First Impression: OnePlus 2

Looks similar, but sports several upgrades

OnePlus has at last launched the successor to OnlePlus One, in the form of OnePlus 2. The new handset does not deviate much from the earlier one but has a few impressive upgrades. 
 

From the point of specifications, the OnePlus 2 features a 5.5-inch, 1080p screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, and either 16GB of storage with 3GB of RAM or 64GB of storage with 4GB of RAM. The back-facing camera has a 13-megapixel (MP) sensor with optical image stabilisation, while the front camera lets you shoot selfies at 5MP. The back camera also includes a two-tone flash and a laser focusing system. We clicked a few pictures indoors, with both cameras and found the picture doesn't pixelate even after zooming in. The images are sharp and the colours are bright and we can't wait to use the cameras outdoors to find out their range. Focuing was fast and spot on. 
 

This phone also sports OnePlus's home-grown OxygenOS (based on Android 5.1) and in the time we used it, it seemed to be as good as Cyanogen OS.
 

The body of the phone is mostly made of aluminium, but the back still retains it textured look. The phone feels heavier than the OnePlus One but is easy to hold in the hand, despite its large screen. OnePlus is offering a variety of options for back covers which in turn makes the phone look more appealing. A unique feature is the front-facing fingerprint unlock sensor.

Though saving the very first fingerprint takes a little more time than expected, but once it's done, all it takes is merely a second to unlock the phone. In fact, in the limited time we used it, it worked better than on the Apple and Samsung phones. The OnePlus 2, the company claims, is designed to offer superior specs to most current handsets launched this year and into the next and is thus being referred to as the 2016 flagship killer. Whether it lives up to this name, we can be sure only after a detailed review.

The company has promised to launch the 16GB version (Rs 22,999) by the end of this year while the 64GB version (the one in Sandstone Black) is going up for sale on August 11 at a price of Rs 24,999. One can get their hands on this phone by invitation only.