OnePlus AMAA Tidbits: OnePlus Two, OxygenOS, And Drones
Despite some setbacks, controversies, and complaints about availability, the OnePlus One has become a high profile device which admittedly deserves its renown. The "flagship killer" from a little known startup gave credence to that moniker, delivering (somewhat) high-end hardware with an affordable price tag, something only Xiaomi was famous for. Of course, a one hit wonder won't be able to keep OnePlus afloat, and the company does have ambitious plans up ahead. At a Reddit Ask Me (Almost) Anything, AMAA for short, round, co-founder Carl Pei and One Plus' David S. revealed some interesting details, including its next "game changer" device.
The OnePlus Two is still on schedule for a Q3 2015 release, says OnePlus. But, naturally, it isn't giving out a complete picture of the device. OnePlus is, however, sharing what it won't have, which includes wireless charging, a removable battery, and a microSD card slot. The first one is quite fine given how wireless charging technology just isn't there yet. The other two, however, is disappointing from a user's perspective but necessary to keep OnePlus' developers from going insane. It won't have fancy gimmicks either, like curved displays. OnePlus says that it is a "different device with a different price", hinting that the price tag might be higher this time around. As to whether it will use a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, they respond that they can't really answer without hurting a chip supplier, which might imply the worse. They promise not to go with MediaTek though, perhaps to the relief of many. And an x86 is just out of the question. This leaves an Exynos. Or a "fixed" Snapdragon 815, given the timetable.
The next smartphone will ship with OnePlus' own OxygenOS, which will also be available to the OnePlus One, just not this week as initially planned. It seems that they underestimated the time it will take to certify it. When it does roll out, it will come with Android 5.0.2 only. Android 5.1, sadly, isn't in their crosshair yet. Considering this will be their first self-made Android ROM, they want to take time in getting it polished first. They have something in the works, though, that will hopefully speed up future updates. When asked about whether parts OxygenOS will be open source, a point that CyanogenMod was only too happy to point out, OnePlus doesn't directly answer the question except with a promise that it has something in store that will make the community happy. Fingers remain crossed.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was what OnePlus' next new device would be, aside from the OnePlus Two, of course. It's "game changer" teasers had us believing that it would be somewhat related to gaming. Apparently, it couldn't be farther from reality. Now it seems that the OnePlus "DR-1" to be revealed soon is actually a drone. No, not even an Android TV set-top box. A drone. If true, this is definitely a surprise and a literal game changer for OnePlus. The company venturing into drones, perhaps one with a camera, seems almost akin to HTC's diversion into imaging with its RE products.
It seems that OnePlus will have a very busy schedule this year and it will definitely be interesting to see what it can come up with and how it can live up to, or even surpass, the standards that it has set itself. It will be even more interesting to see if OnePlus has truly learned from the hard lessons of the OnePlus One. The drone bit will be exceptionally curious and would definitely be an unexpected turn of events, given OnePlus has scarcely given any hint of this new interest. But then again, OnePlus has already managed to pleasantly surprise as once. And perhaps true to its "Never Settle" motto, it will try to do so again.
VIA: XDA