OnePlus is holding their long awaited event for the OnePlus 2 this evening and everything is kicking off here at 7PM PST, with the livestream happening in VR through a special headset OnePlus sent out to anyone interested in experiencing this unveiling in a unique and exciting new way. We’re covering the event live so you can follow along as we grab all the details on the new stuff OnePlus has to show to off. If you don’t have a OnePlus Carboard and have no means to use another Cardboard VR device, you can still watch the event through the OnePlus 2 Launch app, which you can grab here from the Play Store.
The VR event has begun, and so far OnePlus’s Co-Founder Carl Pei leads into the event by discussing some of OnePlus’ values and reasons for doing the event in VR, as well as what they wanted to achieve with the OnePlus 2.
Now we’re seeing comments from fans and consumers of the original OnePlus One device. Everyone describes their own personal experiences with the phone and seeing it for the first time after unboxing it. The same individuals are being asked what they want out of the OnePlus 2.
OnePlus has just presented the OnePlus 2 with an opening announcement video, showing off all angles of the device as they present the viewers with different specifications like the 13MP rear camera with laser auto focus, USB Type-C, and a pretty sleek alert slider. The device will also support Dual SIM, and it’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 CPU with 4GB of RAM.
OnePlus mentions that everything begins with using the absolute best materials, an ideal which they seem to have carried over from their experience with the original device. The frame of the OnePlus 2 is crafted from strong yet lightweight aluminum alloy.
OnePlus focused on some of the things users had asked for when making their second device, bringing in a 13MP rear camera with a sensor pixel size of 1.3 microns which OnePlus states is 35% larger than standard smartphone cameras. They also improved the auto focus to help provide users with even more clear images thanks to the laser auto focus, which takes only 0.3 seconds to produce a clear picture.
The OnePlus 2 will feature a 5.5-inch Full HD 1080p IPS display, boasting darker blacks and more vivid bright colors thanks to the 1500:1 contrast ratio.
As expected, OnePlus has implemented USB Type-C for charging and data transfer allowing users to plug in the cable in either orientation.
One of the main improvements is the inclusion of the fingerprint sensor which not only has a fast reaction time for scanning your fingerprints, but it stores up to five fingerprints total so it can be easily shared with another person, or you can simply store five of your own fingerprints to make using it even easier.
OnePlus has included a nifty little alert switcher button which lets you easily move between different notification settings with ease, as it’s located on the side of the device and simple to access.
The device will initially come in Sandstone black, but OnePlus states more cover options will be available, letting users add some personalization to their device, including Bamboo, Black Apricot, Rosewood, and Kevlar for a total of 4 additional Styleswap covers.
OnePlus 2 will come running Oxygen OS with options for customization like choosing accent colors and the option for a “dark mode.” Users can also customize the LED indicator with a color to suit their tastes, and OnePlus states that custom icon packs will be supported to allow even more personalization of the device.
Consumers will be able to purchase the OnePlus 2 with an invite starting on August 11th in Canada, the U.S., the EU, India, and China, with a launch of the device beginning to roll out in the Southeast Asia region later on in Q4. OnePlus will also be opening 9 pop up locations around the globe beginning July 31st, where people can meet the team of OnePlus and experience the device first hand while also getting a chance to win an invite to purchase the device when it launches.
OnePlus will be announcing the official prices for the OnePlus 2 in ten minutes.
There will be more details coming for the OnePlus 2 very shortly, so stay tuned for more specifications, prices, and availability.
