OnePlus 2 vs. Samsung Galaxy S6: Specs Compared
OnePlus 2 vs. Samsung Galaxy S6: Specs Compared
Upstart company OnePlus made a splash last year with its “flagship killer”One smartphone. It offered high-end design and specs at an outrageously low price, undercutting and outperforming many of its peers.
But despite near-universal critical success, OnePlus was plagued by supply shortages and backlash against its invite-only sales model. With a year under its belt to work out the kinks, OnePlus is ready for round two with the appropriately named OnePlus 2. The 2 stays true to its roots, offering flagship-worthy specs and design at a remarkably low price unlocked. But how does it fare against the reinvigorated Samsung Galaxy S6? Read on for a side-by-side comparison.
Changes to the OnePlus 2 are more incremental, rather than dramatic. It’s very close in size to last year’s One, meaning still a good deal larger than the Galaxy S6 (5.98 by 2.95 by 0.39 inches vs. 5.65 by 2.78 by 0.27 inches). Like Samsung, though, OnePlus ditches plastic in favor of a new magnesium alloy frame, which promises to add to the premium look and feel. OnePlus also carries over its user-replaceable “StyleSwap” covers to the 2, meaning exotic finishes like rosewood or Kevlar. Despite the removable back, the OnePlus 2 lacks a microSD card slot, like the S6.
| Name | OnePlus 2 | Samsung Galaxy S6 (T-Mobile) |
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| Lowest Price | ||
| Editor Rating | ||
| Operating System as Tested | Android 5.1 | Android 5.0 |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 Quad-Core | Samsung Exynos 7420 Octa-Core |
| Dimensions | 5.98 by 2.95 by 0.39 inches | 5.65 by 2.78 by 0.27 inches |
| Weight | 6.17 oz | 4.87 oz |
| Screen Size | 5.5 inches | 5.1 inches |
| Screen Type | IPS LCD | Super AMOLED HD |
| Screen Resolution | 1,920 by 1,080 pixels | 2,560 by 1,440 pixels |
| Screen Pixels Per Inch | 401 ppi | 577 ppi |
| Camera Resolution | 13 MP Rear; 5 MP Front-Facing | 16 MP Rear; 5 MP Front-Facing |
| 802.11x/Band(s) | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 LE | 4.1 LE |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Read the Review | Read the Review |
In a curious move, the spec-obsessed OnePlus stuck with a 1080p display, rather than match Samsung and LG with a Quad HD display. Both OnePlus and Samsung claim their displays can reach a similarly blinding 600 nit rating. We’ll have to wait until we have the 2 in our labs for a thorough side-by-side comparison.
Moving below the display, both phones feature fingerprint-reading Home buttons flanked by capacitive navigation buttons. The OnePlus 2, however, will let you opt for the Google-standard, on-screen navigation buttons if you prefer.
Despite some recent heat issues, OnePlus went with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 SoC. When we compared the Galaxy S6’s homegrown Exynos chip with the 810-powered HTC One M9, Samsung’s silicon came out on top, but that was also before we learned of the processor throttling used to manage heat on the 810. That said, the 810 still delivers performance befitting a flagship phone, so I wouldn’t be too concerned with power potential on the OnePlus 2.
Both the OnePlus 2 and Galaxy S6 use customized skins for their Android software. The 2, however, will launch with a newer version 5.1, while most U.S. carrier customers are still running Android 5.0. Samsung slimmed down TouchWiz for the S6, but OnePlus’s OxygenOS looks even lighter.
OnePlus makes some upgrades to the camera sensor, which retains the same 13-megapixel rating, but now sports physically larger pixels and optical image stabilization for better low-light performance. The Galaxy S6has one of the best cameras we’ve tested, though, so the OnePlus 2 is facing an uphill battle. Stay tuned for a camera shootout once we get the OnePlus 2 into our labs.
While the OnePlus 2 lacks NFC, not to mention Samsung’s magnetic secure transmissions, it is one of the first mobile devices we’ve seen thatfeatures a USB Type-C port. Also worth noting, the OnePlus 2 lacks any wireless charging support, while the S6 has that feature built-in.
Of course, the biggest difference here is price: Starting at $329 for 16GB and $389 for 64GB, the OnePlus 2 is one of the most aggressively priced phones out there. That’s less than half the starting price of the S6, which goes for $684.99 on AT&T. Unfortunately, though, Verizon customers are left out of the OnePlus party.
So which phone do you think will earn top Android honors? Let us know in the comments below.
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