Introduction
The OnePlus X is not another flagship killer, we have the OnePlus 2 for that. Instead OnePlus decided to take a break from the high profile smartphone gane and brings us a stunning mid-ranger capable of delivering on both looks and performance.
The OnePlus X exterior is as premium as it can get - there is a metal frame with 17 etched grooves, flanked by a dual panels of glass, which they call Onyx Black.
In case you are into exclusive editions, then OnePlus will be offering only 10,000 units of the OnePlus X with a back made out of ceramic. Each supposedly takes up to 25 days to make so that should count for something.
The OnePlus X is built around a 5" 1080p AMOLED display and has a Snapdragon 801 as its heart coupled with 3GB RAM. The S801 chip might be aging, but it's still quite relevant and would give some eight-core setups a run for their money. The camera department includes a 13MP main snapper with hybrid phase-detection AF and a front 8MP selfie shooter. Check out the complete feature list.
Key features
·Metal frame + glass/ceramic back
·5" AMOLED display with 1080p
resolution; 441ppi; Corning Gorilla Glass 3
·Snapdragon 801 chipset; CPU:
quad-core 2.3GHz Krait 400; Adreno 330 GPU; 3GB of RAM
·13MP main camera with a LED flash,
phase-detection auto-focus; 1080p video capture at 30fps
·8MP front-facing camera, 1080p at
30fps video recording
·Oxygen 2.1 OS based on Android 5.1.1
Lollipop
·16GB of built-in storage; microSD
expansion slot
·Dual SIM, LTE Cat.4, Wi-Fi 802.11n,
Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, FM radio, microUSB
·Dual-microphone active noise
canceling
·Attractive price tag
·2,525mAh non-removable battery
Main disadvantages
·Non-removable battery and no quick
charging support
·Connectivity lacks dual-band Wi-Fi
and NFC
·No 64-bit processor
The lack of 64-bit support is the only possible complaint we may have towards the Snapdragon 801 chip today, but we wouldn't say this feature is indispensable, at least not for a few more years. The connectivity package took the biggest hit - it lacks support for 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks, there is no NFC, and no support for quick charging. None of those are deal breakers but you should consider those.
OnePlus press shots in Onyx Black back
OnePlus press shots with Ceramic back
So, is the OnePlus X ready to perform great in the vast market out there? Only one way to find out and it starts with the thing getting unboxed.
Display
The OnePlus X packs a 5-inch AMOLED display, which is a great treat for such an affordable mid-ranger. It's a high-quality panel of 1080p resolution, which delivers 441ppi of pixel density. While not record-breaking numbers, individual pixels are nonetheless indistinguishable to the naked eye and so is the Diamond PenTile matrix.
You're not going to see pixels on this screen and thanks to the AMOLED tech that's built-in, the panel enjoys inky-deep blacks and unmatched vividness to colors.
When it comes to maximum brightness, the OnePlus X wouldn't go as high as some other AMOLED phones but it's quite alright and only flagship segment phones do better. It's actually around the same level as the HTC One A9 and this one while not very bright to begin with, has twice the price tag.
The minimum brightness on the OnePlus X is only 3.3nits, which is to say that using it in dimly lit environments will be easy on your eyes.
AMOLED has inherently superb viewing angles and those of the OnePlus X don't disappoint. The panel retains its contrast and colors even in extreme angles and is one of the least reflective screens we've ever tested.
However the AMOLED on the HTC One A9 and Samsung's own Super AMOLED found in the Galaxy Note 4, Note5 and Galaxy S6 line easily top the OnePlus X's display in outdoor performance (though these are a lot more expensive phones to begin with).
Usually makers skimp on some of the essentials when building a lower-cost smartphone and many times the display is the first compromise. Luckily OnePlus didn't compromise with the X's display, which delivers on all points except its brightness, which is still acceptable.
More importantly the 5" display is sharp and a joy to consume media on.
OnePlus X battery life
The OnePlus X packs a non-removable 2,525mAh battery, which is about average capacity for a 5-inch 1080p smartphone. The Oppo R7 has a 2,320mAh cell, the recently reviewed HTC One A9 with its 2,150mAh is noticeably underpowered compared to OnePlus' model, while the Xiaomi Mi 4c has a generous 3,080mAh battery. The slightly larger 5.2-inch Nexus 5X has a, well, slightly larger 2,700mAh powerpack.
The OnePlus X didn't prove as a miracle worker and pairing an average capacity with an older chipset yields unimpressive results. While 16 hours of call times is a good performance, short of 7 hours in the video playback test and even less in web browsing are not numbers anyone would be happy with.
It's the frugal standby power consumption (which we measure, but don't include in the scorecard) that saves the OnePlus X and helps it achieve its 54-hour endurance rating in our proprietary test.
The Xiaomi Mi 4c outlasts the OnePlus X in all three disciplines, which measure actual usage. And it's not a marginal difference - more than 3 hours in each test, though it's let down by less than optimal standby performance. The Oppo R7 is ahead in all three tests as well, but also in overall rating, despite its lower capacity. That said, the One A9 is trailing miserably, but not quite unexpectedly.
The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you're interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.
Connectivity
Thanks to the on-board modem of the Snapdragon 801 chipset, the OnePlus X supports lots of LTE bands and covers the specs for LTE Cat. 4 (up to 150Mbps downlink, up to 50Mbps uplink). It also offers quad-band GSM connectivity and quad or penta-band (market dependent) 3G connectivity with HSPA support.
The rest of the wireless connectivity features include dual-band Wi-Fi b/g/n support and Wi-Fi Direct. There is no dual-band Wi-Fi support, unfortunately.
There is also support for Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and GLONASS, plus an FM radio. Wireless screen mirroring is available via the Miracast protocol. NFC is not available though.
An MHL-enabled micro-USB 2.0 port sits on the bottom of the phone and lets you stream video to compatible TVs via an appropriate MHL HDMI dongle. USB host is enabled, for connecting external storage. A standard 3.5mm headphone jack lets you plug in your headphones of choice.
