This would be the first question in mind, if you are using the OnePlus One, and are looking at the newly launched OnePlus 2 with an eye of suspicion, whether it would do well against its own predecessor. Read below to find the comparison and our thoughts about it.
Display: May be a downer for many, but for us, OnePlus retaining the same 1080p display under a 5.5-inch screen is a good thing, as the addition of 2K resolution might add to the sharpness a bit, but takes a toll on the performance as well as on the battery life. So, both the phones have a 5.5-inch 1080p display, with the OnePlus 2 having a 1500:1 contrast ratio for blacker black, and deep colors.
Processor: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 801 was 2014’s successful flagship chipset, and OnePlus rightly used it to power the OnePlus One. It worked well. This year, the Snapdragon 810 has received more criticism due to heating and throttling issues. But OnePlus says that this is a customized v2.1 of Snapdragon 810 they are using, and we cannot call it better already. Though, the initial impressions from people around say that it is quite good.
RAM: It was 3GB of RAM included in the OnePlus One, but now, the OnePlus 2 comes with 4GB LPDDR4 RAM. This is a plus not just for multitasking, but for heavy gamers who would want to retain back to the same position in the game, after playing around on some other apps in between.
Point to note: It is the 64GB variant of OnePlus 2 that has 4GB of RAM, while the 16GB variant has 3GB of RAM.
| Features | OnePlus One | OnePlus 2 |
| Display | 5.5-inch full HD (1920x1080p) LCD screen | 5.5 Inch Full HD (1920x1080p) LTPS IPS |
| Processor | 2.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 Quad Core | 64-bit V2.1 Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 |
| RAM and Storage | 3GB, 16GB and 64GB models | 4GBfor the 64GB and 3GB RAM for the 16GB models |
| Camera: | 13MP rear camera with Laser Autofocus and 5.1 MP front camera | 13MP rear camera with 5MP front camera |
| OS | Android Lollipop 5.0 based Cyanogen 12S | Android Lollipop 5.1 based Oxygen OS |
| Battery | 3100mAh | 3300 mAh |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi, NFC | 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi, NFC |
| Price | $342 or Rs. 22,000 | Rs. 22,999 for 16GB model and Rs. 24,999 for 64GB model |
| Additional features | NFC is present | Finger Print scanner, Laser Autofocus, No NFC |
Camera: The camera doesn’t get an upgrade with the sensor, with this being a 13-megapixel camera compared to the 13-megapixel shooter on the back of OnePlus One, but there are certain improvements in the pixel size, which is now 1.3 microns.
In addition to that, the OnePlus 2’s camera has laser autofocus to focus and capture within 0.3 seconds, and there is Optical image stabilization added as well. One reason why we would recommend upgrading is the camera improvements.
Storage options: It is the same, 16GB and 64GB storage options available for the OnePlus 2, as it was for the OnePlus One. But this time, the 64GB variant will have 4GB of RAM. Otherwise, we won’t see much difference in the available storage in the phones, and there is no expandable storage in both.
Operating System: The OnePlus One was launched with Android KitKat, and later got two options – either Cyanogen OS 12 based on Lollipop OS, or the Oxygen OS. But the OnePlus 2 is coming only with Oxygen OS, company’s own forked version of Android Lollipop. So, if you are a CyanogenMod fan, you might be disappointed a bit.
Battery: The battery capacity is increased a bit, as the OnePlus 2 has a 3300 mAh battery compared to 3100 mAh battery in the predecessor. This doesn’t mean it will last longer on single charge, because the ask here is higher, with fingerprint sensor, laser autofocus and OIS eating the battery whenever in use. But, at least the size reduction hasn’t made a compromise with its battery capacity.
What else has changed?
- The OnePlus 2 now has a fingerprint sensor on the front, for additional security. A feature many admire and use, especially when there is some important data in the device.
- NFC is removed, and the company states the reason that OnePlus One users were not using that feature. But worth noting if you were one of those, using the NFC technology in OPO.
Price: The pricing has changed a bit, but the price of OnePlus 2 in India is quite confusing, with the 16GB variant costing Rs. 22999, and the 64GB one costing just Rs. 2000 more, while the difference for the two variants in the U.S. is $60.
Read: Specs of OnePlus 2
Final word, should I upgrade? A tough choice, I’d say. As far as the camera improvements are concerned, I would totally recommend upgrading because the camera seems to offer a lot more than what it did earlier. But at the same time, you are seeing the same display, design, and it is too early to take a call on the performance. You might want to wait and see how well does the fingerprint sensor work, and whether Snapdragon 810 performs as advertised.
