Tag: OnePlus Two

OnePlus CEO Reveals the Pricing of the OnePlus Two

Seems like OnePlus is feeling the heat of the close competition, with Xiaomi, Vivo and debutant Nubia’s presence in the smartphone tussle. The Chinese electronics start-up aims to sustain the reputation garnered from the One, and intends to create a buzz with its upcoming flagship. The company disclosed a significant detail about the innards of the next OnePlus handset on Weibo and announced its price as well.

OnePlus CEO Liu Zuohu asked OnePlus fans about the reasonable price of OnePlus Two with Snapdragon 810 on it. It was an open question, and hence comments started flooding on the query. After a while, Liu put an end to the suspense and said 2499 Yuan seems reasonable.

So, we now have the price of OnePlus Two (tentatively titled), which has come from the top official itself. 2499 Yuan translates to Rs. 25,700 approx which is higher than what its present flagship comes at. OnePlus very well knows that to secure a space where many other high-end, yet affordable smartphones, are being appreciated would be not be an easy task. The firm must have decided on quality features and specifications that speak for its price.

From what is known to date, the OnePlus Two will sport a 5.5-inch 2K display. It will be powered by a Snapdragon 810 chipset along with 4G RAM. More details aren’t yet confirmed by the company. It should be noted that the next smartphone will run on its own operating system as Cyanogen and OnePlus have officially broken up. The second OnePlus device is expected to debut in the third quarter of this year.

May 8, 2015
OnePlus and Cyanogen Officially Break Up

The two budding players in their respective fields, Cyanogen and OnePlus, are finally breaking their last thread. Both the companies went through ups and downs in the past few months and now, the two have decided to part ways. A confirmation came from Cyanogen at the Global Mobile Internet Conference in Beijing when Cyanogen’s co-founders announced about ending their relationship with OnePlus.

The Co-Founder of Cyanogen, Steve Kondik spoke on the issue –

That’s probably the last you will see from that partnership.… Two new companies are trying to do crazy stuff, a lot of people collide.

Kirt McMaster and Steve Kondik, Co-Founders of Cyanogen stated that both the companies have different goals, and their visions are not coinciding at a point. The fledgling firms will now be heading with their own goals.

The conflict between Cyanogen and OnePlus started when Cyanogen decided to jump into bed with Micromax. For a period, the One devices were banned by the Supreme Court of India. The two companies went back and forth for a while, but have now officially decided to part ways.

Happier Days : OnePlus running Cyanogen

Meanwhile, it is learnt that OnePlus has moved on quickly, and is already working with new brand partners. This might help them scale up the production of the next software to reach the markets quickly. No names linked with OnePlus have come up till now, but it is likely to be an inexpensive Chinese manufacturer. The Chinese equipment maker confirmed on the separation and its association with other partners –

OnePlus shipped reasonable volume, but nothing compared to what some of these other partners can ship… we are working with partners that can scale much quicker.

For now, OnePlus has launched its first own OxygenOS that would fill in for CyanogenOS. After that, the new (unknown) software is expected to replace OxygenOS or provide an alternative for it.

April 29, 2015
OnePlus Finally Ends the Invite System for the One

Last week, OnePlus revealed that they were planning to make a big announcement on 20th April. All signs pointed towards the OnePlus Two, new gaming hardware or a power bank. Nobody had anticipated that the Chinese company would announce that they’ve finally decided to do away with the infuriating invite system. So, starting today the 64GB Sandstone Black and the 16GB Silk White variants will be available without an invite forever, on Amazon.in

With this announcement OnePlus also confirmed that OnePlus Two is in fact, on its way. Though they said that the second flagship will only be available through the invite system.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Carl Pei ” author_title=”Co-founder and Head of Global, OnePlus”]

By rigorously testing and improving our logistical structure over the last one year, we are far more confident that our processes have matured enough for us to handle the increased production and after-sales support that comes along with opening up sales. It’s what we’ve been working towards, and now we’re ready. This current shift from an invite system to a non-invite system is a big step, one from which we will learn a great deal before the OnePlus 2 launch, with invites, in the third quarter of this year.

[/quote]

It’s great to hear that the company has managed to catch up the production to the smartphone’s demand. This also sends a strong message to OnePlus’ arch rival, Xiaomi. Xiaomi continues its tedious flash sale system, which has made it quite a task for interested buyers to purchase the smartphone. Although Xiaomi had also recently opened up the sales of the Xiaomi Mi 4, which is currently available to buy on Flipkart.

For interested OnePlus customers, no more scouring for invites – the flagship killer is finally available to buy whenever, you want it!

Check out our hands on review of the device here:

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April 20, 2015
4 Important Announcements to Look Forward to This Week

In the coming days, India will be enticed with the arrival of many new products by popular companies; namely, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Asus and Micromax. Some of the companies have attempted to keep things mysterious, but we’re fairly certain we’ll be seeing some heavy-hitting devices unveiled.

Here’s everything you should expect to see this week:

Xiaomi

Last week Xiaomi announced a ‘Global Mi Phone Premiere’ which will take place in New Delhi on 23rd of April. The company had tweeted about the same and the image read as ‘I Is Coming’. It may well be possible that a new handset, likely the Mi5 or the Mi 4i, may be unveiled. But, we cannot be too sure of that. The conference will be addressed by Lei Jung, CEO and Co-Founder, Bin Lin, President and Co-Founder and Hugo Barra, Vice President of Xiaomi Global.

i IS COMING. Register for our global Mi phone premiere in New Delhi on 23 April. http://t.co/H8GdKvulca #MiLaunch2015 pic.twitter.com/0pxgSe4Mu0

— Mi India (@MiIndiaOfficial) April 10, 2015

OnePlus

OnePlus teased a new product that will be unveiled on 20th of April. The poster reads ‘You’re Invited’ along with a tagline ‘From here on out, anything could happen.’ The new product is highly anticipated to be the OnePlus Two since last year, around the same time, OnePlus launched their flagship phone, the OnePlus One. Although, there is a catch. At the MWC 2015, OnePlus had teased a gaming console. Gaming device or the next flagship? We will find out soon enough.

From here on out, anything could happen. #NeverSettle pic.twitter.com/pK84nYrzcd — OnePlus (@oneplus) April 17, 2015

ASUS

Asus first showcased the Zenfone 2 at the Consumers Electronic Show last year in Las Vegas. India will be receiving three variants of the handset. Powered by a 3,000 mAh battery and running on a 64-bit 2.3GHz Intel Atom processor Z3580 with PowerVR G6430 GPU, the Zenfone is packed for power and performance. More details of the device will be unraveled at the launch event that will take place on 23rd April.

3 variants of #Zenfone2 for India. Gear up to see what others can’t see. pic.twitter.com/p4n6BSC5rk

— ASUS India (@ASUSIndia) April 6, 2015

To know more about its specs and features here.

Micromax

In a series of tweets, Micromax disclosed that it is all set to release its newest affordable smartphone, the Canvas Spark. The device is said to have a 4.4-inch display and is expected to be priced at Rs. 6,000. Also, the presence Snapdeal logo confirms an exclusive partnership between the two companies for online sales. The event will take place on 21st April.

The toughest screen just got affordable. #MicromaxCanvasSpark Coming Soon! pic.twitter.com/YrkMr9xgwI

— Micromax Mobile (@Micromax_Mobile) April 16, 2015

April 20, 2015
OnePlus Expected to Announce a New Device on 20th April

There are several exciting things coming up next week. Two days before OnePlus’ competitor, Xiaomi, makes its global smartphone announcement in India, OnePlus may grab its spotlight. The Chinese company hinted via Twitter, that they might be launching something big on 20th April. Although they’ve decided to keep things mysterious. The image simply reads, “You’re Invited” along with a tag line “From here on out, anything could happen.”

From here on out, anything could happen. #NeverSettle pic.twitter.com/pK84nYrzcd

— OnePlus (@oneplus) April 17, 2015

Yesterday several reports surfaced that the company had decided to unveil the OnePlus Two in June. Could it be possible that OnePlus decided to move up the date, to stay ahead of the competition?

The OnePlus Two is rumored come with a massive 5.5-inch display with a 16MP primary camera and a 5MP front camera. Along with that, we might see a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor and powered by a 3,300mAh battery.

But, the OnePlus Two is just one of the several possibilities. At the MWC 2015 in Barcelona, OnePlus Co-FOunder teased that the company was working on an entirely new category of product and hinted out three posters. The posters come with the captions: ‘Start a New Game’, ‘For The Fun Of It’ and ‘You’re in Control.’ The three posters hints out more towards a gaming device or a console.

OnePlus shot to fame after the release of the OnePlus One, a device that delivered high-end specifications at affordable rates. Sometime back, OnePlus also released the OnePlus Power Bank that houses 10,000mAh of power.

Which new device is in store for us will only be revealed on 20th April. Till then, keep checking iGyaan for updates.

April 18, 2015
OnePlus to Release OnePlus Two Along with a Cheaper Alternative By End 2015

The OnePlus Two can easily be considered as one of the most awaited devices of 2015. But it may not be the only new phone coming from OnePlus. A report published by Bloomberg suggests that the Chinese company may be working on a cheaper alternative as well.

Bloomberg said the OnePlus Two is set to launch in the third quarter of 2015, adding that a friendly cheaper alternative is due to release at the same time. OnePlus has not yet confirmed the news.

The OnePlus Two is expected to have almost the same features as the OnePlus One while adding an up-to-date processor, a 5.5-inch 2K display and a bigger battery. It is also rumoured that the new phone could also feature a high-tech biometric scanner. This could potentially increase the pricing of the device. Maybe, because of this, OnePlus might be working on a cheaper option along with it – catering to a wider audience.

The report also states that OnePlus aims to sell between 3-5 million smartphones in 2015, and 10 million by the end of 2016. OnePlus also revealed that the company is now gearing up to enter a new product this month, which is neither a smartphone nor a tablet. We’ll have to wait and see what’s up ahead, and knowing OnePlus, our hopes are high.

April 15, 2015
Is OnePlus 2 Arriving Next Month?

Rumours of the OnePlus One successor have been in the news for quite some time. One retailer even had such a phone listed on a website, even though the design and the look of the phone were not unveiled. The same Chinese retailer, Geek Buying, has recently claimed the handset could be launched on 17th of April this year. Though, much like before, there are no such confirmations from the company as of yet.

As specified by geekbuying.com, the phone will sport a 5.5-inch 1080p display with Snapdragon 805 soC, much like the previous model. There is also a mention of a 16MP primary camera and a 5MP front camera, and is based on Android 4.4 with a 3GB RAM support.

In January this year, Carl Pei announced that it may take OnePlus close to six months to launch the OnePlus Two.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Carl Pei” author_title=”Co-founder of OnePlus”]

The OnePlus One has been selling pretty well across the world. In addition to the launch countries, it was launched in India late last year, and despite of initial hiccups involving Cyanogen and Micromax, OnePlus One has managed to do pretty well. Just a couple of days back, it was launched in 16 more countries in Europe.

[/quote]

Since OnePlus One was launched in April last year, this story may have some truth in it. However, we’d rather wait for an official confirmation from the company before jumping to conclusions. Another reason we would doubt the leak are the images accompanying the story show the Cyanogen logo at the back of the device. The company has made it clear that they are now developing their own OS aka OxygenOS. Although we have to admit, it would be exciting to see what OnePlus might have in store for us with the Two.

Till we see the next iteration, go ahead and watch our review of the OnePlus One.

March 14, 2015
OnePlus Releases its Splendid Annual Report Card for 2014

OnePlus along with its compatriot Xiaomi were the undoubted winners of the smartphone race in 2014. These two budding Chinese companies have created an immense fan base through their innovative devices. OnePlus has released its annual report for the year 2014, and as expected, it would be a cause for celebrations at the OnePlus offices.

According to the numbers, the company sold the maximum number of devices in East Asia followed by Europe and North America (39%, 32%, 22% respectively). The company arrived in India by the end of the year, but still managed to sell 7% of its stocks in the country. The company has also claimed to have garnered a revenue worth $300 Million.

The USP of the OnePlus devices was the Cyanogen OS that powered them. But after facing an unfavorable situation in India, the company proactively pushed for creating its own operating system based on Android 5.0 Lollipop known as Oxygen OS. OnePlus promises that this new OS too will be customizable, and free from bloat and unnecessary features.

The next big release from the company will be the OnePlus Two and India will be one of the first countries to get access to the new device. There will be a lot of expectations from the OnePlus Two and the Oxygen OS as they would have to fill the shoes amazing OnePlus One. The OnePlus Two will be in the top five of our most anticipated list of devices for 2015.

February 3, 2015
OnePlus is Planning a Design-Driven Smartphone (Other Than OnePlus Two)

Seems like the recent allegations regarding Cyanogen haven’t deterred the Chinese manufacturing firm, OnePlus. Few days back, the Director of OnePlus Global, Carl Pei, revealed that they will soon be launching OnePlus Two and India will be one of the first countries to see the phone. Now, Carl has come up with yet another statement that confirms that the company will be releasing another phone, other than the Two, this year.

While in conversation with PC World, Pei revealed that another phone by the company will cater to the audience for whom design is more prior than the specifications.

I think it’s going to be a phone catering to a different type of audience. Perhaps for those who appreciate design over specs.

The news has come as a surprise and the device is still under wraps (and probably still under works). No statement has come about the specifications, price and availability of the yet untitled gadget, but through the statement, it can be estimated that the handset is in early stages. We will soon update you as soon as we dig out information about the same.

Meanwhile, rumours are still hot about the upcoming flagship OnePlus Two. It is said that the device will sport a 5.5-inch display powered by Snapdragon 805 processor. The internal storage capacity of the handset will be 32 GB and it will house a battery of 3,300mAh. On the camera front, it may have a 16MP shooter along with 5 MP snapper on the front.

Seems like OnePlus has done its research well. In a country like India, a stylish smartphone (even with low specs) will definitely work well. Let’s see where this move takes the company.

January 9, 2015
OnePlus Director Confirms India to be One of the First Countries to See the ‘OnePlus Two’

OnePlus One is received blissfully by the Indian users and why not, the phone is such a great offering at a marginal price. The Co-Founder of OnePlus and the Director of OnePlus Global, Carl Pei, is immensely delighted with the overwhelming response to ‘One’ and has thanked all the Indian OnPlus fans to make the device a success.

Carl shared his views in an official blog post saying, “As a company that’s not yet even a year old, and has no track record on which to stand upon, your faith in our product and vision is humbling. We know we made you wait a while. We understand the wait could be frustrating, but looking back, we are glad that we waited until all pieces were in place.” He also mentioned that India is an important marketplace and the country wouldn’t be lagging behind in receiving the upcoming smartphones from the company.

Pei seized the attention of the Indians OnePlus One fans with his comment, “We have some big plans in the works, India. And while it took a while for us to get the One to you, we promise that won’t be the case in the future. India will be one of the first countries to see our newest products in the future.” This ascertains the fact that like we will be the first one to see the forthcoming ‘OnePlus Two’.

The Chinese manufacturer feels that there is a need to establish an office in the country and it is working hard in this direction. Pei mentioned that the company is planning to set up a local headquarters in Bangalore, which is said to house a GM, local marketing and logistics team, along with Research and Development team. India will soon be having a local PR to update us with its all important company advancements.

Well, with this post, the OnePlus has kept us longing for the future OnePlus gadget.

December 14, 2014
OnePlus is Developing a New Android ROM for the OnePlus Two

Chinese mobile superstar, OnePlus is reportedly creating a new Android ROM for the upcoming OnePlus Two. The CEO of the company told the Chinese media that the company is planning to ship one variant of the Two with a home grown ROM.

OnePlus One is known and demanded world over for its high specs, awesome design and low price. The device is especially appreciated for running the Android based CyanogenMod, that keeps the devices updated. Apart from this, the device ships with Color OS in China. Color OS can be found on the devices from OnePlus’s sister enterprise, Oppo. It seems that OnePlus might bid farewell to the Color OS for its own operating system.

The OnePlus One currently runs CyanogenMod and it is unanimously appreciated for it.

In the past, the company has taken multiple steps to reduce its dependency on CyanogenMod. They had released a stock Android ROM for their devices. Apart from that they had also offered support for other ROM’s like Paranoid Android and SlimKat ROM.

It is highly unlikely though that the company may dump CyanogenMod altogether after a regularly updated ROM is one of the centerpieces of the device. But it will be interesting to see if a homegrown ROM will match up to the amazing CyanogenMod.

OnePlus has also just announced that they will be bringing the One to India with a geography limited invite system. Considering the massive demand for the device, we will assume that they will repeat the millisecond vanishing act that has been perfected by its compatriot, Xiaomi. As for the OnePlus Two, it would be arriving somewhere around the second or third quarter of next year. We are waiting for your arrival OnePlus.

October 29, 2014
OnePlus Expected to Continue the Invite System and Launch OnePlus Two in 2015

OnePlus had taken the smartphone market by storm with their flagship killer, the One, which sure sounds like a Matrix reference. The phones unique features and high-end specs at a convenient low price have won hearts globally. The biggest hitch with this excellent phone is its lack of availability. In a Reddit AMA(Ask Me Anything), OnePlus’s Carl Pei and David S answered many important queries about the future of the company.

The company said that they misjudged the demand for their phones. According to them, they underestimated the demand for their phone and now they are “scrambling to catch up.” The team they established wasn’t big enough to handle the gargantuan demand, and so they are hiring like crazy. They are hopeful that the situation will normalize in a few months.

OnePlus said they underestimated the demand and are now scrambling to catch up.

The disappointing bit of the AMA was the revelation that the invite system is not going anywhere at least in this year. It was previously reported that the company will be doing away with the invite system for a pre-order system. Carl Pie said, “We understand that our current method may be slowing our growth down, but we’d rather grow slower and in a healthy way than take too much risks and go out of business. Risk management is extra important in our scenario where we don’t have hardware margins.”

The most prominent announcement was about the successor to the mighty OnePlus One. The new phone, OnePlus Two will be launched by the second or third quarter of 2015. It is a good enough time span considering the future-proof OnePlus One will continue its formidable stand in the market for the considerable future. OnePlus Two will also come with Android L pre-installed. This phone too will begin sale with an invite system but will gradually be rolled out through pre-orders.

They also said they are considering the requests for reducing screen size for their next device.

The company said they were considering the screen size issue as that is one request they have been getting bombarded with. The 5.5 inch screen is just too big for everyone. The company has made it clear they will not be bringing it down to iPhone 6’s size of 4.7. We think a 5.0 or 5.2 inch is a great size that everyone can get used to. They said they would continue using the IPS screens instead of OLED’s as they cost more, and their benefits are not really worth the extra bucks.

OnePlus also said that they are testing products in various other categories, but are not sure of what they’ll release into the market. They said “The Nexus tablets are pretty good. We don’t think we can make anything significantly better in the near future.”

Overall this was a great discussion. We appreciate the honesty of the folks at OnePlus, who didn’t leave their potential customers in the dark. Now we just hope that the next OnePlus device is as epic as its current sibling.

October 1, 2014