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The OnePlus One 2 finally has an official launch date, with 28 July the date to add to your diary, and we genuinely can't wait. The OnePlus One was an absolute cracker when it launched, and it's still one of the best affordable handsets out there - and now with its sequel on the way, the OnePlus One 2 has the potential to be even better and give the current crop of leading flagships a run for their money. Read on to find out how it could be a game changer.

A revised Snapdragon CPU

Like plenty of its other flagship rivals (HTC One M9, LG G Flex 2 and Sony Xperia Z3+ we're looking at you!), the OnePlus One 2 is claimed to pack in a Snapdragon 810 processor, and although the cutting-edge CPU boasts blisteringly fast performance, it's also known for getting a little hot under the hood. Unlike its rivals, however, the OnePlus One 2 is also claimed to use a revised version of the 810, designed to run at lower temperatures.

This could make a massive difference in a couple of key areas. While the One M9 runs hot when gaming or under load, the One 2 could remain cool and comfortable in your hands, but more importantly, with less energy being wasted on needlessly generating heat, battery life could also benefit from the revised CPU. With the Galaxy S6 running Samsung's own cooler-running CPU in place of the Snapdragon 810, and arguably a better all-rounder because of it - could the OnePlus One 2 be the phone to take on and beat Samsung's flagship?

USB-C

The One 2 could also be one of the first, if not the first phone to pack in a USB-C port, following in the footsteps of the new Apple MacBook and Google Chromebook Pixel 2. With faster charging times, quicker data transfer speeds and a more convenient reversible connection, it seems like only a matter of time before the standard is used across the industry, so the sooner we see phones cram in USB-C ports the better. With companies like OnePlus introducing USB-C on its phones, and hopefully followed by the big boys, we'll soon see more compatible peripherals, and it'll also be easier to use one cable across all our gadgets.
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Half the cost of rivals


With flagship smartphones from Apple and Samsung selling for more than ?500-?600, the original OnePlus One was a breath of fresh air, costing a fraction of that at just ?229, yet still packing in many of the same high-end features. It did come with a caveat though - that highly unusual and pesky invite-only ordering system, meant you couldn't actually get your mitts on one without being invited.

If OnePlus pitches the OnePlus One 2 under the ?300 mark, while ditching the invite system, its upcoming smartphone could be the handset that takes OnePlus mainstream. After all, its original phone was an absolute cracker in most areas, and who wouldn't want a flagship phone for several hundred pounds less than its rivals?

A stripped-back version of Android

While the original OnePlus One packed in Cyanogen as an OS, a rift between the two companies means we won't be seeing the simplistic version of Android on the OnePlus 2. Instead, it's set to run OnePlus' latest take on Android, OxygenOS, which was also made available for One owners earlier this year. OxygenOS packs in the ability to make quick changes through gestures, while avoiding the bloatware so many manufacturers are fond of. Paired with cutting-edge specs, could this be the quickest and most intuitive version of Android yet?

High-end specs

Despite a price tag that's unlikely to go much above ?300, the OnePlus 2 is still claimed to pack in a monster 5.5-inch Quad HD screen, a stunning 4GB of RAM and a sizable 3,300mAh battery. Throw in claims of a 16-megapixel snapper, and the potential for a metal design (promo shots from OnePlus showed the original One being rubbed out and redesigned), and the OnePlus 2 could genuinely have specs that make other flagships look underpowered. If high-end rivals should be worried, its mid-range competitors should be terrified - why wouldn't you want the best phone possible if you don't need to pay a premium?

Could the OnePlus One 2 finally be the phone that makes manufacturers re-evaluate their prices for flagship blowers? With a launch date scheduled for 28 July, we won't have to wait long to find out - we?ll bring you all the details as soon as we hear them.
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