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So there are 2 big caveats to using this phone in 2019. 1) While the stock software is perfectly stable and usable, Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) is badly outdated so be prepared to install custom ROM. 2) Camera quality does show it's age particularly in low light but is still capable of some pretty decent shots which is impressive for a 5 year old phone. Now with those 2 things out of the way, the OnePlus One is still a HIGHLY recommended phone for anyone in the budget market in 2019. I moved recently and my wife and I needed a couple of usable phones on the cheap and didn't wanna get locked into a phone contract. After going through multiple options, I decided to take the plunge and get 2 of these refurbished babies for my wife and I. Simply put...one of my best tech purchases in recent times. The display is still perfectly serviceable in 2019 and is way better than most other displays you'll get in other $100 budget options. It's obviously not bezeless or 18:9 aspect ratio but from a practicality standpoint, both those fads are pointless imo so this actually counts as an advantage over newer phones for me. The backlit on-screen navigation buttons are actually quite refreshing to use but since the buttons aren't actually physical, you can totally disable them in software if you prefer using a navbar with no real hassle. The micro USB slot is perfectly fine with me since I haven't really made the wholesale switch to USB C. I still think it's silly that the headphone jack is a "feature" in 2019 but this phone has one and it works well. The volume and power buttons are sensibly placed and reasonably tactile. The battery is non-removable but the 3100 mAh battery provides enough juice to take you through a day of light to regular usage quite comfortably. There's no Micro SD card slot but 64GB storage is more than adequate unless you store A LOT of videos and movies on your phone (which I don't do) so that's a win as well. Now my favorite part about this phone...how it actually works. I find it amazing that there are 2018 and 2019 budget and mid-rangeoptions effectively locked into Nougat and Oreo making them effectively obsolete/outdated from the very get-go, while this 2014 phone can be updated to a fully functional Pie ROM within a few minutes and runs it effortlessly. As mentioned before, it does require a little bit of technical know-how but for anyone who can use a computer reasonably well, rooting and installing custom software on this phone is easier and more accessible than almost any other brand of phone on the market. The custom ROM community is amazing for this device as well so there are many stable ROMs available from Kit Kat that this phone launched with all the way up to Pie (newest at the time of writing). Because of that community support, this phone with a SD 801 processor and 3GB RAM is a better value purchase than almost any budget phone out as it still runs extremely smoothly, handles daily tasks without a hitch and even does a solid job of handling light to moderate gaming. I'm not a heavy gamer but based on how smoothly this runs the games I tend to play (COC, Dream League, Duel Links, a couple of Nintendo emulators, etc), I'm pretty sure it can handle some modern titles fairly well. In summary, if you're on a budget, this is a wonderful option in 2019 if you get a decent refurbished model. The hardware holds up really well. Basic features like WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC all work wonderfully well. The only area of the phone which really shows it's age compared to modern mid-range options is the camera and that still produces pretty decent quality pics for a 5 year old smartphone camera. I know this is a longer review than most but this phone is so impressive that it's worth it to write an epistle gushing over what a great value it is right now. When this phone launched in 2014, I wanted one really badly and never got to have one. Now that I finally have one in 2019, I realize this phone was every bit as good as I thought it was then and is still an amazing value proposition today.. Photos attached 1 & 2) Screenshots from my wife's lockscreen running a Custom ROM for Android 9.0 Pie 3) Screenshot of my home screen on another Custom ROM based on Android 9.0 Pie 4 & 5) Pictures taken with actual review unit (my OnePlus One running Havoc OS 2.2 based on Android Pie. Low light situation with camera flash. Pictures intentionally scaled down to 3.1 MegaPixels since I really have no use for larger size pictures on my phone/laptop right now (plus the lower megapixel size means less memory used 😁)Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Everything is fine with the phone except I am having issues with the SIM card not reading sometimes. It is fitted for the phone (it's not the micro size, it's one size bigger), but it will still not stay in the SIM slot holder. I will often have to take the SIM card out, and put it back in because it fails to read, and I have no cell service. Happened twice last night, seems fine today, so seems random. Thinking about just getting a different phone, but I just paid for this thing so I feel compelled to use it.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This is my most recent phone and by far my favorite. In the past year I've had the Moto X 2013(got it late) and 2014 and the Nexus 5 and 6, and a Huawei Ascend Mate 2. Out of all of them the OnePlus One is my favorite. It has the longest battery life of all of them(except the Huawei). Can be rooted and ROM'd with ease(Nexus easy). The screen is big and bright. And the camera is fantastic. If you get the ColorOS Camera app and all of its plugins it makes this camera REALLY shine. Who doesn't like a 32 second long exposure for GREAT night time photos. The screen is on the big side, but I've actually came DOWN from 6 inches in the Huawei. So to wrap it up. It's not as big as the Nexus 6 but it's half the price and the battery is LOT'S longer lasting. Plus, it's as easy to root and ROM as a Nexus. The battery doesn't last as long as the Huawei but the software is the latest and the screen is better resolution.Read full review
I bought the OnePlus One after becoming fed up with my Samsung Galaxy Note 4. I was in search of a specific set of qualities, most of which the 1+1 fulfills nicely. At a price less than half of the phone it replaced, it was hard to go wrong in buying the 1+1, even toward the end of its product life cycle. The first thing I noticed was the feeling of the back cover. Almost like a rough short fur, it was interesting to say the least, but soon wore down to a less intrusive, lightly rough finish that's pleasing to hold. The IPS display is fantastic, though mine arrived with two dead pixels and a yellow tinge at the bottom of the screen. OnePlus support was not very helpful in the matter, but I've gotten used to those things, so I'll still give the screen a pass. The 1080p resolution, while nothing like QHD, is more than enough and I cannot see individual pixels in graphics or text on the screen. Battery life usually achieves around five hours screen on time. Acceptable, but only because I have a portable battery pack. A removal back cover and battery would be greatly appreciated, so I could use two batteries and swap on the go like I could with my Note 4. RAM and processor are more than enough, outperforming the Note 4 since the 1+1's software is far from bloated or overloaded. The camera is adequate. In good lighting, photos are crisp and easy to take. Low light easily sends the camera into a blurry, grainy, slow to respond struggle, however. All in all I like this phone better than my old one. I daresay I regret dropping the $800 on my Note 4 in the past.Read full review
I had never heard of this phone before a techno friend started taking about it and showed me his Oneplus One. The first thing I noticed was the clarity of the photos. He was able to zoom in to ridiculous levels and the photos still looked crystal clear. Battery life is good but not great. The gestures are convenient and cool. I haven't tested it to see if it's really waterproof or not but I've seen the YouTube video where the guy holds it under water and it works fine. Absolutely recommend it. As good or better than the top Apple and Samsung for a fraction of the price.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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