The OnePlus One has been one of the most hyped smartphones of 2014. There's really not much else to be said, as OnePlus' marketing has been quite noticeable amongst Android enthusiasts. The OnePlus One seems to come from nowhere, although there is a noticeable resemblance to the Oppo Find 7A which is produced in the same factory. The OnePlus One is said to be a flagship killer, as its high-end specs come with a mid-range price. The 16GB version starts at 299 USD and the 64GB version starts at 349 USD. With a 5.5" 1080p display, Snapdragon 801 SoC, and plenty of other bits and pieces to go around, the specs are certainly enough to make it into a flagship phone. Of course, the real question is whether it really is. After all, while specs provide the foundation, what makes a phone bad, good, or great has to do with the entire phone, not just the spec sheet. At any rate, I've attached this spec sheet below to give an idea of what to expect from the phone.

  Oppo Find 7a OnePlus One
SoC MSM8974ABv3 2.3 GHz
Snapdragon 801
MSM8974ACv3 2.45 GHz Snapdragon 801
RAM/NAND 2 GB LPDDR3, 16GB NAND + microSD 3GB LPDDR3, 16/64GB NAND
Display 5.5” 1080p IPS LCD (JDI) 5.5” 1080p IPS LCD (JDI)
Network 2G / 3G / 4G LTE (Qualcomm MDM9x25 UE Category 4 LTE) 2G / 3G / 4G LTE (Qualcomm MDM9x25 UE Category 4 LTE)
Dimensions 152.6 x 75 x 9.2 mm, 170 grams 152.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm, 162 grams
Camera 13MP (4128 x 3096) Rear Facing, 1/3.06" CMOS size (Sony IMX214), F/2.0, 5MP FFC w/ F/2.0 aperture 13MP (4128 x 3096) Rear Facing, 1/3.06" CMOS size (Sony IMX214), F/2.0, 5MP FFC w/ F/2.0 aperture
Battery 2800 mAh (10.64 Whr) 3100 mAh (11.78 Whr)
OS Android 4.3 with ColorOS Android 4.4.4 with CyanogenMod 11S
Connectivity 802.11a/b/g/n/ac + BT 4.0, USB2.0, GPS/GNSS, DLNA, NFC 802.11a/b/g/n/ac + BT 4.0, USB2.0, GPS/GNSS, DLNA, NFC
SIM Size MicroSIM MicroSIM

Needless to say, the OnePlus One is a close cousin of the Find 7a, and its specs are top notch. There's a great foundation, so we'll move on with some initial hardware impressions.

Of course, the first part to look at is industrial and material design, along with any other immediate observations about the phone. From the front, the phone is almost a pure expanse of black glass. There are outlines for the capacitive keys, but these are quite faint most of the time. The contrast of the silver plastic ring only emphasizes this, and the lack of logos helps to make the design stand out by virtue of its minimalism. Picking it up, the feel of the sandstone black finish is incredibly unique and unlike anything I've ever felt. The finish has been described as soft sandpaper, and that's a description I'd agree with. It makes the phone feel much grippier than one might expect. The back cover is also strong, with no real give and no flex. Other than a few logos, the only significant design elements on the back are the camera, dual LED flash, and a hole for the microphone. The front of the phone has surprisingly great attention to detail as well. The silver plastic piece on the front of the phone makes the finger smoothly roll off of the display when swiping around, and the imperceptible feel of the earpiece helps to contribute to the sense that this is a single, well-built phone.

On the sides, the minimalistic theme continues. There's only a power button on the right side, a headphone jack and microphone port on the top, and a volume rocker on the left side. The SIM tray is also on the left side, and on the bottom of the phone we see two speakers, a USB port, and a microphone hole. In general, the feel of the power and volume buttons are great, with no slack and a clean, if subdued click upon activation.

Needless to say, OnePlus has done a fantastic job. However, there are a few issues to talk about. First, the size is definitely too much to handle. If the LG G3 was at the very edge between a phone and phablet, the OnePlus One firmly steps into phablet territory. At some point a line in the sand has to be drawn, and it only makes sense to do so here. The angular corners of the OnePlus One combined with its larger footprint makes for a phone that is almost impossible to comfortably use with one hand. I can't help but feel that this would've been a far more impressive phone if shrunk to a 5" display size, as in my experience it takes two hands to comfortably use this phone. The other issue is much more subtle though. For some reason or another, the glass lens covering the display of the phone feels as if it has noticeably higher friction than other phones I've used. It almost feels as if the oleophobic treatment of the glass is either missing or thinner than most. Of course, overall the phone is great from a basic design perspective. The size seems to be a matter of OnePlus' start-up position and the need to share parts with the Find 7a, although the feel of the glass is unlikely to be an issue for most.

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  • Anonymous1a - Thursday, November 20, 2014 - link

    Really, this phone is like over six months old! And, you're reviewing it now? The whole point of a review is to help buyers make up their mind. Not a lot of people start buying when a device is six months old.
  • grayson_carr - Thursday, November 20, 2014 - link

    To be fair, the phone still isn't straight up for sale. You can't just go to their site and have one shipped to you on the spot. You can only pre-order it.
  • Bob Todd - Thursday, November 20, 2014 - link

    To be even more fair, their comment (not yours) is completely retarded. Pre-orders are closed. Nobody reading this review can even buy one right now. Still invite only until another pre-order window opens. So I'd say the review is still quite timely.
  • Allan_Hundeboll - Sunday, November 23, 2014 - link

    If you know how to google you can find an invite in less than 10 minutes...
  • Anonymous1a - Thursday, November 20, 2014 - link

    So, just because they have a different business model, that means you should review it late? They may never open pre-orders proper for the One (in the way other companies do) so, if that's your rationale, Anandtech should never review the phone. Also, I don't know if you live in Asia, but, in some countries, you can actually just go to a shop and buy one. Yes, you'll pay a premium from $20-$50 but it will still be cheaper than competing phones.
  • Anonymous1a - Thursday, November 20, 2014 - link

    Also, how is it that OnePlus One is seen as the first device to challenge to challenge the $600+ flagship paradigm when Xiaomi has been doing this for at least two generations of devices?
  • Socius - Friday, November 21, 2014 - link

    Xiaomi makes devices targeted to the Asian market (think bands). These guys are making the same thing, but pushing the western markets hard with it. So it's basically higher quality Xiaomi for the masses.
  • beggerking@yahoo.com - Thursday, November 20, 2014 - link

    can you stop putting iphone benchmarks in the chart? everyone already know its biased and inaccurate.
  • SanX - Thursday, November 20, 2014 - link

    Great everything but the dark display and a bit ugly design. Good to have 6" and even 6.5" model too at the expense of bezel. Another good unknown Chinese brand is Zopo, I'm happy with its 6" phone for more then a year. No one including Apple beats its screen and battery life.
  • frombauer - Thursday, November 20, 2014 - link

    Want leading battery life with a mannageable size? Sony Z3 Compact. Loving mine, 4.6" might be a bit small, but it's light, fits a pocket nicely and lasts FOREVER on a charge. And has a full speed Snapdragon 801 inside driving a 720p screen, which makes it scream.

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