Fresh on the launch of the OnePlus 2, OnePlus’ co-founder Carl Pei was just recently quoted by USA Today that one of the potential models that cropped up during the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) listings, could hit the market just in time for Christmas holiday shopping.
Here’s a quick recap of the timeline of events that lead-up to OnePlus’ industry first grand VR launch as follows:
- Three different AnTuTu benchmarks crop up for the OnePlus 2: 51,460 , 63,700 , & 49,221
- Two different screen resolutions were shown, one in TENAA’s certification, one during the benchmark video(s)
- Three different models show up on the Bluetooth SIG with models listed at A2001, A2003 (this model has already popped up on SIRIM Malaysia’s certification) and A2005
So following the VR launch, we only saw one device but at two different capacities, 16GB and 64GB. While this conflicts with earlier reports from Carl Pei, himself, this could just mean it wasn’t time yet for this particular OnePlus smartphone . Although, it’s confirmed that there is a OnePlus mini on the way, where the phone could be completely redesigned and more aesthetically focused as opposed to just being internally powerful.
Mr Pei, went on to iterate that he was very close to choosing this upcoming device over the OnePlus 2 and it’ll be hard for users to decide between the two, so maybe those interested in picking up their new OnePlus toy should wait around Christmas to compare the two before making a purchase.
During the interview, Pei also hit back at criticism behind omitting NFC from the OnePlus 2. He said that “Very few people are using NFC, so we cut it. It’s as simple as that”. He then went on to say most users keep their devices at a 12 to 18 month life-cycle, so by that time, there might be a reason to put it on OnePlus’ next phone.
The current OnePlus 2, will likely come to Malaysian shores in the next couple of months. As SIRIM certification has been completed it won’t be too long before a partnership between distributor, Brightstar and Maxis lets us pick up the phone in stores.
A short specs recap of the OnePlus 2 for those interested – the OnePlus 2 is equipped with a 5.5” Full HD display that is capable of a 1500:1 contrast aspect ratio, the infamous but revamped Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 Octa-core processor mated to 4GB of RAM. The camera gets a bump too with a 13-megapixel shooter, which is accompanied by Optical Image Stabilisation technology and Laser Auto Focus, while the front dons a 5-megapixel sensor. Powering all this is a larger 3,300 mAh battery that will be charged using the newest USB Type C connector and the “2” will also support dual Nano-SIMs that are 4G LTE enabled. The 16GB version of the “2” retails at US$329 (approx RM 1,256), while the 64GB variant goes for US$389 (approx RM1,485).
