Introduction
The OnePlus X is not another flagship killer, we have the OnePlus 2 for that. Instead OnePlus decided to take a break from the high profile smartphone game and brings us a stunning mid-ranger capable of delivering on both looks and performance.
The OnePlus X exterior is as premium as it can get - there is a metal frame with 17 etched grooves, flanked by two panels of black glass on either side something they call Onyx Black.
In case you are into exclusive editions, then OnePlus will be offering only 10,000 units of the OnePlus X with a back made out of ceramic. Each supposedly takes up to 25 days to make so that should count for something.
The OnePlus X is built around a 5" 1080p AMOLED display and has a Snapdragon 801 at its heart coupled with 3GB RAM. The S801 chip might be aging, but it's still quite relevant and would give some eight-core setups a run for their money. The camera department includes a 13MP main snapper with hybrid phase-detection AF and a front 8MP selfie shooter. Check out the complete feature list.
Key features
- Metal frame + glass/ceramic back
- 5" AMOLED display with 1080p resolution; 441ppi; Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- Snapdragon 801 chipset; CPU: quad-core 2.3GHz Krait 400; Adreno 330 GPU; 3GB of RAM
- 13MP main camera with a LED flash, phase-detection auto-focus; 1080p video capture at 30fps
- 8MP front-facing camera, 1080p at 30fps video recording
- Oxygen 2.1 OS based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
- 16GB of built-in storage; microSD expansion slot
- Dual SIM, LTE Cat.4, Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, FM radio, microUSB
- Dual-microphone active noise canceling
- Attractive price tag
- 2,525mAh non-removable battery
Main disadvantages
- Non-removable battery and no quick charging support
- Connectivity lacks dual-band Wi-Fi and NFC
- No 64-bit processor
The lack of 64-bit support is the only possible complaint we may have towards the Snapdragon 801 chip today, but we wouldn't say this feature is indispensable, at least not for a few more years. The connectivity package took the biggest hit - it lacks support for 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks, there is no NFC, and no support for quick charging. None of those are deal breakers but you should consider those.
OnePlus press shots in Onyx Black back
OnePlus press shots with Ceramic back
So, is the OnePlus X ready to perform great in the vast market out there? Only one way to find out and it starts with the thing getting unboxed.
Retail package
The OnePlus X comes packed into a compact paper box, which covers the basics - a tangle-free microUSB cable and a 2A charger plug. Or that's what it looks at first.
OnePlus X retail package and rubber case
Throughout our second rummaging through the retail package we also found a rubber bumper inside one of the paper holders, which has the SIM ejection tool.
OnePlus X 360-degree spin
Influenced perhaps by the form factor the iPhone 6 and 6s have been using, we're slowly witnessing a comeback of the compact, yet premium mid-rangers. We already met the Xperia M5, the Xperia Z5 Compact and the HTC One A9. The OnePlus X is also relying on a 5" display and is made out of premium looking materials.
The OnePlus X spreads at 140 x 69 x 6.9mm, which is about 6mm shorter, 2mm narrower and a hair thinner than the One A9. The OnePlus X is also lighter at 138g.
Design and build quality
OnePlus X is a step back from the company's sole focus on the specifications and it shifts the focus towards the design. And you can definitely see the effort OnePlus invested in designing the X by just taking a look at the stunning Onyx version.
OnePlus X
Both the glass and ceramic flavors of the OnePlus X have an anodized metal frame with 17 micro cut grooves running along the edges. The cuts are fine and give the sides a serrated finish making them inherently grippy. The front on both phones is covered by a 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3 - quite a popular choice lately, which creates the illusion of a thinner profile.
The regular black onyx version has its back made out of glass with curved edges that flow gently into the metal sides. The ceramic flavor looks almost the same, but the edges are not curved but chamfered.
OnePlus X
OnePlus says the ceramic cover on those limited 10,000 units is cast out of a zirconia mold and takes 25 days to make. The Ceramic version has a high gloss near-perfect mirror-like finish and even more pronounced angled edges, as we've mentioned. While the process behind it is fascinating and the material is significantly tougher than the glass used on the Onyx material, in reality it is often hard to tell the two models apart, especially in dimly lit indoor environments. This does make it somewhat harder to justify the additional cost of the Ceramic version (it's extra $110/€100/£69).
The OnePlus X Champagne flavor also stopped by, with an identical design to the Onyx Black model, only in a different color scheme. Arguably better suited to the gentler half of the population, the Champagne-on-white combo works equally well.
OnePlus X Champagne
We really appreciate the work of OnePlus and the attention to detail is among the highest we've seen recently. We like the sound switch on the left, which is nicely textured and provides a very prominent feedback.
Handling the OnePlus X is a lovely experience and the grip is very good thanks to the etched metal frame. The phone is very compact, lightweight and offers surprisingly thin screen bezels.
The OnePlus X is slippery in hand but the frame helps the grip, it fits nice in the hand, does great for one-handed operations and we had a great time playing with the phone.
Handling the OnePlus X
Controls
The front of the device has the 5.0-inch display in the center. Above the display is the earpiece, front facing camera, the sensors, and a tiny LED notification light at the top right.
A peek above and below the display
Below the display are the three practically invisible Home, Back, and Overview keys. They don't have any backlight and you will spot the markings denoting their places only under bright light.
The Back and Overview are marked with simple dashes and you can switch the functionality of those from Settings. You can even assign dedicated actions on double tap or tap&hold on all three keys.
On the right hand side of the phone are the power and volume control buttons with a nice damped feel, tight tolerances, and no unnecessary play. The ejectable tray is also around - it can either take two nano-SIM cards or a nano-SIM and a microSD cards.
What's on the right • What's on the left
On the left is the sound profile slider from the OnePlus 2 with three positions for the silent, priority notifications only, and all alerts modes. The slider has a grippy pattern like the one on the OnePlus 2 and it works great.
On the top is the headphone jack and the secondary microphone, while on the bottom are the microUSB port, microphone, and a single loudspeaker.
The top and bottom
The 13MP camera lens and a single-LED flash are on the back, sitting flush with the glass, giving it a perfectly flat appearance.
The 13MP camera on the back
Display
The OnePlus X packs a 5-inch AMOLED display, which is a great treat for such an affordable mid-ranger. It's a high-quality panel of 1080p resolution, which delivers 441ppi of pixel density. While not record-breaking numbers, individual pixels are nonetheless indistinguishable to the naked eye and so is the Diamond PenTile matrix.
You're not going to see pixels on this screen and thanks to the AMOLED tech that's built-in, the panel enjoys inky-deep blacks and unmatched vividness to colors.
When it comes to maximum brightness, the OnePlus X wouldn't go as high as some other AMOLED phones but it's quite alright and only flagship segment phones do better. It's actually around the same level as the HTC One A9 and this one while not being very bright to begin with, has twice the price tag.
The minimum brightness on the OnePlus X is only 3.3nits, which is to say that using it in dimly lit environments will be easy on your eyes.
| Display test | 50% brightness | 100% brightness | ||||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | |||
| 0.00 | 175 | ∞ | 0.00 | 340 | ∞ | |
| - | 110 | ∞ | - | 366 | ∞ | |
| 0.10 | 148 | 1542 | 0.36 | 536 | 1481 | |
| 0.16 | 180 | 1139 | 0.30 | 399 | 1334 | |
| - | - | - | 0.53 | 539 | 1017 | |
| 0.08 | 121 | 1613 | 0.28 | 452 | 1609 | |
| 0.23 | 343 | 1498 | 0.41 | 620 | 1520 | |
| 0.10 | 106 | 1060 | 0.65 | 680 | 1053 | |
AMOLED has inherently superb viewing angles and those of the OnePlus X don't disappoint. The panel retains its contrast and colors even in extreme angles and is one of the least reflective screens we've ever tested.
However the AMOLED on the HTC One A9 and Samsung's own Super AMOLED found in the Galaxy Note 4, Note5 and Galaxy S6 line easily top the OnePlus X's display in outdoor performance (though these are a lot more expensive phones to begin with).
Sunlight contrast ratio
Usually makers skimp on some of the essentials when building a lower-cost smartphone and many times the display is the first compromise. Luckily OnePlus didn't compromise with the X's display, which delivers on all points except its brightness, which is still acceptable.
More importantly the 5" display is sharp and a joy to consume media on.
OnePlus X battery life
The OnePlus X packs a non-removable 2,525mAh battery, which is about average capacity for a 5-inch 1080p smartphone. The Oppo R7 has a 2,320mAh cell, the recently reviewed HTC One A9 with its 2,150mAh is noticeably underpowered compared to OnePlus' model, while the Xiaomi Mi 4c has a generous 3,080mAh battery. The slightly larger 5.2-inch Nexus 5X has a, well, slightly larger 2,700mAh powerpack.
The OnePlus X didn't prove as a miracle worker and pairing an average capacity with an older chipset yields unimpressive results. While 16 hours of call times is a good performance, short of 7 hours in the video playback test and even less in web browsing are not numbers anyone would be happy with.
It's the frugal standby power consumption (which we measure, but don't include in the scorecard) that saves the OnePlus X and helps it achieve its 54-hour endurance rating in our proprietary test.
The Xiaomi Mi 4c outlasts the OnePlus X in all three disciplines, which measure actual usage. And it's not a marginal difference - more than 3 hours in each test, though it's let down by less than optimal standby performance. The Oppo R7 is ahead in all three tests as well, but also in overall rating, despite its lower capacity. The HTC One A9 on the other hand is trailing last in this group.
The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you're interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.
Connectivity
Thanks to the on-board modem of the Snapdragon 801 chipset, the OnePlus X supports lots of LTE bands and covers the specs for LTE Cat. 4 (up to 150Mbps downlink, up to 50Mbps uplink). It also offers quad-band GSM connectivity and quad or penta-band (market dependent) 3G connectivity with HSPA support.
The rest of the wireless connectivity features include Wi-Fi b/g/n support and Wi-Fi Direct. There is no dual-band Wi-Fi support, unfortunately.
There is also support for Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and GLONASS, plus an FM radio. Wireless screen mirroring is available via the Miracast protocol. NFC is not available though.
An MHL-enabled micro-USB 2.0 port sits on the bottom of the phone and lets you stream video to compatible TVs via an appropriate MHL HDMI dongle. USB host is enabled, for connecting external storage. A standard 3.5mm headphone jack lets you plug in your headphones of choice.
Oxygen OS 2.0 lives on top of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
The original OnePlus One came running on CyanogenMod but the market circumstances demanded OnePlus to come up with an Android launcher of their own and they dropped CyanogenMod entirely.
This is how the Oxygen OS was born and its 2.0 version first premiered on the OnePlus Two. Now the OnePlus X runs on the updated Oxygen 2.1 launcher on top of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.
The Oxygen launcher aims to bring a nearly vanilla Android experience enhanced by few, but useful software tricks. Since Android 6.0 Marshmallow is yet to premiere this fall, OnePlus had to implement a few features on their own before the official support is live.
OnePlus added configurable capacitive keys, a few nice gestures and some advanced UI customizations. Another Android Marshmallow feature available out of the box with the OnePlus X is the app permissions manager.
Most of the Android interface is intact - it's the Material design and icons we first met in Android Lollipop. All vanilla Android fans will be pleased to find out OnePlus touched almost nothing as far as homescreens and menu visuals are concerned.
OnePlus added four very useful gestures, which are available on a turned off screen. You can double tap to wake the phone up, draw O to open the camera, draw V to toggle the flashlight on/off, or draw < > for previous/next track.
The lockscreen is the usual affair - it shows missed notifications. Swiping left or right will fire up the dialer or the camera.
The lockscreen • Ambient display
OnePlus X also offers a new feature called Ambient display, which is a lot like the Nokia's Glance screen. It displays a white clock and a short notification text (if available) on your turned off display. That's energy-efficient because of the AMOLED tech. You can either opt for this screen to show up when you have a notification, or you can also allow it to pop up when your hand is in proximity (hovering it above the screen or taking out the OnePlus X out of your pocket).
The Oxygen launcher has a feature called Shelf, which takes the place of your leftmost homescreen. Here you can see the weather, your most used apps, and frequent contacts. You can also add widgets here and change the header image. When you first setup the phone it asks if you want to use Shelf. You can also disable or enable it later through the homescreen settings menu.
The homescreen • the new custom Widget pane called Shelf • customizing homescreens
The notification area is a stock Android Lollipop thing and is summoned by a downwards swipe anywhere on the homescreen. An additional swipe or a two fingers swipe reveals the quick toggles that include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane mode, screen auto-rotate, flashlight, location on/off, and the option to cast the screen. Of course, you can also adjust the brightness of the screen and go into the settings menu too.
The notifications also have one nice feature from Cyanogen, where screenshot notifications have a Delete button next to the Share button so you can instantly delete them from the notifications itself once you're done sharing them.
The notification area
The app switcher has a neat card interface that allows you to select the app you need by swiping up or down. You can close apps by swiping left or right, or by hitting the dedicated button on the top right corner of each card. Each Chrome tab now can optionally appear as a card, too (Chrome settings). OnePlus added an option to close all opened/suspended apps at once.
Finally, Google Now is summoned by tap and hold on the Home key.
The task switcher • Google Now
OnePlus added a few UI tweaks of its own - you can reverse the Menu and App Switcher keys, plus you can assign them custom actions upon tap&hold and double tap. The notification LED colors are also configurable. Each button has a list of things you can do for various actions.
OnePlus also included a native support for app permission control. You can go into the Settings menu, check each app permissions, when they were used and if you want, you can disable some of them.
The final extra courtesy of OnePlus is the option to skin the entire Android OS with a dark theme and choose its accent color by your liking.
Some neat extra settings • App permissions
Other apps
Google Chrome is unsurprisingly the default browser in the new OnePlus X. Its design matches the material look and feel of Android Lollipop.
The usual organizing tools are present as well - there is the massively capable Google Calendar, a neat Calculator, and Clock (alarms, world clock, timer, stopwatch). A proper File Manager app (Files) is onboard as well.
Google Chrome • Calendar • Calculator • Clock
Google's highly capable Office package of Docs, Sheets and Slides comes preinstalled, as well as Keep and Google Maps and Navigation.
Performance
The OnePlus X runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset with 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM. On paper, this might not seem so exciting but again, this isn't exactly a flagship device. Plus we've seen the Snapdragon 801-powered smartphones to still hold high positions in our benchmark charts.
GeekBench 3 shows multi-core performance of the four Krait 400 cores is expectedly behind the competition, which relies on octa-core processors. The Galaxy A5, which has a quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU is the only inferior device. And while the OnePlus X has the same chipset as the original OnePlus One, its processors is down 200MHz and thus the score difference.
GeekBench 3
Higher is better
The compound AnTuTu benchmark puts the OnePlus X in the middle, right by the HTC One A9 side, which is also about right (Snapdragon 617). The top three devices offer much better and modern chipsets.
AnTuTu 5
Higher is better
BaseMark OS II 2.0 compound test gauges lots of stuff including processing power, graphics, system, web and memory. The OnePlus X overall score is just as great as the S808-powered Xiaomi Mi 4i and the Helio X10 powered Meizu MX5. This clearly shows the S801 is still quite a relevant platform.
Basemark OS 2.0
Higher is better
The CPU breakdown of the BaseMark 2.0 test clearly demonstrate the dominance of the Krait processor among the single-core performance, but it lags behind the octa-core setups when it comes to all-round CPU stress test.
Basemark OS 2.0 (single-core)
Higher is better
Basemark OS 2.0 (multi-core)
Higher is better
Adreno 330 was considered a flagship GPU among the 2014 smartphones and it sure behaves fabulously under 1080p display, such is the case with the OnePlus X. It lacks native support for OpenGL ES 3.1, which makes the Adreno 330 not as future-proof as we would have liked.
Anyway, the Adreno 330 does very good on the offscreen and onscreen test, outdone only by the new Adreno 418 in the S808 (Xiaomi Mi 4c) and the PowerVR G6200 in the MediaTek's Helio X10 (Meizu MX5, Xperia M5).
GFX 2.7 T-Rex (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
GFX 2.7 T-Rex (onscreen)
Higher is better
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
BaseMark X is another GPU benchmark, which surprisingly puts the OnePlus X's Adreno 330 around the top of the chart. The OnePlus One is taking the first spot here, but its GPU is probably be running at a slightly higher clock and thus the difference.
Basemark X
Higher is better
Finally, we ran the JavaScript Kraken bench and the compound BrowserMark 2.1 test on the Chrome browser of the OnePlus X. The device demonstrated great capabilities on both tests.
Kraken 1.1
Lower is better
BrowserMark 2.1
Higher is better
The OnePlus X is actually quite impressive in terms of performance. Snapdragon 801 might seem long in the tooth now but being an 800 series chipset it still packs a punch and handily blows the Snapdragon 615 (Oppo R7), seen on some of the rival devices, out of the water. The phone worked smoothly and apps ran quickly. The overall performance during our review process was definitely impressive and assuming it is able to maintain that over a period it shouldn't be a cause for concern to anyone.
Telephony and messaging
The contacts manager features tabbed interface, which displays all contacts and the favorites. You can sync with multiple accounts including Google and Exchange. A button to add a new contact is constantly present in the bottom right corner - you can choose which account to sync the new addition with.
Contacts app • The Phone app and its dialer
The phone app comes with a tabbed interface for speed dial, recent calls and all contacts. The dialer is invoked by taping on its dedicated key and supports smart dialing.
The loudspeaker is just one and is still placed at the bottom. Its sound quality isn't among the best we've heard so far and it could improve on both high and low frequencies for a deeper sound. Its loudness isn't chart topping either - the OnePlus X achieved an Average mark on our test, which means you may want to keep an eye on your X in loud environments.
Sound quality is not going to win any contests as it's tinny, but the equalizer helps things to an extent.
| Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Ringing | Overall score | |
| 57.9 | 60.7 | 66.6 | Below Average | |
| 65.0 | 64.9 | 67.2 | Below Average | |
| 65.6 | 68.9 | 64.0 | Below Average | |
| 65.9 | 66.3 | 70.7 | Average | |
| 65.6 | 66.5 | 73.1 | Average | |
| 73.2 | 66.6 | 77.5 | Good | |
| 73.7 | 72.8 | 79.9 | Very Good | |
| 74.8 | 73.5 | 80.2 | Excellent | |
| 75.7 | 73.5 | 79.5 | Excellent |
Messaging is pretty much as straightforward an affair as on every other droid out there. The generic Email app is being decommissioned in favor of the Gmail app. If you tap on its icon, it will tell you the Gmail app is the client that will handle all your emails from now on.
Messages app • Gmail • Google Keyboard
As expected, the default Google keyboard is on board as well. It offers two sleek-looking, brand new skins - Material Dark and Material Light. The duo matches the new look of Android Lollipop.
Some regional versions come with SwiftKey pre-installed and neither this, nor Google Keyboard can be removed.
Multimedia
Google Photos is onboard as well, offering unlimited cloud backup of your images. Upon opening the app you'll see two tabs - one for all photos and another one for highlights.
Viewing a single photo gives you a number of options. You can share it, set it as wallpaper or contact photo, or edit it. The built-in Photos editor is incredibly powerful too.
The Photos app • viewing and editing images
The Photos app also handles the video files as Android Lollipop lacks dedicated video app. Available video decoders include Xvid, DivX, H.263, and MPEG-4. The app will play some major file formats, though serious video fans should certainly seek out a more capable solution from the Google Play, as the lack of AC3 audio support is quite limiting. Subtitles aren't supported either.
Watching a video
Finally, Google Play Music is the default player for your tunes on the OnePlus X. The app has been treated to the new material design, though its functionality remains unchanged - it can play your local files, as well as stream music from the cloud.
Google Play Music
You can tweak the sound via the built-in equalizer.
There is also a dedicated OnePlus Radio app to utilize the FM radio capabilities. It supports RDS and output via the loudspeaker.
OnePlus Radio
Audio quality is somewhat underwhelming
The OnePlus X made a decent start in our audio quality test. The smartphone didn't have the best frequency response or the perfect distortion readings when connected to an active external amplifier, but we can live with those flaws. And you do get just-above-average loudness with mostly excellent clarity scores, so it's mostly good on this occasion.
Plug in a pair of headphones, though, and things quickly go south. Volume drops, a ton of distortion creeps and you get the usual spike in stereo crosstalk. Hardly the most impressive showing here by the OnePlus X and one that would make audiophiles think twice before ordering it.
| Test | Frequency response | Noise level | Dynamic range | THD | IMD + Noise | Stereo crosstalk |
| OnePlus X | +0.01, -0.64 | -94.4 | 96.2 | 0.0057 | 0.345 | -94.3 |
| OnePlus X (headphones) | +0.30, -1.13 | - 90.2 | 90.9 | 1.059 | 2.612 | -60.2 |
| +0.01, -0.05 | -94.8 | 93.9 | 0.0009 | 0.076 | -94.0 | |
| +0.12, -0.06 | -94.0 | 92.8 | 0.0062 | 0.148 | -65.4 | |
| +0.01, -0.04 | -95.5 | 89.5 | 0.0033 | 0.012 | -94.8 | |
| +0.22, -0.24 | -95.1 | 89.5 | 0.0057 | 0.212 | -59.8 | |
| +0.01, -0.04 | -95.9 | 89.7 | 0.0033 | 0.012 | -94.4 | |
| +0.35, -0.11 | -95.0 | 89.4 | 0.0061 | 0.214 | -52.0 | |
| +0.03, -0.04 | -93.5 | 93.5 | 0.0016 | 0.0075 | -73.2 | |
| +0.10, -0.06 | -93.8 | 93.9 | 0.0030 | 0.101 | -68.2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S6 | +0.01, -0.04 | -95.6 | 92.8 | 0.0024 | 0.0094 | -94.5 |
| Samsung Galaxy S6 (headphones) | +0.02, -0.05 | -92.6 | 91.9 | 0.0025 | 0.042 | -83.4 |
You can learn more about the tested parameters and the whole testing process here.
The 13MP camera is not bad but it’s hardly stellar
The OnePlus X has a 13 megapixel camera on the back (F/2.2) and an 8MP one on the front (F/2.4). The main camera reportedly uses an ISOCELL sensor, which generally improves color fidelity, sharpness and dynamic range compared to regular BSI sensors. It also has a hybrid auto focus system, utilizing phase detection.
Unlike the bigger OnePlus 2, there is no optical image stabilization, laser-assisted autofocus, or 4K video recording. The OnePlus X only captures 1080p video.
The Oxygen launcher brings a custom camera app, which offers very clean interface and just few settings. The available modes are Photo, Video, Panorama, Slow Motion and Time-Lapse, just like on the OnePlus 2.
The standard Photos mode has some advanced shooting modes as HDR, Beauty and Clear Image. The Clear Image option snaps 10 photos and combines them into a single image for better quality.
Camera UI
Unlike the OnePlus 2, there is no lag when shooting low light images, but the HDR mode and the ClearShot mode take their time for extra processing after each shot.
The samples we took with the OnePlus X have plenty of resolved detail, the white balance and the colors were always spot on.
When viewing the images from up close, the noise levels seem to be way higher than normal – and that’s in good light. The dynamic range is also not stellar.
Overall, the image quality is much better than what the Oppo R7 delivers, but worse than the Xperia M5, for instance. It’s about the same as the one produced by the latest Moto G. The Meizu m2 Note which is about the same price produces better images.
OnePlus X camera samples
Here’s a comparison of the regular camera mode and the Clear Image mode.
Clear Image Off • Clear Image On • Clear Image Off • Clear Image On
And here is a selfie samples taken with the front 8MP camera of the OnePlus X. The camera produces quite nice images for a selfie cam even though it seems to have some sort of a permanently on beautification processing which renders lighter skin tones and highlights the eyes and eyebrows. It’s actually ok as the effect is not over the top.
OnePlus X selfie
Only average 1080p video
Unlike the OnePlus 2, the OnePlus X doesn’t offer 4K video recording, even though the chipset clearly supports it as we’ve seen with other smartphones. In terms of offered modes, the video recording also offers time-lapse and slow motion.
The videos come out smooth though the limited dynamic range is all but noticeable in the samples we took. The detail level is also not on a very high level. The video recording department is definitely not its strongest suite.
Here are the samples we've uploaded on YouTube.
Final words
OnePlus X does right by its name and fulfils its purpose - to be the memorable mid-ranger everyone will want. It's an excellent piece of tech, a snappy performer with a lively hi-res AMOLED screen, with proper camera experience and all-round connectivity package. But best of all, as usual, is the OnePlus X pricing - the phone would run you $249 or €269.
Sure, the OnePlus X is no flagship killer, but it has the killer looks and price, which is more than enough to sell. OnePlus did more though - they provided the X with buttery-smooth performance and powerful imaging skills. And we have to admit everything worked out for the best.
Our only concern is for the lack of 64-bit hardware, but while the technology isn't new on the market and is already wide-spread, it is yet to make the real difference it was designed for. And it may take years before someone render OnePlus X internals as dated.
Key test findings
- Build quality is top-notch, the metal frame looks good and provides great grip, while the onyx glass/ceramic rear are what makes the OnePlus X look stunning, we do wish the navigation keys were backlit;
- The display is excellent: it isn't among the brightest AMOLED displays we've seen, but offers very deep blacks, excellent viewing angles and chart-topping sunlight legibility.
- Battery life is average, with very good standby and call endurance, but lackluster web browsing and video watching performance;
- Oxygen OS is a clean and light Android skin, we enjoyed the pure Android experience and the added extras such as the Ambient screen and unlocking gestures;
- The quad-core Krait 400 CPU of the Snapdragon 801 is still quite a capable processor and a relevant performer. The Adreno 330 will handle Full HD graphics great, while the 3GB of RAM will make multi-taskers happy;
- Loudspeaker performance is about Average, which is not that bad in days where hardly any smartphone earns anything above that in our dedicated test.
- Video player supports all video formats we tried, but AC3 audio and subtitles are a no-go, which isn't unexpected;
- Audio quality is decent with an external amplifier, but quickly turns to below average when the headphones are plugged in;
- Camera photos come out good with enough detail, though noisy and with not very high dynamic range, though for this price range, it's quite ok; the selfie camera is pretty good as well;
- The 1080p video samples are subpar and comparatively are not as good as the ones by the competition;
There are lots of mid-rangers out there, but at this price level none of them is as beautiful as the OnePlus X. Probably the most direct rival to the OnePlus X build quality is the recently released HTC One A9 - it's made of metal, it has a 5" AMOLED screen and runs on a snappy enough processor. Its camera is also a match for the OnePlus X, but it costs nearly double, which is not nice.
HTC One A9
The Oppo R7 also looks pretty with its metal unibody and 5" AMOLED screen. The Snapdragon 615 chip however is behind the 801 model within the OnePlus X. The camera experience is the same, while the Color OS is equally powerful. It's noticeably more expensive and its photos are no match for the OnePlus X.
Oppo R7
Sony Xperia M5 may not be betting on premium looks but we have to give the credit to Sony for making it look like a high-end Xperia Z member. It's made entirely out of plastic, but it's hard to notice because of the excellent finish. The phone is water-proof and dust-tight, offers a very good 5" 1080p display and runs on the powerful MediaTek Helio X10 chip. The camera is better though and it can capture 4K videos. It costs extra, but it delivers better camera and overall performance.
Sony Xperia M5
Then there is the surprise of the season - the Xiaomi Mi 4c. This fella costs the same as an OnePlus X and while it doesn't come with the expensive looks, it surpasses the X in every other aspect. The Mi 4c has a top-notch Snapdragon 808 chip with a hexa-core processor, a great 13MP still camera, there is a USB Type-C port, and a great MIUI 7 launcher on top of Android 5. Mi 4c perhaps lacks the looks, but more than compensates with flagship camera and performance.
Xiaomi Mi 4c
Finally, the OnePlus One has its price slashed and you can find it priced close to the OnePlus X. It has the same chipset, a bigger display though not an AMOLED one, 4K video recording on its 13MP camera and still an attractive design. It lacks memory expansion slot, dual-SIM capabilities and a higher-res selfie camera.
By the way, you may be interested in some of the ex-flagships from 2014, which already have their prices reduced to the OnePlus X levels - the AMOLED-enabled Samsung Galaxy S5, the water-proof Sony Xperia Z2, or the nicely designed LG G3 with a Quad HD screen are also worth a look and can still be found online.
OnePlus One • Samsung Galaxy S5 • Sony Xperia Z2 • LG G3
As a manufacturer, OnePlus has been pretty nimble with various bug fixing updates and the limited number of models they offer means they devote a lot of effort on on ensuring their users enjoy excellent user experience on all their devices.
Unfortunately, buying from a manufacturer who hardly has any brick and mortar presence means that after-sales services will always be a bigger hassle than with major brands. There is also the disadvantage of their invite system, which means getting the phone may not be as straightforward as flashing your credit card.
Still, at this early point in time, we feel confident to predict a bright future for the OnePlus X. It's a device that seems to be well worth your commitment if you are after a compact, premium built smartphone. It's beautiful and it's powerful and we enjoyed our user experience as much as with any other phone by a major phone maker. Yes, ambitious Chinese manufacturers have changed the phone industry for good, and we believe it's all in the consumer's benefit.
And here is a 1080p@30fps sample for direct download.
No comments:
Post a Comment