OnePlus X hands-on: A whole lot of phone for just $249

(credit: Andrew Williams)

Specs at a glance: OnePlus X
Screen	5-inch, 1080p AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 3
OS	OxygenOS (Android 5.1 Lollipop)
CPU	Snapdragon 801, 32-bit quad-core Krait 400 CPU running at 2.3GHz
RAM	3GB LPDDR3
GPU	Qualcomm Adreno 330
Storage	16GB, plus micro SD expansion up to 128GB
Networking	Dual-band 802.11 Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
Ports	Micro USB, headphone jack
Camera	13MP f/2.2 rear camera, 8MP f/2.4 selfie camera
Size	140mm length, 69mm width, 6.9mm depth
Weight	138g
Battery	2525mAh
Network Bands	GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz; TDD-LTE (EU): B38/B40; WCDMA (EU): bands 1/2/5/8; WCDMA (US) bands: 1/2/4/5/8; FDD-LTE (EU): bands 1/3/5/7/8/20; FDD-LTE (US): bands 1/2/4/5/7/8
Other perks	Phase detection autofocus, FM radio
Price	£199 (€269, $249) for black Onyx version, £269 (€369) for Ceramic version

Until now OnePlus’s strategy has been all about disruption. The OnePlus One and OnePlus 2 were built to show up Samsung and its rivals, offering what they’d charge upwards of £400 for at a significant discount. The OnePlus X is a little different, though. Rather than set out to be a cutting-edge handset, the OnePlus has assembled mid-range components, or those that were high-end just a year ago, to put together what could prove to be the best £200 (€269, $249) phone on the market, and one that's a pocketable size to boot.

The perennial OnePlus question remains, though: how much of it is hype?

Design

Right from the off, the OnePlus X looks a cut above other phones in its price range. The standard version uses a sleek glass back, where the trend for sub-£200 phones is to use glossy plastic that looks a bit like glass. The slightly cheaper Sony Xperia M2 Aqua and Honor 6 are obvious examples. As usual, OnePlus is pushing the limits of what’s possible at the price. The OnePlus X's sides are metal too, not a plastic impersonation. Combined with an iPhone-like 6.9mm thickness, these expensive materials make the phone feel much more luxurious than its price tag might otherwise suggest.

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