OnePlus X: Cheaper, but still elusive

Nippy performance at a lower price, but manage an invite first

What would be the odds of getting an invite to buy a phone and the review unit from the company on the same day? I'm not the betting type but this is exactly what happened with me - I got an invite to buy the OnePlus X (yes, one still needs an invite!) about two hours after I received the review unit from the company.

The OnePlus X (Rs 16,999 for Onyx) review sample was a glass affair. And while it looks good, it was a fingerprint magnet and slippery to boot. The dual-SIM tray, unlike any other OnePlus device, can accommodate a microSD card instead of the second SIM card. The phone runs OxygenOS, based on Android 5.1.1, is very near to stock Android. The AMOLED screen is brilliant and does well in direct sunlight as well. The phone sports hardware similar to last year's flagships, with nippy performance. While playing Real Steel the phone heated up and I managed to exit the game by inadvertently hitting the capacitive keys, which aren't backlit.

The OnePlus X has a 13-megapixel (MP) back camera, which took excellent outdoor shots (as long as one has steady hands, as it doesn't have image stabilisation) and the front 8MP camera would satisfy selfie-addicts.

The OnePlus X is possibly the best one can get at its price, provided you can land yourself an invite. Should you fail to do so, you can always spend Rs 3,000 more and get the OnePlus One, which remains a "flagship beater".