Much has been said in recent months about this phone, the first launched by the company founded by Pete Lau, vice-president of Oppo Electronics, an important Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer. Today the phone has been officially introduced and its upcoming launch confirmed in United States, Hong Kong and some European countries. Its secret weapons: a highly competitive price among mid- to high-end devices and the inclusion of CyanogenMod by default to run on Android Kit-Kat.
The phone’s specs
Just seeing that its processor is the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, also included by Samsung in its Galaxy S5, gives you an idea of the direction we’re going here. Its features aim high in most respects, from its ample 3GB of RAM to its 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 1920×1080—all of which make it a competitor to be reckoned with in the high-end range.
- 5.5 inch Full HD IPS screen
- 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AC Quad Core processor
- 3GB of RAM
- 16GB or 64GB of internal storage
- 13 megapixel back-facing camera with Sony Exmor f/2.0 sensor
- 3100mAh battery
- Connectivity: WiFi, 4G, GPS, and Bluetooth 4.0
- Android 4.4 KitKat with CyanogenMod 11S
- Dimensions: 152.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm and 162 grams in weight
The phone will include Android 4.4.2 KitKat by default, with the interesting addition of the latest version of CyanogenMod (11S), so you can be sure you’ll have a full range of customization options for themes and visual elements.
Price and launch in Europe
Now comes the really interesting bit: the price of the OnePlus One in Europe has been confirmed at below €300. In particular, the 16GB model will cost €269, the 64GB €299, although purchases will be managed by an invite-only system that has already caused the total collapse of the official OnePlus website.
These invitations will be distributed separately through official manufacturers’ forums and associated pages, meaning that those who manage to buy a device will receive invitations to share with friends.
