The OnePlus One was arguably last year's smartphone sleeper hit - the company came out of nowhere with a smartphone packed with the latest hardware and a custom Android operating system developed by the clever bods behind Cyanogen. Even better, the OnePlus One seriously undercut the competition, making it the best value smartphone since LG and Google teamed up for the Nexus 5. Demand was so high the company was forced to use an invite system, limiting access to the phone in a way that only succeeded in increasing word of mouth about its fantastic value.
It was only a matter of time before the internet turned its collective attention to a sequel, and rumours started appearing on forums and on social networks discussing what this fabled handset might contain, be made of, and cost. Luckily we've saved you hours of trawling the web for this tidbits - we've got all the information announced (and leaked) so far about the OnePlus Two, so read on if you're looking for 2015's next smartphone bargain.
OnePlus Two name
It's by no means a given that OnePlus will call its second phone the OnePlus Two, although it is the most likely outcome. The first phone might have set a precedent for spelling out the name, and other smartphone manufacturers have played fast and loose with numbers, letters and Roman numerals (we're pointing the finger at you, Samsung) in the past. OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei has referred to the handset as the 'OnePlus 2' in recent tweets, but we'll have to wait until the official reveal to find out for sure.
OnePlus Two Specifications
The OnePlus One had headline specifications last year, with a 5.5in 1080p screen, Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel camera, but smartphones have moved on in the last twelve months and Full HD simply won't cut it any more. The latest rumours indicate the OnePlus Two will either retain the same 5.5in screen size, but move up to a 2,560x1,440 display resolution. There's a possibility the phone will use the same 2.5D glass seen on the iPhone 6 and Galaxy Note 4 as well.
It will almost certainly use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 processor, which despite being somewhat controversial following rumours of overheating, should still be one of the most powerful smartphone CPUs available in 2015. Now that Samsung has switched to its own processors for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, Qualcomm will likely be keen to get its chips into as many phones as possible, so OnePlus stands to get a great deal on bulk purchases of Snapdragon 810 SoCs. This will most likley be paired with 3GB of RAM, as even though Android 5.0 Lollipop now plays nicely with 64-bit processors and can address 4GB (or more) of memory, there are still relatively few smartphones that use more than 3GB.
The rear camera module looks set to get an upgrade to a 16-megapixel sensor, which would be capable of shooting 4K video at up to 30fps. A dual-LED flash will most likely return for low-light shooting, and High Dynamic Range (HDR) should be possible in both photo and video modes - possibly indicating OnePlus will be sourcing its camera modules from Samsung, one of the only smartphone manufacturers currently able to provide live view HDR in video mode.
Other hardware rumours include a 3,300mAh battery and a fingerprint sensor that could be 'significantly better' than the TouchID sensor found on Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
OnePlus Two Software
The OnePlus One arrived with the latest version of Android available at the time of launch, version 4.4 KitKat. It was built around a custom ROM designed in partnership with the Cyanogen mod team, bringing the best of vanilla Android and Cyanogenmod tweaks into one handset. Customer feedback was so positive it seems all but certain a similar ROM will appear on the OnePlus Two, albeit running Android 5.0 Lollipop (or a newer version, depending on what Google announces at its I/O conference at the end of May).
However, Cyanogen won't be a part of the package this time around. A trade dispute over distribution rights in India meant the two companies parted ways in April 2015, forcing OnePlus to devlop its own software known as OxygenOS. It's already available for the OnePlus One, so it will almost definitely appear on the sequel, but it's unknown what updates and upgrades it will recieve. Based on customer feedback a more comprehensive camera app should be high on the list, as will greater customisation options.
OnePlus Two Price
As with any unannounced smartphone, we won't know official prices until OnePlus reveals its second handset. Unlike big names like Samsung, LG and HTC, who typically announce prices for their phones separately from the phones themselves, the biggest appeal of the OnePlus One was its bargain price, so we're fairly certain we'll get both announcements at the same time.
We may not need to wait that long, however. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau posted on the Weibo social network in early May that 2500 Chinese Yuan sounded like a 'reasonable figure' after another Weibo user suggested the price. Based on current exchange rates, that would mean the second OnePlus smartphone would cost $400 in the US and £265 here in the UK before tax and VAT.
OnePlus Two Release Date
Most smartphones are released on an annual cycle, but once again OnePlus is expected to break the industry mould. The OnePlus One launched in April 2014, but its successor isn't due to arrive until Autumn 2015 according to the latest rumours.
Perhaps more important than the official release date is how OnePlus will get the phone to customers. It struggled to manufacture enough of its first smartphone, taking almost a year to clear backlogs and finally lift its invite-only policy, by which point there were similarly priced alternatives and even better value budget handsets like the Moto G 2nd Gen. We've got our fingers crossed that these issues will be solved in time for the sequel, but the company seems set on resurrecting its invite system based on quotes and comments from senior executives.
There will most likely be a pre-order queue system too, but until anything official gets announced we're in the dark. As soon as we get word from OnePlus we'll be sure to update this article with the details.
