A Big Android Phone with almost Little Money

OnePlus garnered attention last year when the young company said it would sell its first model, the OnePlus 1, by invite only. The device was not without flaws, but it was one of our favorite smartphones of the year. And with a starting price of $300 without a contract, it showed us that the old wireless carrier gotcha—pay through the nose or get locked in to a pricey contract—could be on its way out.

The new model looks to be an improvement over its predecessor in nearly every way. “We started this company because we didn’t think any Android phones on the market were good enough,” OnePlus director and co-founder Carl Pei said. “We still think that’s the case, and we learned a lot from the OnePlus 1. The OnePlus 2 not only flagship worthy, but something that will remain cutting edge next year as well.”

The first thing you notice when picking up the OnePlus 2 is that the company’s sandstone-feeling rear cover is now flanked with an elegant aluminum and magnesium alloy frame. The face of the phone is all glass, save for a new fingerprint sensor—which Pei boasts is faster than the iPhone’s at unlocking the device. The OnePlus 2 definitely feels as high-quality as other top-tier phones.