UPDATED 03:08 EDT / JULY 30 2015

NEWS

Battle of the flagships continues: OnePlus 2 vs. Galaxy S6 edge+

OnePlus launched its “flagship killer”, the OnePlus 2 on Monday and we’ve already compared it to the iPhone 6 Plus. Since the OnePlus is an Android phone and aimed at the premium market, it will also compete with offerings from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., the other smartphone heavyweight.

Samsung has seen unexpected success with its Galaxy S6 edge and are hoping to capitalize on that momentum by launching a larger-screen version, the Galaxy S6 edge+, next month.

Below we compare the two new entrants into the “flagship” and “phablet” space.

OnePlus 2 vs. Galaxy S6 edge+:

Design

OnePlus 2:  Sporting an aluminum-magnesium alloy frame and a soft Sandstone Black rear cover, the OnePlus 2 is a stylish device. It also offers some customization options thanks to a selection of swappable rear covers available in Kevlar, Black Apricot, Rosewood, and Bamboo.

Galaxy S6 edge+: Samsung will likely stick to the same design as used for the Galaxy S6 edge and offer the same color options, including White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum and Green Emerald. And of course the curved display adds to the sleek looks.

Display

OnePlus 2: The phablet-sized screen is a 1080 x 1920 HD LCD at 401 ppi, measuring in at 5.5-inches. It’s very bright and the company claims it offers excellent visibility at any angle or in any light. It’s at a slight size disadvantage in this comparison and also lacks the curved edges.

Galaxy S6 edge+: Rumors suggest the Galaxy S6 edge+ could feature a massive 5.7-inch screen curved on both sides like the 5.1-inch Galaxy S6 edge it is based on. It may be a 2K or 4K AMOLED display with QHD resolution.

Internal Components

OnePlus 2: Two versions are available: a 16GB model with 3GB of RAM and a 64GB model with 4GB of RAM. Both feature a 64-bit 1.8GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, giving the OnePlus 2 enough grunt to play in this category. Power is provided by a 3300mAh battery. The handset does not offer a microSD car reader.

Galaxy S6 edge+: SamMobile claims the Galaxy S6 edge+ will ship with Samsung’s own Exynos 7420 processor, despite rumors that the company was considering a Snapdragon 808 processor. The Exynos 7420 is the same chip found in the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge and combines a 64-bit octa-core processor, GPU, storage, 3GB of RAM and an LTE modem in one chip. Onboard storage will start at 32GB with no microSD card reader.

Operating system

OnePlus 2: OnePlus’s latest offering runs OxygenOS, the company’s tweaked version of Android 5.1 Lollipop. The interface is much the same as the standard Android version but does add a few tricks, including new Camera and Audio Tuner apps and support for gesture controls.

Galaxy S6 edge+: Likely to ship pre-installed with Google’s latest version of Android, Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and come packed with Samsung’s standard customizations.

Camera

OnePlus 2: The rear camera is a 13-megapixel unit with optical image stabilization, a dual-LED flash and a low light sensor. It’s capable of 4K video or slow-mo 720p video and can also save images in RAW format. The front camera is a 5-megapixel unit.

Galaxy S6 edge+: Samsung is likely to stick to the same 5MP front camera and 16MP back camera with f/1.9 apertures and optical image stabilization.

Price & availability

OnePlus 2: $329 for the 16 GB model and $389 for the 64GB model. The OnePlus 2 goes on sale August 11, but you have to rely on OnePlus’ invite system or attend a launch event.

Galaxy S6 edge+: No details are available as yet, but considering the Galaxy S6 edge’s price tag of $699, expect to pay upwards of $700 without a contract. Samsung is set to launch the Galaxy S6 edge+ alongside the galaxy Note 5 at a special August 13 event set to kick off at 11am in New York. Sales should start a week or so later.

Image via OnePlus

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