For most of their existence, smartphones have been status symbols. The top-of-the-line phones, a sector dominated for years by Apple and Samsung, were easy to spot and gave users not just the best technology had to offer, but a sense of stature.
Thankfully, recent years have seen companies fight the belief that the very best phones in the world need to come with the highest price tags. Many budget conscious phones still contain compromises, but they’re more livable than ever and build quality, in particular, has skyrocketed. The front lines are populated primarily by smaller shakers, like Motorola and BLU, but 2015 saw giants like Google get in on the act, as well.
One of the biggest names in the budget premium phone sector is Chinese manufacturer OnePlus. Though only two-years-old, OnePlus has quickly made a name for itself by offering stellar phones at stellar prices, with enough internal horsepower and external beauty to compete with contemporary flagships.
The company’s latest device is a change-up. Off the heels of its second flagship, the OnePlus 2, the company decided to follow trend and release a second, smaller device. The result is the OnePlus X, a 5.0-inch phone in a compact package that adds up to be the most premium device OnePlus has made yet, all for $249.
Hardware
Most striking about the OnePlus X is its stunning design and exterior build. It carries similar design language, and exquisite feel in-the-hand, to the Sony Xperia Z line and earlier iPhones. A primarily minimalist design, the X adds a small bit of visual flair with its grooved aluminum band, conjoining the two black glass sides. The phone also comes in a “Champagne” styling, which is essentially a white version with gold metal band, but it is currently out of stock on OnePlus’ website and rather difficult to find.
Incredibly light (138g in the Onyx version) and thin (6.9mm), the phone is accessible and comfortable to use in one hand. The most shocking thing about the device is its 5.0-inch screen size, the demure bezels and slim profile make it feel like a much smaller phone. Ultimately, it was too petite for me, but for anyone fighting against Android’s obsession with grand phones will be elated with the X’s package.
Those glass panels that construct the front and back of the phone are wonderful to hold, but offer two huge drawbacks. OnePlus’ latest is the most fingerprint-susceptible device I’ve ever tested, and the slipperiest. The X is like an air hockey puck in a world full of tiny air jets pushing it and sliding it off any surface you attempt to place it. Multiple times during my weeks with the X, it slid off my desk or couch or side table. Glass is not the most assuring of materials, and each time the phone crashed to the floor I feared I would find a shattered hull. To its credit, the X handled each spill gracefully and OnePlus’ even included a plastic case to help remedy the issues, but it is still something to be wary of.
Making a return from the OnePlus 2 is the Alert Slider, which lets users quickly place the phone into different Do Not Disturb modes. All the buttons on the device are tactile and satisfying, though I wish the power and volume buttons had more differentiation. Oddly, the alert slider features a distinct rough texture, which it needs less given that it’s on the opposite side of the device from the power and volume. Only one speaker adorns the bottom rail, though it appears as though there are two on the underside. It gets decently loud, but the sound quality is middling at best, and is easily obstructed when using the phone in landscape. It might be considered on of the more obvious corners cut, if it weren’t for the fact that many phones double and triple the price are marred by similar failings.
Sporting a 5.0-inch 1080P AMOLED screen, the OnePlus X has a superb display. Only when faced directly against a QHD device does the X’s panel falter, offering vivid colors, deep blacks, great viewing angles and an all-around solid experience. It’s great for work and play, games and video looks phenomenal, as does text. The smartphone market is littered with great 1080P screens, but the OnePlus X is one of the best. It stands up directly to HTC’s One A9, another phenomenal panel, and by my eye, beats it. Had it not been for the Nexus 6P nagging me as it sat idle on my desk, I would not have missed the QHD display. OnePlus has done a wonderful job here, and if you decide to pick up an X (which is easier said than done), the screen will not fail you. While the display is up to the premium task of phones in a higher weight class, the X’s camera does not fare as well.
For a $250 phone, it’s perfectly respectable and if you’re, like me, not one whose smartphone decision hinges on camera performance, you won’t be upset with what the OnePlus X offers. That said, there are far better options on Android. The X’s camera, a 13MP shooter with f/2.2 aperture, gives decent detail and color reproduction, but is not nearly as crisp as those found in Samsung’s latest or the Nexus 6P. It’s prone to digital noise, and some shots are fuzzier than I’d like. Low light performance is largely similar, not breathtaking, but acceptable for a phone in this price range. The app itself shares a lot with Google’s, easy to use and intuitive if incredibly simple. Aspirational shooters will want more control than the stock app offers, but for most what’s here is enough. The 8MP selfie camera on the front is nothing special, and is one of the areas the phone most shows its slender price point.
Much of the hardware of the OnePlus X defies its price, but the phone does come with a few notable omissions, beyond the aforementioned camera. The X does not include NFC, which OnePlus has made a habit of leaving out, the capacitive buttons on the lower chin are not backlit (which enraged me at first, but eventually I learned where they were and the issue proved minuscule), no fingerprint scanner and no 5.0GHZ or 802.11ac Wi-Fi support. Perhaps worst, though, is the lack of support for Bands 12 and 17, which will primarily affect T-Mobile and AT&T users. I had little trouble connecting to LTE via T-Mobile in my area of the country, and its really only an issue if you rely heavily on mobile data. It could be a serious concern for some, though, so it’s worth keeping in mind.
As mentioned, OxygenOS comes with numerous customization options and features not included in stock Android. My favorite are the gestures, which let users double tap to wake, draw an O to launch into the camera app, a V to toggle the flashlight, two straight, vertical lines to play/pause a song or greater than/less than symbols for previous or next track. The gestures are useful timesavers, and I’d love to see more companies follow the lead of OnePlus, and others like HTC, and incorporate a similar feature.