Fri: Phone Comparisons: OnePlus 2 vs. HTC 10

Introduction

Do we have a good one for you today – the OnePlus 2 goes up against the new HTC 10.  Does the '2016 Flagship Killer' from OnePlus at only $349, have what it takes to win this comparison against the $650 powerhouse from HTC?  There is no denying, even from diehard OnePlus fans, that the HTC 10 is packing the better technology, but is it enough to justify the $300 price difference?  Both devices have a premium and solid build quality – OnePlus is famous for that – but the chiseled metal body construction of the HTC 10 makes for one nice looking device.  First, let's look at what these two devices have in common and then we will look at each individual device to go into more detail.

These two devices have a few things in common – starting with their physical size, although the OnePlus 2 is slightly larger and weighs in 14 grams heavier.  Their displays are different in size and different resolutions, but they use the same screen technology.  They both use a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor but different models – however, they both use 4GB of DDR4 RAM.  Both camera areas offer similar megapixels for the main camera and both offer 5MP for the front-facing cameras (FFC), although the HTC 10 takes better photos.  The OnePlus 2 and HTC 10 both have a non-removable battery and both sport a fingerprint sensor.  The usual suspects are mostly there – WiFi, Bluetooth (v4.1 in the OnePlus 2 and v4.2 in the HTC 10), GPS and a reversible microUSB Type-C port for charging and data transfer.  The most glaring omission is the lack of NFC on the OnePlus 2, which means no mobile payments (Android Pay) or file transfers.

Please take a deliberate look at the detailed Specifications Comparison chart below and here you will see just how these two great devices stack up against one another – click on the "View Full Comparison" link at the end of the chart to expand the details. After that, we will look at each individual device in greater detail and point out some of its pros and cons. From all of this information, we will try to determine the winner based on specs and execution of design and functions.

Specifications

OnePlus 2

When you purchase a OnePlus device, no matter which model, you can be assured that you will receive a quality product at a reasonable price.  That commitment to quality and value is even more evident in the OnePlus 2 with its solid metal frame and trim.  Their "Flagship Killer," as they like to call the OnePlus 2 had to cut some corners to get that price so low.  Picking and choosing what features to keep and what to leave out of the design is very important to how the public will view the device. OnePlus decided to go with the same FHD display and the same size camera that they used last year, but then removed the NFC capabilities – this removed all possibility of mobile purchasing.  They did add an extra 1GB of RAM, a fingerprint sensor and increased the battery size from 3100 mAh to 3300 mAh, but offer no rapid charge feature.

The OnePlus 2 sports a 5.5-inch LTPS LCD FHD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 401 pixels-per-inch (PPI).  OnePlus chose the controversial Qualcomm 64-bit Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor, and to keep it cool, they slightly underclocked it to 1.56 GHz and 1.82 GHz.  The OnePlus 2 is currently only sold with 4GB of DDR4 RAM and 64GB of non-expandable storage.

They made some nice improvements in the camera area by using an improved 13MP sensor from the OnePlus One, adding larger pixels, laser autofocus, a dual-tone LED flash, a f/2.0 aperture and OIS.  For the FFC, the OnePlus 2 uses a 5MP sensor with an aperture of f/2.4.  The OnePlus 2 increased the non-removable battery size from 3000mAh to 3300mAh – however, the OnePlus 2 offers no quick charge or wireless charging features.

Notes on the OnePlus 2 –The fingerprint sensor can unlock the phone, but nothing else…no Android Pay or mobile purchase because it lacks NFC.  It runs OnePlus' own OS called OxygenOS over stock Android Lollipop 5.1, although a new version of OxygenOS 3.0 and Marshmallow are in Beta stages..  LTE bands will work on AT&T and T-Mobile networks with the OnePlus 2 and will cost you about $349 for the 64GB model and there are optional backings you can buy to customize the look of your device – Kevlar, Black Apricot, Bamboo, and Rosewood.

HTC 10

HTC users are fanatics about their HTC One M7 – M9, even though they were never the pinnacle of technology, and their cameras were all over the place with 4 UltraPixels and a Duo camera.  With the HTC 10, the fans really have something to cheer about this time around.  It has everything you want in a flagship smartphone – a beautifully carved aluminum body, a QHD display, the best processor on the market, a powerful GPU that can handle the most complicated graphics, and 4GB of DDR4 memory.  The HTC 10 finally has a great camera and its newly configured BoomSound Hi-Fi and Hi-Res Audio.

HTC always stuck with an FHD display, but finally included a QHD resolution in the new HTC 10.  The HTC 10 sports a 5.2-inch Super LCD5 QHD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 565 PPI.  HTC selected the most advanced processor on the market – the Qualcomm 64-bit Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor with the dual cores clocked at 1.6 GHz and dual cores clocked at 2.15 GHz. It is teamed with an Adreno 530 GPU, providing graphics that should satisfy even the most avid gamer.  The HTC 10 packs a full 4GB of DDR4 RAM and 32GB of internal memory that is expandable to 2TB via a microSD card.

The HTC 10 has their best camera ever – they went with UltraPixels, but instead of using only 4MP, this time around HTC is using a 12MP sensor for their primary camera to capture more light and image.  They added laser autofocus, a dual-tone LED flash, a large aperture of f/1.8 and OIS.  The HTC 10's camera was able to tie the top rated score of 88 the Galaxy S7 series achieved.  They added a 5MP FFC with an f/1.8 aperture, wide-angle lens, and then added screen flash and even OIS to ensure great selfies and video chatting even in low-light.  The HTC packs a 3000 mAh non-removable battery with Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0.

HTC rearranged their BoomSound into what they are calling BoomSound Hi-Fi that features two separate speakers with the woofer placed on the bottom of the device, and the high-end sounds originating from the earpiece.  The HTC 10 measures 145.9 x 71.9 x 9mm and weighs in at 161 grams.  It comes in Carbon Grey, Topaz Gold, and Glacier Silver and it will cost you about $650 for 32GB of memory.

…And The Winner Is…

Summary

This is another one of those better specifications/higher price is going up against a good, solid, lower priced smartphone.  The HTC 10 is obviously the better device as the HTC 10 offers much better specifications – QHD display, newest Snapdragon 820/Adreno 530 that can process circles around the older Snapdragon 810/Adreno 430 in the OnePlus 2.  It has expandable memory to 2TB, a more advanced camera area, fast battery charging and built-in NFC for Android Pay or mobile payments. The HTC 10 has BoomSound Hi-Fi for everyday listening and Hi-Res audio for your earphones.

But, on the other hand, you have the OnePlus 2 that has excellent build quality, decent specifications – even if they are from last year – a good camera, large battery, and the incredible value of only $350.  Sure, it is missing memory expansion, NFC, and carrier restrictive – the most glaring exclusions, but what if those do not matter to you?  You are after all, saving $300.

It all comes down to this – if you want the best specs on the market in one of the best smartphones on the market, then go after at the HTC 10.  However, if you are more interested in getting a great bargain, do not mind not having the latest technology and do not intend to make mobile payments, or mind being on AT&T or T-Mobile's networks, then you would be hard-pressed to find a better bargain than the OnePlus 2.

Source: Fri: Phone Comparisons: OnePlus 2 vs. HTC 10