Introduction
Boy do we have a good one for you today – the highly sought after and popular OnePlus One goes up against the new Samsung Galaxy S6. Has Samsung done enough with their new flagship model to compete and defeat the OnePlus One…and yes, we do realize that the OnePlus One is almost a year old and the Galaxy S6 is just arriving on the scene, but many thought that the OnePlus One could do no wrong. Is the Samsung Galaxy S6 up to the task to finally make OnePlus users either purchase the Galaxy S6 or make them want to wait until the OnePlus Two?
These two devices differ in just about all areas, including size, processor, OS and features. They both have 3GB of RAM and both offer a 64GB model and neither one has room for expansion when it comes to internal memory. Both front-facing cameras (FFC) come in at 5MP and both have bottom mounted speakers, although the OnePlus One has dual mono speakers. Both have dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, NFC, a microUSB port for charging and data transfer, both have dedicated mics for noise cancelation and both have a non-removable battery.
Please take a look at the detailed specifications comparison found below – expand it by clicking on the “View Full Comparison” at the bottom and you will get a real sense of how these two devices match up against one another. After that, we will look at each individual device, talk about it, and weigh out some of the pros and cons in an effort to pick a winner for this comparison.
OnePlus On
The OnePlus is another Chinese startup company whose sales have taken off faster than even they could have imagined. They could not even keep up with the demand for a while – they had to keep inventories low to reduce costs, but when sales skyrocketed, they were left with no parts to build all of the devices they needed. The OnePlus One is a high-end device with a mid-range price tag – a combination that everybody loves. While it is not being sold directly in the US market, you can still order one online and have it shipped here, as it will work on the GSM networks of AT&T and T-Mobile, including their 4G LTE.
The OnePlus One sports a beautiful 5.5-inch IPS LCD FHD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 401 pixels-per-inch (PPI), which is not quite up to the 577 PPI of the Galaxy S6’s QHD display. The OnePlus One uses a Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor clocked at 2.5GHz – a tried and true 32-bit processor for its day but the 64-bit Exynos octa-core used in the Galaxy S6 is two generations better in processing power. They both have 3GB of RAM, however, the Galaxy S6 uses a new, faster DDR4 RAM. The OnePlus One has only a 16GB or 64GB option and no room for expansion but the Galaxy S6 has a faster UFS 2.0 Flash memory in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB options to back up its lack of expandable storage.
The camera takes good pictures – it has a 13MP sensor, autofocus, and a dual-LED flash, but is has no OIS. It offers up a great 5MP FFC for those social media selfies and video chats, but the Galaxy S6 adds a wider f1.9 aperture and a 120-degree wide angle lens. The OnePlus One does have a 3100mAh non-removable battery, larger than the 2550mAh non-removable in the Galaxy S6, but either one will get you through a full day.
As I said in the Introduction area, both have the usual Dual-Band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, NFC capable and a microUSB port for charging and data transfer. The OnePlus One has dual, bottom mounted speakers versus only one on the Galaxy S6. While it uses Android 4.4.2 as a base operating system, it runs CyanogenMod 11S UI. It will run on the GSM Bands on AT&T and T-Mobile, including 4G LTE. It will run you $299 for a Silk White 16GB version or $349 for a Sandstone Black 64GB model – these are unlocked prices.
Samsung Galaxy S6
Samsung really needed the new Samsung Galaxy S6 to turn heads, so they started with a completely new design – a solid metal frame and Gorilla Glass 4 adorn the display and the back of the device – yet it is unmistakably a Samsung Galaxy S series device. It is solid, well-built and premium looking from any angle, as well as comfortable to hold in your hand. So far, response has been nothing but positive and analysts are predicting that Samsung may sell as many as 55 million of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge.
It sports a 5.1-inch Quad HD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 577 pixels-per-inch (PPI) compared to FHD display with 401 PPI on the OnePlus One. Samsung did away with their use of a Qualcomm processor this time around and chose to go with their own 64-bit Exynos 7420 octa-core processor. It has four cores clocked at 1.5GHz and four cores clocked at 2.1GHz. The 32-bit Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor in the OnePlus One simply cannot hold a candle to the new 14nm processor from Samsung. The Galaxy S6 is packing 3GB of DDR4 RAM, compared to 3GB of DDR3 RAM used in the OnePlus One, and it comes with Samsung’s new, faster, UFS 2.0 flash memory offering 32GB/64GB/128GB models with no room for expansion – a first for Samsung’s Galaxy S series.
The camera is part carry over from the Galaxy Note 4 and part improvement – it’s a 16MP Sony sensor, autofocus, LED Flash, F1.9 aperture, Live HDR and OIS. The increase in aperture and OIS are huge steps up from an already great camera. The speed was also increased – taking less than a second to open and be ready to shoot. The FFC increased from 2MP to 5MP with an added F1.9 aperture and Live HDR for excellent low-light selfies and video chatting. The 2550mAh battery is smaller than the 3100mAh in the OnePlus One, but it should easily get you through the entire day – the new Samsung non-removable battery can charge up to 4 hours of usage in only 10 minutes and they added built-in wireless charging for the first time.
The Galaxy S6 has a large speaker on the bottom of the device, a PayPal certified fingerprint sensor, is Samsung Pay ready, IR Blaster, heart rate monitor and wireless charging. It comes in White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum and Blue Topaz. It will be running Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, and will be released worldwide on April 10. Pricing on the 32GB on a two-year contract is about $200 and off contract you are looking at about $600.
…And The Winner Is…
Summary
This was a tough decision ONLY because of the price factor. There is no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S6 blows the OnePlus One away in just about every category – I cannot think of one specification that the OnePlus One excels over the Galaxy S6 except pricing, and for that reason I am selecting the Galaxy S6 as the winner of this competition. The OnePlus One is a great device, but it needs a few upgrades to compete with today’s new flagships…and you need to use it on AT&T or T-Mobile’s networks.
The Galaxy S6 has a much better display, better processor, faster RAM and Flash memory, better selections of memory – 16GB is not happening in today’s smartphone world – it has a better camera on both ends, IR Blaster, built-in wireless charging, has a PayPal certified fingerprint sensor, Samsung Pay, heart rate monitor, and is sporting the newest Android 5.0.2 Lollipop. It will cost you $199 on a two-year contract and about $600 off-contract for the 32GB model and is available on all major US networks.
Only you can decide which one is better for you…there is a OnePlus Two coming out soon, so you might want to wait for that comparison. For now, the Samsung Galaxy S6 is the clear winner when it comes to specifications and options.