OnePlus has managed to grab attention with only its second offering and is now competing with big brands
The comparison between Samsung Group’s (OTCMKTS:SSNLF) Galaxy S6 Edge+ and OnePlus 2 is essentially a comparison of the latest smartphone innovation by the South Korean giant against a relatively new but astoundingly popular Chinese company.
Overview
In a nutshell, the S6 Edge Plus is a Galaxy S6 Edge with a larger screen. The S6 Edge+ has the same Gorilla Glass panel coating on the back and front, with a sturdy metal frame. Its striking curved edges have become larger; the S6 Edge was 5.1 inch, which has now become 5.7 inches. Its larger size pronounces the curved screen and gives the handset a sleek and refined look. From an aesthetic point of view, the S6 Edge+ may well be Samsung’s best creation so far.
However, many users have complained that the larger body and increased curved space is difficult to hold, with the curved screen burrowing into the user’s hands, giving an uncomfortable feel. Consumers complain that this aspect of the phone makes it harder to hold for a long time. The curved screen has many app icons that could be pushed unintentionally.
The S6 Edge+ is embedded with a fingerprint scanner, giving the user a personalized feel and making the phone more secure. It has a resolution of 1440 x 2560 and packs 518 pixels an inch. The phone also has the Samsung Pay facility, which uses near field communication (NFC) technology to make the phone a mobile wallet. The model is available in four colors; black, white, silver, and gold.
The OnePlus 2 has a metal frame body with a plastic panel on its back, coated with sandstone, much like its predecessor OnePlus One. Other back panels are available in materials such as Kevlar, bamboo, black apricot, and rosewood. The OnePlus 2 has smaller LTPS LCD screen with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, giving the phone a density of 401 pixels per inch. The OnePlus 2 follows the earlier approach; only enabling a purchase with an invite. This sales approach has been defended by the company, which says this will help deal with the demand-supply lag, and optimize resources.
The OnePlus 2 also has a fingerprint scanner button, which also acts as the home button. One flaw in the fingerprint scanner is its passive sensitivity, which may require multiple thumb prints before the phone unlocks. The phone also detaches itself with the CyanogenMod that became a USP with the OnePlus One, and this time went with Android 5.1.1. A main drawback with OnePlus 2 is the lack of the NFC mechanism, which makes it incapable of carrying out Android Pay payments, when the service is launched later in 2015.
Features
The S6 Edge+ is equipped with Samsung’s Exynos 7420 chip and an octa-core CPU. The phone does not have a memory card slot, which is surprising. The rear camera has a resolution of 16 MP (2988 x 5312 pixels) with image stabilization and autofocus. The secondary camera (front) has a 5MP resolution. The S6 Edge+ is powered by Android Lollipop 5.1.1 and comes with pre-installed apps such as Skype, OneDrive, and Microsoft Word. The S6 Edge+ has 4GB of RAM.
The OnePlus 2 meanwhile has the latest Qualcomm chipset offering; the snapdragon 810. The handset has an octa-core CPU as well. The OnePlus 2 also does not have a memory card slot. The phone’s primary camera has 12 MP (4128 x 3096 pixels) resolution and comes with laser autofocus, a dual-LRD flash, and optical image stabilization feature, while its secondary camera is 5MP. The OnePlus 2 has 3GB of RAM for its 16 GB storage and 4GB RAM for the 64GB storage
Price
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ has a price tag of $768 for the 32GB version, while on the other hand the OnePlus 2 costs $329, unlocked.
The Verdict
The OnePlus 2 offers a low-cost Android phone with rich features that can effectively compete with a high-end brand, but the design, quality, and display of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ makes it worth the extra bill. It all boils down to value for money against a classy feel good novelty factor, and at the end of the day, it depends on the preference of a consumer. The hindering consumption factor for the OnePlus 2 would be its cumbersome invite process, but in a paradoxical way, that process brings in an exclusivity aura; the exclusive domain for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhones.
The OnePlus having made rapid inroads, has definitely given impetus to Chinese smartphone vendors to enter the big leagues, competing with the likes of Samsung and Apple.
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