Review OnePlus X: the best among low-cost 5-inch smartphones
OnePlus as a subsidiary Oppo always tried to create devices with flagship features, calling them simple and uncomplicated – “flagships murderers.” This involved the characteristics of these devices at relatively low cost. If OnePlus One such approach has proven to work, and the device – the best price / quality, and in spite of the system of sale by invitation, when the phone had to wait and not buy at once, the OnePlus Two things were not so rosy.
The emergence OnePlus X is contrary to the concept, the selected company, it is not a killer champions and typical of this season’s model of the middle segment. It used all that was de rigueur for such devices – glass front and back with a slight curve, AMOLED-screen, metal sides, productive chipset and a 5-inch diagonal and 13-megapixel camera. It sounds like a typical representation of a Chinese company, which OnePlus X is. But the device has one important point, which distinguishes it from many similar, this phone is made qualitatively, and this difference is evident from the first moment you take it in hand.
For example, here is comparable to the materials MicroMax Canvas 5, these devices differ, as heaven and earth. It is enough to take them in hand, to see the quality of the metal, that glass is better tailored to OnePlus X, and so on. Many small differences make these fundamentally different model is not too large differences in price. Suddenly OnePlus got a device that belongs to the middle price segment, has good features, pleasant views and fully be called a high-quality supply for daily use. This product can not be called very interesting for fans of technology, because it is nothing unusual, it is an ordinary phone for everyday use that is made with high quality and has a nice design. It is suitable to anyone who is looking for 5-inch smartphone, and no plans to change the phone for 1.5-2 years, just such a life-cycle and is designed OnePlus X.
OnePlus X comes to the market in Europe and North America as well as China. At the same time in China there is a version with 2 GB of RAM (Sales have not seen her), all other versions with 3 GB of memory. Another point – it is used by the shell, the Chinese unit is Android 5.1.1 with H2OS from OnePlus, in the shell has no services Google, but they can deliver. I had just such a machine at the time of writing the firmware with Oxygen OS for this model was not available, and those files that managed to find on the phone stood. Resellers, selling Chinese phones (like the version with 2 GB of RAM and 3 GB), set to Google Play. I am sure that in the future will be CyanogenMod for the model that will put the firmware and do not know the grief, the unit will be maintained for a long time. The most important thing for most consumers just to out of the box support booting from the Play Store applications and services from Google, all the rest – is already thingies that concern the vast minority.
Ceramic OnePlus X – is a limited edition unit for North America, instead of the metal frame used ceramic, but there are no other differences. The cost of the device while $ 100 higher. I am sure that you will not find on sale this device, it was created in order to show that OnePlus X is not like the others, to get to talk about it. Bet on ceramics played in full, and many people remember this. Some people even ordinary OnePlus X called ceramic, glass panels looking at, although no ceramics are not available.
OnePlus X: Design, size, controls
The model comes in two versions, black and white. Both colors look interesting are its pluses and minuses.
I had the phone in white, milk glass panels are fashionable nowadays 2.5D bend that leads to that any more or less inclined surface of the phone slides. I’m not even talking about the car, where it is expected. It is enough to put the phone on the book, which is on the table and seemingly has no inclination – OnePlus X likely will slide slowly to the side, and well, if not on the floor.
At the same fingerprints on glass are not visible, it is Corning Gorilla Glass 3, sufficient strength of the glass so that it does not break if dropped to the floor. Milk color is different, and then the unit looks a winner. Such devices on the market a lot, OnePlus X is typical for this season. For example, canceled Alcatel IDOL X1 has exactly the same body materials, looks similar, but the price is still lower than planned, about 200 dollars.
On the left side is a lever with which you can switch between modes – vibration only important, all notifications. Good idea, that distinguishes the model from many other and also shows focus on the details. At the lever there are risks, it is convenient to move, even to the touch. And get used to it quickly.
On the right side – the volume rocker, immediately – the power button and the SIM-card and memory card. Here typical solution is used, you can put two SIM-cards or replace a memory card, you choose.
At the bottom there is a microUSB-socket, but the 3.5 mm output placed on the top. A speaker unit, it is situated on the bottom.
Under the screen are three touch-sensitive keys, the menu can be selected, which will return the key to the right or left, it is branded chip from OnePlus, you can set the machine to fit your tastes. Highlights have no keys on it to save a little.
The phone’s dimensions – 140 x 69 x 6.9 mm, weight – 138 grams, it is typical for a 5-inch models. The device is excellent in hand, it can be easily hidden in a pocket of jeans. Build quality is excellent, there simply cannot be any complaints. Before such materials could boast only expensive models, they are now common in the middle price segment, where it is represented OnePlus X.
The phone has two microphones, noise reduction system is used, it works moderately. The front panel has a LED, it is located above the screen is not very bright, not too distracting. In the menu you can disable it if you do not need.
OnePlus X: Display
This year AMOLED-display spread even more, the Samsung give other companies the previous versions of their matrices, which, moreover, does not look very expensive compared to the IPS-matrix. But unlike proprietary products Samsung, in AMOLED-matrix sold on the side, there is a number of improvements, less brightness, no hardware control power saving mode. But all this does not matter, because in their own products at the same level the company does not use such solutions.
Features The following screen – diagonal 5 “, the resolution of 1920×1080, ppi 441, glass Gorilla Glass 3. oleophobic coating is normal, fingerprints remain, but they are almost invisible.
I liked this screen, it behaves well both indoors and on the sun. Automatically adjusts the backlight is good, you will not know the problems with it. Like it or not, and the screen – one of the most important parameters of the phone, and here it has no flaws, you get high-quality matrix. Not always I have enough brightness, but I spoiled the flagship of Samsung, where the parameter record. For conventional matrix screens in OnePlus X is very, very good.
OnePlus X: Battery
The phone battery is not the biggest, if judged by its capacity – 2525 mAh, Li-Pol. But to evaluate the work of the battery capacity is only stupid, there is a chance to be trapped, the more that it uses AMOLED-display, which gives a good increase in work time.
First of all, tried to play the video in MX Player (maximum brightness, unconverted video), the result was 10.5 hours, which is very good.
In everyday life, I always had the phone for a day of work, considering the fact that the screen during that time worked for about 3.5-4 hours (half brightness). This excellent performance, with moderate use, you can get up to two days of work.
Full charging time – about 2 hours.
OnePlus X: Connectivity
Unlike many other models, this machine greatly save on the fact that the user cannot see and what he was thinking last. In particular, there is no support for NFC, but many consider it superfluous. Another thing is that Wi-Fi only supports 802.11 b / g / n and a single-band antenna, which by today’s standards is not enough. In crowded places you will feel it immediately.
Support LTE network in the European version of the next – Bands 1/3/5/7/8/20. The North American version only 1/2/4/5/7/8 that makes the device useless there. Physically, the device is no different for different markets, but a limited number of antennas causes vary their products in the software that makes the result OnePlus X virtually useless in North America and LTE-networks. In Russia, that’s all right, so pay attention to it is not necessary.
Version Bluetooth 4.0, there would like to see, if not 4.2, at least 4.1, but save on the little things you need to get the lowest cost. For most consumer version of Bluetooth is not critical, they do not understand that it affects the operating time of the device, if you use it with external accessories, such as smart watches or trackers, headsets.
OnePlus X: Memory, memory, chipset, performance
Despite the fact that the presentation talked about the fact that there is a variant of the model with 2 GB of RAM, to meet him in the sale I could not. It is possible that somewhere such device exists, but now it’s only OnePlus X with 3 GB of RAM. In all models, the amount of internal memory – 16 GB, also has support for memory cards up to 128 GB.
The device is built on the old Snapdragon chipset 801, which is seen by many as a disadvantage. And I, on the contrary, I consider it worth patterns and interesting way, as this chipset certainly beats the newer Snapdragon 41x, which often has 8 cores, but its performance is lower, plus there are flaws with three-dimensional graphics. Old chipset, which was the flagship of two years ago, has its pros and they are undeniable – high performance, that it finalized in the meantime. Also OnePlus well finished flashing, no overheating and maximum operating time. It turned out, oddly enough, very balanced solution, and realize it only after you start to use the device. In absentia think that the machine is not balanced.
In the synthetic benchmarks the device shows good results for their level.
OnePlus X: Camera
The front camera has a resolution of 8 megapixels, but differs in some special quality, it is average.
But the main camera is typical for the current generation of Chinese equipment, its resolution 13 megapixels, it takes on the bad light, but in the dark, the result is not so good. Overall, the average quality of the camera, do not expect from her something special.
Software – Hydrogen against Oxygen
The OPPO initially relied on cooperation with Cyanogen, but then there was a break in relations, when the company began working in India with MicroMax, and OPPO left with nothing. That situation is described in a variety of sources, you can read the correspondence of top managers of the two companies at least here.
Therefore, the OPPO have been forced to hire a developer to create a wrapper for Android. This is a very simple shell, which differ from each other so that there is no Hydrogen OS services Google, all enchanted by the work in China. You can see a detailed video about the shell below.
As has been said, I have the machine on H2OS, put the European shell I did not succeed, perhaps you will be lucky. This is important when choosing a device, specify which shell is to understand what you are buying. It is better to take with Oxygen OS.
Just as Xiaomi, in OnePlus ported system of permits for applications from Android M (second version). This differs from the usual Android 5.1.1 to an end, not to mention the extra screen with frequently used applications and contacts, scroll to the left side from the standby mode.
Playing music is average, better than ordinary Chinese people, but to the level of the flagships of other enterprises does not hold. It had neither the power nor the purity of the sound quality headphones. Although there is certainly a question that the user finds a good sound, the unit is quite suitable lowly users of cheap gags.
In this video review I detail shows the standard application, so I will not dwell on them here.
OnePlus X: Impression
The speaker volume is always missing, the unit audibly. The quality of voice is no specific complaints, although a second microphone often blows in the wind, noise reduction is implemented is far from ideal – typical Chinese version, when the presence of a second microphone in theory is his job, but the software is not brought up to the desired level.
For devices are available with different covers texture that solves the problem of the slippery body and increases its resolution.
Competitors at OnePlus X huge amount in China for comparable cost to buy Xiaomi Mi4c. This model looks interesting, but direct competitor still need to be considered Mi4i, which looks much worse it is plastic.
In my opinion, the models with AMOLED-display, and it is for this parameter is OnePlus X compare with other devices, there are more. In the segment of 5-inch smartphones crush of Chinese manufacturers, the market is saturated, and the same OnePlus X is lost on the general background, although the price / quality ratio, it looks interesting. Initially, the company applied the system prompts for this model, but now she refused it, not sales soared, there is no excessive demand. But there is no such price, and in the absence of official supply and cannot be.
I liked the machine, for the average consumer it gives a good price / performance ratio, has an interesting body materials and margin performance in the year or two. In short, the model should look if you need a 5-inch device on Android, the competition it has a number of advantages.
