Mobile Technology

New OnePlus One mobile promises to topple Samsung, HTC and company

New OnePlus One mobile promises to topple Samsung, HTC and company
The new OnePlus One mobile phone has been launched
The new OnePlus One mobile phone has been launched
View 10 Images
The new OnePlus One mobile phone has been launched
1/10
The new OnePlus One mobile phone has been launched
The device has been coined a "2014 Flagship Killer" by OnePlus
2/10
The device has been coined a "2014 Flagship Killer" by OnePlus
The phone is aimed at competing with devices like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8
3/10
The phone is aimed at competing with devices like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8
A 16GB Silk White version will retail for for $299 and a 64GB Sandstone Black for $349
4/10
A 16GB Silk White version will retail for for $299 and a 64GB Sandstone Black for $349
The device will run CyanogenMod 11S, a CyanogenMod operating system based on Android KitKat
5/10
The device will run CyanogenMod 11S, a CyanogenMod operating system based on Android KitKat
It has a 5.5-inch Gorilla Glass 3 screen that delivers 1080p full HD
6/10
It has a 5.5-inch Gorilla Glass 3 screen that delivers 1080p full HD
Users can capture 4K video and photos on a 13-megapixel Sony camera
7/10
Users can capture 4K video and photos on a 13-megapixel Sony camera
The One is powered by a 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor
8/10
The One is powered by a 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor
It has 3 GB of RAM and a Qualcomm Adreno 330 graphics processor
9/10
It has 3 GB of RAM and a Qualcomm Adreno 330 graphics processor
The OnePlus One will be available in selected markets from Friday
10/10
The OnePlus One will be available in selected markets from Friday
View gallery - 10 images

In January, it was announced that community Android version CyanogenMod would be pre-loaded on an upcoming new phone from a Chinese startup called OnePlus. The company was promising big things, and boasting former Oppo VP Pete Lau as its CEO. Today, the OnePlus One phone has been launched.

The announcement, back in January, has since made for some intriguing speculation. "What’s coming is one of the most popular mobile operating systems specifically developed for the best hardware, with a unique twist," Lau said in the press release.

The noises coming out of of Cyanogen were positive too. "Upon hearing Pete’s vision for OnePlus, it was clear we had found the right partner," extolled Steve Kondik, CTO of Cyanogen. "By combining our software expertise with Pete’s background in hardware and design, we’ll develop a phone that will exceed both of our expectations."

The device has been coined a "2014 Flagship Killer" by OnePlus
The device has been coined a "2014 Flagship Killer" by OnePlus

The phone will initially be available in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, the UK and the US. A 16GB Silk White version will retail for for US$299 and a 64GB Sandstone Black for $349.

For those prices you'd be forgiven for assuming that the One will be a mid-range device, however, OnePlus is putting the One out there as a "2014 Flagship Killer." In short, it's taking aim at devices like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8 – and its specs list appears to back up all the big talk.

The device will run CyanogenMod 11S, a CyanogenMod operating system based on Android KitKat
The device will run CyanogenMod 11S, a CyanogenMod operating system based on Android KitKat

Here are the headlines: Like the HTC, the One is powered by a 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor. As OnePlus points out, that's currently the world's fastest available smartphone processor. it will also feature 3 GB of RAM and a Qualcomm Adreno 330 graphics processor.

Moving on, a 5.5-inch Gorilla Glass 3 screen delivers 1080p full HD, and users will be able to capture 4K video for upload to the cloud for storage. OnePlus boasts that a 13-megapixel Sony camera with f/2.0 aperture, six physical lenses and dual LED flash will take "amazing shots day or night." The firm also promises that users will get "more than a full day of use" out of the phone's 3100 mAh battery. Also included is 4G connectivity.

The One is powered by a 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor
The One is powered by a 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor

Until we get our hands on one, if you'll excuse the pun, we can't say how the device will perform. On paper, however, this is a very impressive piece of hardware. What's more, the CyanogenMod 11S version that will be loaded onto the One is based on Android KitKat and is said to be tuned especially to take advantage of the phone's hardware. OnePlus promises a simple user experience with no "unnecessary bloat." A few useful features are touted such as waking the phone via voice command or by drawing pre-set gestures on the sleeping screen.

The first OnePlus One handsets will be available from Friday, with the first 100 applicants able to buy a device for $1 in return for smashing their current handset(!). Time will tell if OnePlus has a fair stake to its claimed mantra, "Never Settle," but the initial signs are exciting and it looks like we won't have to wait long to find out.

In the meantime, you can see a little more of the OnePlus One in the rather epic video below.

Source: OnePlus

OnePlus One - Never Settle

View gallery - 10 images
10 comments
10 comments
Daishi
On paper it beats the ~$650 Samsung S5 in some areas and ties it in most the others. www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/OnePlus-One,Samsung-Galaxy-S5,HTC-One-M8/phones/8603,8202,8242
5.5 inch display vs 5.1 on S5 5 MP front facing camera vs 2.1 MP 3100 mAh battery vs 2800 3072 MB RAM vs 2048 MB RAM
Time will tell if CyanogenMod was a good idea but it was probably a lot cheaper to use it than roll their own. It won't be available in the US but it's still impressive that they can come in and offer a competing product for half the price.
This can't be good news for some of the mobile companies (HTC, Nokia, Blackberry) that were just barely hanging in there as is.
Martin Kail
At 5.5 inches I wouldn't buy it for $99. I really don't get how we're sprinting back to the days when cellphones were massive, uncomfortable, and required their own case because it fit in absolutely none of your clothes pockets.
Clinton Wong
Why wouldn't I just pay full price of $299 to get the phone and sell my old phone? The world is going about resource management and saving up which is why cheaper phone are getting popular and this company wants people to destroy their phones just to buy theirs for $1? Kind of sounds like people putting people down just to prove themselves worthy.
JPAR
Smashing the phones is simply a very cheap marketing ploy that will only cost the company $30,000... and I'm sure well over 100 phones are 'smashed' by accident every day on a worldwide basis.
This phone does sound very impressive, and it's not mentioned here, but I think it'll eat into the Apple market rather than Samsung. Apple users are seeing competitors on Android outperform them, and at a significant discount. Same with the ipads now - so whereas we are currently an Apple 'home' (2 iphone 5's and an Ipad 4), I would predict that our next upgrades will be to non Apple products, as the cost simply isn't justifiable.
P51d007
It's a startup company...losing money on the front end, to make a name for themselves. With pretty much no paid advertising, unless you count the money they spent on making youtube videos, setting up their website, look at the press, (and from their fourm section) the attention they have garnered. These OnePlus guys "left" Oppo to start their own company. The OnePlus One, looks a LOT like the Oppo Find 7. Cnet quotes from an insider that it is being produced on the Oppo assembly line, which explains a lot. Who knows, in a year or more if this pays off, it may come to light, that Oppo pretty much ones OnePlus anyway. In the end, if the phone does what the hype says it can do, and consumers embrace it, then it could put some pressure on the Samsung/Apple 600 pound gorilla in the room to drop their prices. Time will tell
Maaen
Is the battery removable and is there a micro SD CARD slot and is there likely to be a stylus...a pointed tipped stylus Those are my most important requirements....without the above mentioned requirements this phone my be successful ....but not as far as I am concerned.....
Rambo
@Maaen --->> No the battery is not removable and it doesn't have an extendable storage...but 64gb comes at an impressive price of $350 and as of now every data can be stored in cloud...so no need of memory >64gb...on any occasion...
No Stylus like samsung note....this mobile has the best specs in the market for this dead cheap price...
I wish you would see this as a $299 mobile...your expectation is frankly high...who knows in near future every expectation of yours might be fulfilled by this company...Never Settle..:P :P LOL
pmshah
I really wish they had also brought the phone to the Indian market. I for 1 do not ever use any of the built in applications from either Google or Samsung. Of course I do have to register with Google mail to be able to get updates on my installed applications.
I have nothing to do with social media (read Facebook, Twitter) or YouTube or the like, even on the desktop. All I need I are the basic utilities like voice and messaging, + FREE voice and messaging, (Whatsapp and Viber) to maintain connections with my family spread across the globe. Don't need 3G / 4G either.
At the listed price point, believe me they could survive on Indian market alone.
Nairda
Re: pmshah ebay will provide for those living in countries where this phone will not reach (including mine)
Interesting nobody has made any comments on the fact that CyanogenMod will be used. I have a crappy spare old Huawai 'holiday' phone that I take places where I would not rather take a more expensive phone. A year back I upgraded it to CyanogenMod 2.4 (which is now very outdated), and it was a huge boost in performance for both responsiveness and the way apps ran.
Taking this reasoning to its conclusion, if OnePlus is using this OS with those hardware specs, it will be an absolute beast, and possibly quicker then vanilla Android. What remains to be seen is how well it sheds heat under load. This is where the new metal HTC might beat the rest.
t__
Too bad. I wanted to purchase one. Unfortunately, they covered most of the EU, but not my country. There is something wrong in their efforts to sell this phone. Of course, it's specs are very impressive, but they deffinitely forget, that in most of the countries where people can pay much, they do pay a premium becouse of the brand. Targeting markets, where most people can pay mid rangers will give them total domination on them. Their product will be the obvious choice for markets, where the brand is not so important. One example. The last Iphone has now obvously worse specs than the last flagships of most popular brands. People buy it anyway. Why? The brand. People still do beleive, that Apple did it best and their product performs better, although the specs of the device are in almost all cases worse than the others. Another problem(may be). One Plus intends to sell the phone on markets, where many carriers are sponsoring the price of the device. So, an Iphone or Samsung costs less than the One device without contract. The competitive advantage is gone. Targeting markets, where prices are not subsidized is obvously the better choice. correcting all those things may give the One Plus enough time and ressources to establish themselves as a good brand, producing top products at a cheap price. If this is their intention anyway. And if I'm right.