OnePlus 2 review: solid build quality and performance make the smartphone, starting at $329 for the 16GB model, the best deal on the market
OnePlus 2 review — “Flagship killer.” That loaded term has been bandied about by virtually every smartphone maker since the iPhone took the scene by storm eight years ago.
Context & Ripple Effects
The verdict lands three weeks after the OnePlus 2 was announced at $329 before taxes with a Snapdragon 810, USB-C, and a fingerprint sensor, and two days of hands-on time had already flagged impressive specs for the money. What the full review adds is the framing: reviewers are willing to call it the single best deal on the smartphone market, not just good value.
That matters because 'flagship killer' has been a contested label since the iPhone defined the category eight years ago — most makers claim it, few get a mainstream review to certify it. The corpus also shows where the strategy goes next: the OnePlus 3 arrives at $400 within a year, and by the OnePlus 8 the line is reviewing alongside flagships on features like 90Hz displays.
First-order effects
- Budget-conscious buyers get a reviewer-certified path to fingerprint unlock, USB-C, and solid build quality at $329 for the 16GB model, undercutting the premium flagships the term 'flagship killer' targets.
- OnePlus converts its pre-launch buzz — the July announcement and positive hands-on coverage — into purchase intent, with the review acting as the credibility stamp the invite-driven launch model depends on.
Second-order effects
- Every incumbent flagship now gets reviewed against a $329 baseline for build and performance, forcing them to justify their price premium on camera, software, or brand rather than raw specs.
- OnePlus itself faces the pricing ratchet its own success creates: the jump to the OnePlus 3 at $400 tests exactly how much headroom the 'best deal' reputation will tolerate before the value argument weakens.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, 'flagship killer' becomes a launch posture rather than a permanent identity: successive generations add price and features until the brand competes at flagship level, leaving the true bargain tier open to newer challengers — a drift visible across the corpus from the OnePlus 3 through the OnePlus 8 Pro and into the tablet line.
The trend: OnePlus is using flagship-undercutting pricing as a wedge to climb steadily upmarket, with each generation costing more and reviewing closer to the devices it once undercut.