OnePlus One: Why I decided to not get this phone (at least not on release)

[someguy01234]

I have become a bit disgusted at the amount of fanboys this brand have accumulated in such a short time at their forum, there are lots of reasonable people there but their opinions are drowned out, which is why so I'm posting here in hope for a more reasonable discussion. I am still going to give OnePlus props for undercutting the Nexus 5 pricing, but is it really any amazing deal as it seems?

The way I see it, both OnePlus and Oppo are subsidiaries of the the BKK investor company. Creating a phone company and producing them at numbers at this level isn't something you can get from a simple Kickstarter project (just ask Ubuntu). To me, the OnePlus "branch" is more of an offshoot of Oppo, despite the Never Settle slogan, this phone is specifically a stripped down Oppo Find 7 with compromises. It use most similar parts from the Oppo Find 7, so this ensure the cost.

[On the surface, what we know] What the Oppo Find 7 / 7a have that the OnePlus don't:
-Direct purchase on release
-VOOC charging
-microSD
-removable battery
-1440p display

The Find 7 can bring up Google Now at anytime (while screen off) by saying Okay Snapdragon. This was hinted with the OnePlus, but still not yet confirmed.

It's true that some people may suggest the price diff of $300 vs $500 validated the lacking of features. However, there is a marketing strategy here, I don't think their business interest is to be building up a brand like Oppo and then directly compete with themselves to lower the sale numbers of one or the other. There have to be other compromises to justify that $200 difference, aside from the fact the OnePlus is only available for purchase online and lacking the Find 7 features I just listed. I think the durability could be one of it. From Android Police Podcast 108 (watch from 38:25), they discussed about potential durability issues with this phone. Of course, this is all speculation because it's not released yet. Or I think the OnePlus is a branch they use for experiment (CyanogenMod) and testing the public interests.

For Oppo phones US owners, there are places in America you can ship your phone to for warranty repair services. I'm not sure how it is with the OnePlus yet.

As for CyanogenMod partnership, this is actually the number one reason why I would choose a phone. But Oppo phones is just as easily rooted and will get CM support, and both the Oppo and OnePlus will use similar hardwares, so I don't think there is much of an advantage for the OnePlus here.

To me the OnePlus is an amazing phone, it's basically a Nexus owner come true, because it have Nexus pricing with better hardware (ie camera, storage space, non-crappy screen calibration). However, the performance to me just only marginally better than other 2014 flagships. When you are running stock Android, it's not going to matter very much. Lastly, I know this is subjective, but this pretty much sum up why I don't want either the Find 7 or OnePlus: Visual Phone Size Comparison

If I was coming from a previously generation phone (a phone from 2012), then I would totally consider the OnePlus as an update. But now I am using the Moto X and it offers some of the most practical features that are helpful for daily uses (and yes, the compact size is one of the feature). Therefore the OnePlus with low price and good performance by itself isn't enough to replace the Moto X as my daily driver.

 

[Soundtrack to Chaos]

The OnePlus gives you more bang for your buck, a bigger screen and a better processor than the nexus or Moto X. To go along with what will probably be a better camera and more color options (back cover) than the nexus.

It doesn't need to be the find 7.

There may not be as many compromises as you think. Remember, the galaxy s5 cost about 257 to build but sells for over 600. I'm sure the OnePlus One makes for around 230 or so. So all they are doing is minimizing their profit margin to increase sales.

No one knows anything about performance yet, let it come out then discuss it.

As far as warranty and repairs etc, let's wait and see, the phone just got announced, let's give it some time to breathe and wait for some more info to come out.

On paper, it's any android fan boy's dream, legs see if it's a reality

 

[Scott7217]

If I was coming from a previously generation phone (a phone from 2012), then I would totally consider the OnePlus as an update. But now I am using the Moto X and it offers some of the most practical features that are helpful for daily uses (and yes, the compact size is one of the feature). Therefore the OnePlus with low price and good performance by itself isn't enough to replace the Moto X as my daily driver.

It's perfectly fine to keep your Moto X. At the end of the day, you determine what is the best phone for your needs.

Perhaps we need to figure out who the target audience is for the OnePlus One. You alluded to phones from 2012. Maybe the OnePlus One would be a good option for people who currently own a Samsung Galaxy S3 or an HTC One X (to give a few examples).

If people need to replace a broken phone or keep a backup phone, the OnePlus One may be preferable to a prepaid phone in the budget section of an electronics store.

Some people like to use an iPod Touch to play media. A 64 GB iPod Touch costs $399. Why not get a 64 GB OnePlus One for $50 less?

I have a feeling that OnePlus will look at their sales and see who bought their phone and who didn't. They'll use that information to make something better the next time around. Maybe the next generation phone will be something that appeals to you.

 

[someguy01234]

It's perfectly fine to keep your Moto X. At the end of the day, you determine what is the best phone for your needs.

Perhaps we need to figure out who the target audience is for the OnePlus One. You alluded to phones from 2012. Maybe the OnePlus One would be a good option for people who currently own a Samsung Galaxy S3 or an HTC One X (to give a few examples).

If people need to replace a broken phone or keep a backup phone, the OnePlus One may be preferable to a prepaid phone in the budget section of an electronics store.

Some people like to use an iPod Touch to play media. A 64 GB iPod Touch costs $399. Why not get a 64 GB OnePlus One for $50 less?

I have a feeling that OnePlus will look at their sales and see who bought their phone and who didn't. They'll use that information to make something better the next time around. Maybe the next generation phone will be something that appeals to you.

I alluded that in my previous post. This brand is to test the water and research. It has been confirmed that OnePlus is part of Oppo:

“…OnePlus is a separately run company that does share common investors with OPPO. One of those investors is OPPO Electronic. OPPO Electronic is an investment company and is not the same as OPPO Mobile. OnePlus is also in talks with other investors.”

Since this is the case, OnePlus must come with compromises and cannot compete with its big brother Oppo. Sort of remind me of Nexus phones.

As for being a backup phone, that was my intention for this phone in the first place. For Apple customers, the problem is this device is for sale online only, it have a specific target audience, I don't think it was meant or capable of reaching the wide public. At the sametime the social network marketing scheme may work out, but we don't know for sure yet how much it will sell.

This isn't to say I'm not excited of what they can continue to bring. Unlocked bootloader and CyanogenMod is the largest reason for my interest, if this phone (or the Oppo Find 7) had a 5" screen, I would probably already bought one. However, two important questions I still answering is the support level and the durability of this phone. (When the Nexus One came out and it was sold online and supported online only and there were lots of unhappy customers.)

 

[Scott7217]

Sort of remind me of Nexus phones.

Well, I believe the Nexus phones are pretty successful, so if OnePlus is following that model, that's not a bad idea.

 

[Rattso2005]

Oppo is the parent company of One plus One so it's a win/ win either way for them . Personally , I am not jumping through hoops for the 'privilege' to buy a smartphone. This marketing strategy is tied to supply chain issues is my sense. I went with the Oppo F7a and can't wait for it to arrive!

Posted via Android Central App

 

[PAC757]

Oppo is the parent company of One plus One so it's a win/ win either way for them . Personally , I am not jumping through hoops for the 'privilege' to buy a smartphone. This marketing strategy is tied to supply chain issues is my sense. I went with the Oppo F7a and can't wait for it to arrive!

Posted via Android Central App

I have been looking hard at the Oppo 7a also, still can't make up my mind $500 is a lot to spend to try out a new phone, I was waiting for some more hands on reviews but I have to admit, this is one impressive looking phone.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Scott7217]

Unlocked bootloader and CyanogenMod is the largest reason for my interest, if this phone (or the Oppo Find 7) had a 5" screen, I would probably already bought one. However, two important questions I still answering is the support level and the durability of this phone. (When the Nexus One came out and it was sold online and supported online only and there were lots of unhappy customers.)

Wouldn't the Nexus 5 be a better fit for your needs?

As for the OnePlus One, what kind of support are you looking for? For example, if your phone is defective, would it be acceptable to you to just mail it to a service center for repairs?

Also, what is your expectation for durability? Any phone can break, whether it's made by OnePlus, Samsung, HTC, or someone else.

You brought up the Nexus One. It certainly had its issues back in the day, but at least it was the first step. If the Nexus One had failed in 2010, we wouldn't have the Nexus 5 today.

 

[thebizz]

The 1 also supports voice commands. If your in the us their will be a service located in our country that will ship the device to you and also handle warranty repairs. Instead of the removable battery 1+ is giving you a bigger battery than both oppo models. The internals of the find 7 with the screen from the 7a. At a price lower than both. Oh and initial hands on state the 1080p panel is better than the QHD panel. As far as custom Roms go cm was built just for this phone from the beginning most custom Roms should be awesome for this phone seeing the majority if them use cm as a base.