortcuts which will let users simply draw a pre-set gesture on the turned off screen to launch a certain app.
- 82AVERAGE USER SCORE82 ReviewsEngadget Reader30November 7, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Like I said before avoid this phone if you need something reliable. There are so many bugs with frequent patch releases. The thing is that their testing is lacking but if you dont patch you are stuck. I have never seen a phone with so many boot issues. Support is a joke. In order to get phone serviced you have to send it to the UK. It takes them weeks to respond to support requests. I guess you get what pay for. I will never buy one of their products again. Avoing this company and their products like the plauge. I really wanted to like this phone but it was a horrible experience all around. Stay away.Engadget Reader90October 14, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader70October 11, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!DON'T DO IT!!!! I had a 1+1 and it sucked as an actual phone. It was great for everything else and had great battery life but to make and receive calls it sucked balls. I'm on US Tmobile and talked to a Tmobile rep and changed APN settings all for nothing. I know the OPO is lacking one of the LTE bands Tmobile supports but still... Went through customer service to fix the problem and spent LOTS of time for them telling me to wipe the cache, reset the device, and schedule a time for a remote tech to check my phone. Sent the phone back using DHL which they paid for but that was a HUGE hassle since the DHL guy didn't show up and had to reschedule like 5 times (LITERALLY NOT EXAGGERATED). All while waiting for a replacement I had no phone to use. I offered to buy an OPO from OnePlus and they could refund me when they got my broken one back but they said they couldn't do that. So I get my replacement and this one sucks at making and receiving calls just as much. Putting the phone on speaker sometimes helps. Now I'm going through the same HELL experience going through support. TLDR Don't use oneplus terrible support and terrible product.Engadget Reader30September 10, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The phone was okay until it crashed and I lost everything. It had bad reception tho. Horrible customer service didnt help either. Waste of $300 and life.Engadget Reader80September 2, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader30July 14, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Please do your research on this company. Go out to their forum and see how they treat their customers when something goes wrong with their phone. The customer service is less than a joke, months go by without any progress. I've sent my phone is for a screen replacement, that I'm paying for out of pocket - and no one knows when it'll be "final inspected", what the costs are, and where my phone even is. Even better, when I call for an update I'm told to call back in 48 hours. 48 hours go by, and I'm told again to call back in 48 hours. I respond via the "ticket system" and literally no one responds to me. I'm forced to purchase another phone now because I simply have no idea when I'll have my phone back after I pay who knows how much to have it fixed. The customer service is beyond horrible and the forums are riddled with stories of how terrible of an experience folks have with DOA phones, and random issues, and the hoops you have to jump through to get anything fixed, ESPECIALLY under warranty! Don't believe me, go look for yourself. No phone on the market is worth this customer service. #NeverSettleForTerribleCustomerServiceEngadget Reader30June 28, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Phone as such looks good and configuration is good. But mine didn't boot up suddenly after 2 weeks. I am waiting for more than a week for help. Oneplus one sent me a link to register a remote debug session and there was no slot for remote debug session for next 10 days. Max they open is 10 days. This shows that customer support is busy with lot of complaints. I have some videos and photos in phone which I need to recover. I doubt file system corruption. Looks like they may take multiple generations to stabilize these issues.Engadget Reader100June 19, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader60June 19, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I've had this phone for about 4 months and it's way too buggy. Here are the major issues:POOR VOICE QUALITY: Ever since I got the phone, people always complain that they can't hear me, and if I use the speaker, there is almost always an echo for the other caller. This is a common problem for the OnePlus One. I have resorted to using a bluetooth headset.DEFECTIVE TOUCHSCREEN: Like many other OnePlus One owners, my touchscreen often stops working on hot days.POOR GPS: The GPS works most of the time, but them sometimes, often in the same location, it will get no signal.Engadget Reader90June 17, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!good product of the price rangeEngadget Reader90June 17, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader30June 13, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I have had the OPO for a couple of months and really regret buying it. I was an iPhone user for many years (blackberry before that) and just thought it would be nice to make a switch. I do like the Cyanogen Android operating system, but the phone itself if very unreliable. Not sure if it is a hardware or software problem, but it is very unreliable. There have been many occasions when the phone simply does not work, unless i reboot it. Once it just completely went dead (screen was blank, just could not get it to do anything). There is no support and I had to spend a lot of time on online forums before figuring out a fix. I guess you get what you pay for, despite all the seemingly rave reviews on this site and others.Engadget Reader80May 31, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Now add the price factor, and it's a best but, though not really for those who need "something simple and easy to use".Engadget Reader90May 13, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!It's just a great phone. I've had them all. iPhone, SG5, LG3 but this one knocks them all in the trash can for the price. Makes me wonder why I paid so much for all the others. Awesome screen. Great battery life. Love the CM11 OS. Camera is good for a phone. Durable and well built. Good design.Engadget Reader60May 5, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Warranty and customer service are very poor. Do not expect to OnePlus to honor their warranty. If you get a poorly built phone you'll be stuck buying new or paying slightly less for repairs.Engadget Reader80May 2, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I've had my oneplus one for six months now and have had no issues. It's a really good phone with some great specs. Could it be better? sure but then the price tag would have to go up.Engadget Reader100May 2, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Amazing love it better than iPhone by milesEngadget Reader80April 19, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader30April 17, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Great phone, except of hardware issues... Used it for a half year and had to switch to other device because of terrible touch screen, bad audio recording quality and other small hardware glitches....Engadget Reader100April 12, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Strongly recommend to anyone. Every Tuesday it is open for sale with no invite needed. Only problem is that it is only available for AT&T and T-mobileEngadget Reader90April 9, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!For the price, the OnePlus One is a no-brainer. It has very little problems and runs flawlessly. It is perfect for a budget buyer who wants a good phone. The size is easy to get used to.Engadget Reader60April 3, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I switched to the OnePlus One from an iPhone 5, after rocking the Apple phone since its birth in 2007. With U.S. carrier's recent change in the pricing of their upgrades, I could no longer justify spending such a huge premium over other options out there on the market. To get a comparably equipped iPhone 6 Plus, I would have spent north of $900. This $350 OnePlus exceeded my expectations, after I had a less than thrilling Andriod experience a couple of years back (that experiment only lasted 2 months as a second phone). It feels amazing, if just a tad too thick. This extra size makes it feel a lot sturdier than its rival iPhone and the OnePlus actually measures thinner at the edges where your hands hold it, so it feels great. For $350 off contract, you won't be disappointed, and even if you do find yourself wanting for a curved screen, or iOS every once in a while, remembering you have more than $500 extra jingling in your pocket helps you forget quickly what you were missing.Update July 10th, 2015:You better hope you don't have any problems with OnePlus devices, because their customer support representatives and general infrastructure in the United States is absolutely horrendous. Expect to be without a phone for weeks on own (no loaner) while they ship your device literally all the way around the world to fix or replace it. (They will only replace it after a lengthy, weeks long battle with their customer support)Engadget Reader90April 2, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!One of the best decisions I've ever made. This phone is the beast. I don't expect that this kind of high level smartphone can come out with low level price for everyone.Engadget Reader100April 1, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Awesome phone! I recommend this for everyone! Lots of customization options from developer and from community.Engadget Reader100March 25, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader50March 24, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The piece I bought is the black sheep of the lot. Made me wonder if this brand is over hyped or am I really that out of luck with this phone. Nevertheless, bad quality control and customer service. For all the people who throw that question of "how can it be so cheap". That's how. For all those who have a wonderful android device there are a few of us who suffer coz of their compromise in the QA and customer service departments. It took me more than 4 months of frustrating back and forth emailing (that's the only way to reach them) to get to the point where they have decided to issue a refund. I ended up using a faulty piece which freezes on me whenever it felt like, middle of the call, on maps while navigating, while browsing, doesn't matter, I have to restart it (which was hard coz I can;t press the 'restart' on the screen, remember). So. yes it is an amazing buil for the price. If it WORKS!Engadget Reader90March 23, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I bought one from an online shopping in dubai. It's really a reliable phone no doubt. Superb specs and sweet pricing from www.yasurs.ae/cell-phone/phone-brands/oneplus.html. I like it very much!Engadget Reader40March 22, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Great price but for what? WiFi and network signals are very poor, support almost not available (it's not sold in shops, there's no network), people get hectic just for a cheaper price but sometimes think twice before you buy. It's better a cheaper phone that does its job rather than a super equipped one like OPO that in fact fail in some fundamental aspects like signal.Engadget Reader70March 19, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!In functionality the phone is on par with any smart phone. But the company is not at all customer friendly. Their customer service and warranty sucks especially in accessory. with 15 days warranty passes before one can detect a manufacturing defect. They do not come close to the service level of the smallest smart phone manufacturer. I recommend not to support this product, because the supplier has no confidence in supporting its product.Engadget Reader90March 16, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader70March 1, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Over all phone is ok I till think the Galaxy or Iphone still way Better. I been with the phone for over 2 months. Bluetooth is not very compatible with many devices, JBL Charge takes long time to sync Chevy My Link can't use voice command to make calls. I use it every day for Lyft and Uber the phone reboots by itself ones per day when I used Uber and Waze. Camera gives many problems can't open a reboot will fix it, but is not normal. Over all the for the price the phone is ok , but if you work depends on a cell phone I will not recommend it stay with Samsung or Iphone.Engadget Reader90February 25, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90February 16, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I wanted to buy something like an iPhone 6 Plus or Galaxy Note 4 but the extra features from those devices didin't justify the extra cost for me, so instead I bought a OnePlus One. I used to have a HTC One M7 which I bought second-hand from a local shop but it started to have various problems such as the microphone playing out and the speakers being extra quiet. I also wanted something with a bigger screen. I had known about the OnePlus One for a while and I decided to take the plunge and got an invite for it.The marketing strategy for this device is questionable because as mentioned above you have to obtain an invite from someone who already owns the device. It's not as hard as you think to get an invite (For me it wasn't that hard anyway) I simply made an account on the official OnePlus One forums and clicked the invites section and waited a few minutes to find someone advertising a 64GB Global invite, commented to obtain it and I he/she emailed it to me!The shipping times were quite fast, I selected Express Delivery and was delivered by DHL within two working days. The packaging for the device was excellent, although i'm not sure why the plug was in a separate box (Maybe to make the packaging for the phone itself more attractive and elegant?). For some reason the included accessories (USB cable and the sim-tray opener) were misplaced and were rolling around in the box.As with all Android devices the process of setting the phone up was a breeze, though I did have to make an account for Cyanogen Mod. I didn't really like the stock theme so I quickly changed it. An advantage with this phone is that is has Cyanogen Mod pre-installed so it has even more customization options than other Android devices. The software is very good and it's a near stock experience as found on Nexus devices and some Motorola devices. The user-interface is very responsive but I would except that from a phone with 3GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 801 chipset.The build quality is impressive. The back of the phone is a very strange texture, which they call Sandstone black (Note that the 16GB model consists of a smooth white back). It is plastic but feels decent and has quite a good grip. The front of the phone is purely made of glass and Gorilla Glass 3 is used. I don't know how it will fare to drops though as I am yet to drop the device. I do miss the high-end aluminium feel of my old HTC but the OnePlus One is still build astonishingly well.The specifications are very impressive for a phone this price. You get 64GB of non-expandable storage, a Snapdragon 801 chipset clocked at 2.5GHz along with 3GB of RAM and an Adreno 330 graphics chip. As you'd expect I have not experienced any slow-downs with this device and games run great. I still can't max out San Andreas but I can certainly turn the settings up a lot more than what I could on my old HTC One M7. Other games such as Real Racing 3 also run flawlessly. Loading times are quick, graphics are impressive and frames per second consistent and fluid.The display is great. Color accuracy doesn't seem as good as the HTC One M7 or the iPhone but it still does the job, it's one of the biggest and brightest screens out there though and although the display is only 1920x1080 and not as sharp as the LG G3 in normal use you wont be able to notice a difference.The camera is okay, but it can disappoint in certain areas. After coming from the HTC One M7 low-light photos were quite disappointing on the OnePlus One. This could be due to the lack of OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) which really helps in situations like those because it allows the shutter speed to be much quicker and iSO be lower resulting it less blurry and noisy pictures. The HDR mode is impressive but as mentioned in other reviews it is quite dramatic. The Clear Image mode words fantastically although it takes a couple of seconds of the images to process. Although the sensor is 13MP you have you reduce the setting to 9.7MP in order to get 16:9 shots. In bright light situations and outdoors the OnePlus One performs great, and the detail is still maintained even when fully zoomed in - my HTC One M7 struggled to produce a good image when zoomed in due to it's limited MegaPixel count (4MP). The front facing camera is very good for selfies and is quite clear. I like the fact that on the stock camera app you can zoom in on the front camera.The battery life is fairly good and is considerably better than my HTC One M7. It charges very fast and from 7 in the morning from 100% to 4 in the afternoon with fairly light usage it stills holds around 50-60% charge.Overall this is a great device and I hope to get at least 1-2 years out of it. The performance has impressed me and the build quality is great. The only downsides are the lack of OIS built into the camera, a few small bugs found in the Cyanogen software, lack of accessories and Android 5.0 update. Price-wise you cannot go wrong and if you can get an invite I would still get this phone. Although if you can get a contract I would recommend something along the lines of a Galaxy Note 4 or the current HTC equivalent if you are looking for something a little smaller.Engadget Reader30January 31, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A poor product that's more likely to be frustrating than useful. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100January 29, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I was little skeptical about this company initially but when I got chance to have my hands on a colleague's phone I was impressed by quality which comes with such a low price. it has 3GB ram and 2.5Ghz quad processor which makes app launch and performance super fast. keep up the good work!Engadget Reader100January 24, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100January 19, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - Engadgetlouisd70January 17, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A dependable product that doesn't really stand out from the competition. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100January 13, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Best phone I have ever had.Engadget Reader90January 9, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This is my first foray into Android, I've been an iPhone user since I got an iPhone 4 in 2012 (which was my first smartphone). Two weeks in and I can't believe anyone still buys iPhones! The OnePlus One is faster, more customizable and has/will be getting a better design (Material Design in the software department and the overall ergonomics in the hardware department). A note about the design: at first, I was afraid that the camera/flash on the back of the phone would break eventually, since they're the first to soak up any impact. But the camera and flash are actually ever so slightly recessed, a design that Samsung and the like could learn from.I love my OnePlus One, and wouldn't dream of switching back.Engadget Reader40January 2, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Is it just me, i see question marked photos in the photo library.. guys fix the fuc...g camera software... And why is there a lag from the time i press the soft button to the time shutter takes the photography,,.. Is this camera designed for taking ROCK photograph !!! THis phoe is overrrated. Period. I've had this camera for more than 2 weeks, and am certainly not happy with it. The internet switch doesn't work after 4-5 times...i have to restart the phone.. what a crap shoot !!!Engadget Reader90January 1, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I am sharing my experience of OnePlus One (OPO) which I am using since November 2014. I have updated my CyanogenMod to 11.0-XNPH44S.Pros:Good screen resolution and brightness. I have left my phone on automatic brightness and never got trouble in seeing my screen even in sun light. Touches are smooth and no ghost touches as said in some reviews.Good build quality. The sandstone black finish feels premium and gives a comfortable grip.Performance is quite good, never felt lag or hangs or app crashes till date. No heating problem.Good battery life. Lasts a day for me with all day 3G activated and wifi at home. I mostly use internet on my phone only. Few races on Asphalt 8 daily and few hands on teen patti.Good day light camera. The images are very vibrant in day light and also have good infinity focus. My friend has Mi3 and day light images are better in OPO.Loud in-call volume. I never used my phone with full volume. If the volume is full I can hear the other person even if my phone is at a distance from my ear.Cons:Available via Invite onlyNo dual simPoor night camera. Photos in night are not at all premium.Lack of service center in IndiaNo idea of CyanogenMod support due to Micromax - CyanogenMod deal.Little less battery (since its big and powerful you would like to use it more)Engadget Reader90December 31, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Sets the benchmark pretty highHaving waited for almost an eternity, i was able to get my hands on this wonderful phone this month. Being an Indian customer, there is a downside owning this phone as there are no Cyanogenmod updates. But hey, its the hardware that makes it one of the best. I have seen people flash global version of cyanogenmod on their Oneplus and get frequent updates. I am yet to do that. But first, my experience with the One for the last 3 weeks.ProsThe price is obviously the most discussed point, so it doesn't need to be emphasized.Right from the moment you receive the phone, its a joy to behold. The unboxing is a treat with alternate shades of white and red everywhere, complimenting each other perfectly. OnePlus folks probably regard such aesthetics as high priority. The phone i ordered came with the Sandstone back panel, and wow. A phone this big never felt that comfortable in my hand. It is surprisingly sleek and the curved, rough backside improves the handling. The placement of external buttons for volume and power is good, and they are barely a millimeter thick. One has to survey the phone to find the opening for the SIM tray, as it is conceived well.The display of OnePlus One is certainly a high point. Full HD, with good viewing angles and notably thin bezels makes for a fantastic experience. The gorilla glass certainly gives a sense of security when carrying the phone with other stuff in the pocket. The dual speakers at the bottom churn out some good decibels and no distortion in sound quality was noticed until now. Initially, there were some performance issues as i experienced lag in some of the basic games and videos. But the thing about this phone is, you can customize almost everything. Some tweaks to the processor in superuser mode, and I never looked back.The transitions now are lightning fast and high-end games run very smoothly. The highly customizable Cyanogenmod OS opens up whole new avenues, and when you have kickass hardware at your disposal, sky is the limit. People migrating from Apple will find this aspect of OnePlus very pleasing. Apart from the phone, the accessories provided by OnePlus (sold separately) carryover the design factors from the phone. The flipcover is sturdy and holds the phone well in its case. Also, the choice of different back panels, along with the newly launched powerbank and USB cable puts OnePlus in a strong position with its customers.ConsThe battery is unfortunately the biggest letdown for such a great phone. Constant gaming drains the juice pretty fast, and the vast display doesn't help much. On the upside, charging from 0 to 100% takes about 2 hours. There are a few shortcomings due to the OS, as it lacks an inbuilt music and video player, but Google Play Music deputizes well for audio. Also, there is no FM receiver built into the phone, which is probably a minor issue, thanks to the surge in online radio business.The camera too isn't a world beater. It is a basic 13MP shooter with the standard Cyanogenmod interface. There aren't many enhancement features like in Windows Phone or Sony. Low light photography is decent but the image come with a lot of artificial noise, which is distinguishable for a keen eye. ConclusionOverall, it is a beast of a phone with a form factor close to the likes of HTC and Apple. The top end hardware for such low price is certainly a steal. The business model employed by OnePlus is the latest hot trend and is certainly creating ripples among the big players. Since the price is the end product of a business model, The OnePlus sets a very high benchmark in both doing business and satisfying customers.Engadget Reader100December 22, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader80December 16, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80December 12, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I haven’t felt so excited about a phone since the days of Nokia 3310 and Nokia 7210, this phone has truly blown me away. Remember it is more than 6 months old, it has taken some time to build its reputation to current levels. Imagine how good it was back when it first came out compared against the previous generation of Nexus and iPhone devices. It would have blown them away and even today holds it own well.For my top 5 features seehttp://zhujin.com/2014/10/oneplus-one-cyanogenmod-review-top-5-features/Engadget Reader90December 11, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90December 8, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90December 1, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I will say for the price this thing has no competitors, but even if not taking price into consideration this phone beats in benchmarks and real like pretty much every phone.Engadget Reader90November 24, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Excellent phone for the 349Engadget Reader70November 17, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Excellent device, except for the horrible camera... The camera is only good in perfect light conditions, you can't use it indoors without flash, or outside when the sun has set. Focus is super slow, so slow you almost have to buy a tripod for it. Also sound is recorded in bad quality. Those are the reasons I got rid of it.Engadget Reader100November 17, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!As an apple die hard since before iphone's official Australian release, making the change to android was hard. Or at least, I thought it would be.I'm so glad I made the change, and the one was just the phone to help me make the transition. The performance is amazing, I find new apps all the timetime that help to enhance my experience, but that aside, I like the one as much as anything else - it's kind of cool to have the phone that not just any one can have, and that will smoke most flagship's straight out of the box...The freedom of android is boosted by cyanogen, and those that complain about the shortcomings of the phone would mostly be made up of those disgruntled would be owners who've yet to get an invite or who are too tight to buy online... I've experienced none of the 'problems' and the OTA's especially are fantastic IMO, especially based on my experience with apple.This phone is a 10 out of 10, even if you dodge the invite system and buy through an online retailer and pay a $50 premium. It's still the bargain deal of the year. I'm so glad I made the change. Thank you apple for being so exorbitantly overpriced so as to force me to look elsewhere! What a breath of fresh air!Antilag90November 10, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I got a random invite(probably from oneplus themselves). It couldn't have come at a better time since my HTC One M7 died days after the warranty expired. The Oneplus One is just too great a value for the price. However, the software has had bugs. I've experienced a handful of random reboots and weird glitches and slowdowns, but not enough to make me regret picking up this device. I wouldn't recommend this device to android newbies until they fix the bugs.Engadget Reader70November 7, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A dependable product that doesn't really stand out from the competition. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90November 7, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I was lucky to get an invite for this phone so quickly after I heard of this phone. The shipping took 5 days,and the boxes were in perfect shape. The box it comes in are very slik. The phone was still charged, with 50% battery. It feels great and solid, although it's a bit big. You may have difficulties reaching the outer edges of the screen. The screen is sensive, and the power button is in the perfect place.The battery life is amazing, You can use it a full day, and still have battery life left. I was having difficulties getting the volume right when is was using my earbuds, because it tended to turn down suddenly. But somehow, that got fixed.The proccesing speed is amazing, It never struggels.The Power button doesn't always react, wich is a bit annoying.I really love this phone, and if you get a chance to buy The One+One, you shouldEngadget Reader100November 7, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100November 6, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100November 3, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100October 31, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Here's the deal. This phone is right up there with the best even before we consider its price. If you absolutely need waterproofing, go for a Xperia, and you'll be happy. If you're a sucker for Samsung's Alice In Wonderland saturated colours - go right ahead for it. If you absolutely positively believe the iPhone is the best, period, there's nothing that will change your beliefs. But if you just want a great phone - you will be very happy with the OnePlus One. I think 99% of people would be very, very happy with this brilliant, pleasant to hold and to use device.And then take the price into account - top Android handsets are twice as expensive, the GB-for-GB, inch-for-inch equivalent iPhone 6 Plus costs THREE TIMES MORE. It just isn't three times more phone, now is it?Engadget Reader100October 29, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Great phone for an even greater price.While all the other phones in the market are twice the price (or more) for similar or lesser specs, Opo surpasses them easily just in the price. And for once, it doesn't seem like a "you get what you pay for" kind of deal. Specs are spectacular, amazing customization options, fully unlocked from factory itself, and the possibilities seem endless. Cons: do NOT like the size. I'm sure it's something you get used to over time, but dammit my hands aren't going to grow over the year enough to catch up to the size of the phone. Would be ideal if opo would be a smaller phone that's easy to use with just one hand. It already has the capabilities to mirror everything to a smart TV, so what's the point of requiring a tablet size screen?? And yes, there are tablets available for that. Overall I would highly recommend this phone. Still waiting to see how the Nexus6 will play out, but given that it's even larger in size, I'm pretty certain I'll be sticking to OnePlus One.Engadget Reader90October 29, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I've had this phone for about 2 weeks now, it is amazing. I upgraded to this phone from a Samsung Galaxy SIII, I loved my SIII, it was a great phone but I wanted an upgrade as far as performance. This phone definitely delivers, its really fast and great at multi-tasking and runs pretty much anything with ease. Only problems I've had were a few freezes, but the phone is running cyanogen so it's not as polished as full android, but you get a lot more customization with cyanogen. Honestly there isn't much to say for this phone, it is an amazing phone for an amazing price, if you are thinking about upgrading find someone who has one, give it a quick demo, then find an invite. Even shipped to Canada, all in it was about $490, you will unfortunately pay $60 for duty, but I think the phone is still worth it currently, maybe when the nexus 6 comes out you will have something to compare it to, but right now this is the cheapest and best 5.5" screen you can get.Engadget Reader80October 18, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100October 17, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best 5.5" Android smartphone both in value and features. The display is very good, the performance is spectacular. Cyanogenmod 11S provides tons of customization options. I just wished the camera would perform better given its a 13MP Sony Exmor sensor. Also, the invite system is very annoying.In one sentence: The best $350 is spent on any phone in my life. If you can get an invite, and want a big Android smartphone: THIS IS ITEngadget Reader100October 7, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90October 6, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90October 3, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Best Android phone I have ever owned and I have had 21 of them! If that does not say something I don't know what will !Engadget Reader100October 2, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90October 2, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I thoroughly love this device. I fell in love with it when I first heard about it Oh so long ago, and now that I have one in my hands, I couldn't be happier. There is nothing, aside from microsd card support, I would change on the phone. This device is not only built well and built to be powerful, but with such a low price point, you'd be crazy not to get one if you can snag an invite.Engadget Reader90September 29, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!its a great phone to have all around great engineering behind it!Engadget Reader90September 17, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I have had this device for a couple of months now and I can say hands-down the best phone I have used, including comparing it to iPhones (5 and previous) and HTC One (M7). Here's a summary of what I feel are the best features about this phone:Price/Value - $350 unlocked for a device w/ these specs is phenomenalBattery Life - this is huge for me, as I use my device moderately to heavily on most days for my work. After a full 8-10 hour work day and starting with a full-charge every morning, I usually have 60-70% battery life left at the end of the day. That's amazing and compared to the older iPhones (5 and before) I used to almost be dead by the middle of the day on some days. Compared to HTC One (M7), which was better than the iPhone, still had about 50% more battery life left on OnePlus One. Bottom line, I only charge the phone once a day because i'm so used to doing so, but I feel I could go probably two full days without charging.Screen - display is a B-E-A-Utiful 1080P (401 PPI) display similar to the newly released iPhone 6 Plus. Videos/movies look great!Bluetooth/Audio - Amazing sound and call quality. Streaming music from my phone in my car sounds great and minimal-to-none loss in sound quality.The only one "con" I have with this phone...okay two cons are:Size - coming from iPhone and even the older HTC One M7, this phone is larger and feels larger. Took some getting used to, but not a bad thing...just a pretty big change for me personally. However, I will also say that using the device for me in one hand for most functions is not to bad and very doable.Accessories - currently have to rely primarily on OnePlus for any good covers/accessories. Hope that changes soon and there's more variety as the phone becomes more widely available.In summary, given how great this phone has been for me, I highly recommend it to others who are either on the fence with their current flagship Android device or even teetering between iPhone and Android ecosystems. While iPhone/iOS offers a more integrated ecosystem and seamless between Apple devices, Android is definitely more customizable and just as intuitive as iOS, in my opinion. If you want an Android device with a great display, performance, and phenomenal battery life, this is for you!Engadget Reader100September 9, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader80September 6, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I have had the OPO for about a week now and have really enjoyed it. Coming from an iPhone (remember to turn off iMessages a few days in advanced/change your password) makes it tough to transition but I am really enjoying the OPO. The hardware feels very solid and I am impressed with the photo quality except in low light situations. Image stabilization would be nice, but not a major issue to me. Software is hard to review because you can basically do whatever you want/whatever your skill level is. Although not as polished as iOS, android, specifically Cyanogenmod, provides a great breadth of customization and abilities. Check out my video review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZW92Cz8jsQEngadget Reader90September 3, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90August 30, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I can safely say that this is a flagship killer! For less than £300 money cant buy you a better phone, has the build quality and feel of a £500 device. Barely had a single problem with it, only due to the fact i have been lucky enough to get my hands on one. The availability of the phone is shocking but thankfully that is no problem for me and that would be my only major fault.Engadget Reader100August 21, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90August 14, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90August 9, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90August 5, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90July 13, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90July 8, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I bought this phone on an impulse when a friend of mine offered me his invitation. I'm coming from an HTC One M7, which I really really liked. The phone is wicked fast, it makes my HTC feel sluggish, and it had no problems switching between apps quickly. I've read reviews about how it's too big to use with one hand, I disagree. It's definitely big, but it's manageable. Cyanogen mod is pretty awesome. I read a lot of reviews that talked about how extremely customizable it is, which is true, but you'll have to pay for more themes and icon packs if you really want them. There are TONS of options though, I'm still discovering more ways to customize the experience (my favorite so far is being able to have custom colors for specific apps for your blinking notification light). I haven't experienced the camera too much, but it takes some good pictures, and the 1080/4k video is absolutely beautiful. Cyanogen's camera app is also really lightweight and intuitive. Also, so far I've had extremely fast 4G LTE service (on AT&T). I 100% recommend the phone, it's too cheap to pass up, and it has amazing performance.Engadget Reader100May 22, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90May 11, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I have to say I was extremely lucky to get an invite to buy this phone! After my first full week of use, I almost forgot how little I paid for the phone. I am a tech enthusiast so I consistently buy new phones to my liking, I've had the Note 3, Nexus 5, Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia z2, HTC One m8...etc but this is undoubtedly the best phone I have ever owned! It's the closest thing to a "Perfect" smartphone that you'll ever get. I can go on talking about the specs, design, and software but the real icing on the cake is the price!! $350 for 64gb.......just take my money :) This phone is way more worth than its actual price and you cant go wrong. Other than the price, what makes this phone my most favorite is Cyanogenmod. Sure I can root and device and all but the ability to take advantage of tweak android right out of the box without having to download or install anything is something that has not been done yet and so far I am loving it! A question that many people have is "Why is the price so low?" and don't worry, the phone won't fall apart in 2 years but the reason may be due to the lack of marketing. Companies like Samsung and Apple spend a lot of their investment and money into marketing (Certainly has done it's job!) but OnePlus has spent probably little to no money on marketing. Since their a fairly new company they want to try to build up their name before they start thinking about marketing tactics and the fact that the phone is only available through online purchase adds to reasoning behind why its so damn cheap! Overall you wont be disappointed and I am going to keep my eye on this company in hopes that they will continue to do well!
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Key Specs
TYPE
Smartphone
OPERATING SYSTEM
Android
SCREEN SIZE
5.522
INTERNAL MEMORY
161
CAMERA
Yes
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