One Plus One has been launched today in india and I am writing this review after ordering one but before you wonder how I compiled this review, would like to tell you, I had ordered one more earlier before through a chinese website. As it was very difficult to get the invite for the same. In this review we help you find out whether its worth investing money on this advertised flagship killer (as some people call it) which has some very good specifications for the price.
One Plus One Full In Depth Review + Unboxing [Video]
One Plus One Quick Specs
- Display Size: 5.5 inch LTPS LCD capacitive touch screen with 1920 x 1080 HD resolution
- Processor: 2.5 GHz Quad Core Qualcomm MSM8974AC Snapdragon 801
- RAM: 3 Gb
- Software Version: Android 4.4.2 (Kit kat) OS
- Camera: 13 MP AF camera.
- Secondary Camera: 5 MP front-facing camera FF [Fixed Focus]
- Internal Storage: 16 or 64 GB
- External Storage: NA
- Battery: 3100 mAh battery Lithium Ion ( Non removable )
- Connectivity: 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, aGPS, 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
- Others: OTG Support – Yes, Dual SIM – No , LED Indicator – Yes ( Color Can Be Changed or Not )
- Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity and magnetic field sensor
- SAR Values: 0.62 W/kg (head) and 0.75 W/kg (body)
- Physical Dimensions ( Length, Width and Height): 152.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm
- SIM Card Slot Size: Micro SIM Slot ( 3G and 2G connectivity)
Box Contents
Inside the box you get a handset, MicroUSB to USB cable, USB Charger ( output current 1 AMP or 2AMP), Standard Headphones with mic to take calls, One Screen protector, Service Center list etc.
Build Quality, Design and Form Factor
One Plus One looks great in looks both the sandstone version and white 16GB version which we reviewed. It feels great when you hold it hands, it may feel slightly bigger phone to hold but weight of this phone, 162 grams is on the lighter side as compared to some other smartphone which has the same display size of 5.5 inch. It has rounded back cover with matte finish and curved back which gives great grip when you hold this phone in hand.
Camera Performance
The rear 13 MP AF camera can take good long shots and great macro shots in day light and low light performance is also good if not the best. The rear camera can also record can record 1080p video and 720p video at 30fps, also can record 4K resolution video. Front 5MP FF camera can also record HD videos at 720p, the front camera selfie photos were good and it also have face detection. See the gaming review video below to know more.
Camera Samples
One Plus One Quick Camera Review [Video]
One Plus One Camera Video Sample [Video]
coming soon..
Display and Battery Backup
It has got 5.5 Inch of display with 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution which gives good clarity on readable text on this display. Its an LTPS display with great viewing angles and color reproduction is also good. Display is sensitive to finger touch with 10 point multi touch and does have scratch resistant screen protection glass.
One Plus One comes with 3100 mAh battery which can last for a day easily most of the times for an average user. You can get around 1 to 1.5 days battery backup with basic to moderate usage on this phone. For heavy users battery can last upto 6 to 7 hours on continuous usage.
Memory, Storage and OTA Update
It comes loaded with 16 or 64 GB Internal Storage and 3GB of RAM. You will get around 2Gb free RAM on first boot once you setup the phone which can be used to install and run heavy graphic games and apps. Out of 16Gb storage you will get around 11 GB user available and on 64Gb variant you will get 55 Gb user available. OTG can always help with low storage issues and it is supported. You will get OTA update as they are available, and indian version of one plus one is getting a major update this friday which can make global cynogen mod go away from your device.
Software, Benchmarks and Gaming
One Plus One runs CynogenMod 11 on top of android which is responsive and shows no major lag in animations, home screen movement and app close and opening. We played Temple Run OZ, Blood and Glory and Asphalt 8, for the first two games we could play them well without any lag or frame drops. For Asphalt 8 and MC5 as well in high visual mode we did not experienced lag, we could play these games smoothly without any issues. Game onscreen controls were accessible and touch screen was responsive while playing games, see the gaming review video below to know more.
Update: One Plus has announced that indian version of one plus will not run on cyanogen ROM and they are developing a new ROM based on Lollipop which will be close to material design from google but will have features borrowed from Cyanogen ROM as per what users needs. Stable build of new ROM to come by December 2014 last week and stable release will be in early Jan 2015.
Benchmark Scores
- Antutu Benchmark: 36535
- Nenamark2: 61.3 fps
- Multi Touch: 10 point
One Plus One Gaming Review [Video]
Sound, Video and Navigation
Sound from loudspeaker was loud to hear but not the loudest we have heard and its placement is at the bottom edges so does not get blocked or muffled when you place the device on its back on a flat table. FHD videos 720p can play fine without any issues and 1080p also get played smoothly. GPS navigation works fine, it locked GPS coordinates quickly in seconds outdoors but indoors it may take time depending on signal strength.
One Plus One Photo Gallery
Other Important Things
- Connectivity: First SIM Slot Support 3G and there is no Second SIM Slot
- Internet Sharing: You can create a portable Wifi Hotspot to share 3G Internet using any SIM card.
- Audio Recording and Noise Cancellation: It has dual mic, you can get an idea about noise cancellation in camera sample video above
- Phone Grip: Phone grip is good on 64 Gb sandstone variant and on white 16Gb variant its again matte it can look dirty and can get scratches over time.
- Backlit LED on Touch Capacitive Buttons: Yes
- Display Protection Glass: Gorilla Glass 3
- Slow Motion Video Recording: Yes at 720P 120FPS
What We Liked
- Great Value for Price
- Good Responsive Software
What We Did Not Liked
- Big Size Device
- Slightly Heavy
Verdict and Price
One Plus One is available in india at amazon.in for the price of Rs. 21999 INR, you need an invite to buy it just like it is the case globally. You can get the invite by participating in one plus forums or through contest running on amazon.in It’s a great phone on the hardware and software department and for a change both of these does talk to each other. We strongly recommend it, in case you need a phone free from bloat ware. Just in case you are wondering about customer care centers they have started with 25 service centers in 20 indian cities, you can see the list here
