Taking a leaf out of the multitude of exchange offers available for Indian smartphone buyers across sales on Amazon India, Flipkart, and other e-commerce platforms, Chinese upstart OnePlus has also jumped on the exchange bandwagon. The company has announced an upgrade program which will allow you to turn in your old smartphone for the newly-launched OnePlus 3 and get a discount of as much as 100%.

With the OnePlus 3, the Chinese smartphone maker has certainly come a long way since the launch of their first smartphone, the OnePlus One, back in 2014. Its powerful features like the massive 6GB RAM, Snapdragon 820 processor, 64GB ROM, and the quick charging ‘Dash Charge’ technology ensure that the OnePlus 3 still gets to give other more expensive flagships a run for their money.

It’s now also much easier to get your hands on the OnePlus 3 because you no longer need an invite, unlike in the case of its predecessors. After being recently launched in India, the OnePlus 3 became available for purchase exclusively on Amazon India where it currently sells for Rs 27,999 (~$ 420).

If paying a midrange price for a flagship device still doesn’t appeal to you, OnePlus is now sweetening the deal by offering an exchange program so that you can swap your old smartphone and upgrade to the new OnePlus 3. Starting today, you can return any old smartphone and get a discount of up to 100% of the value of OnePlus 3. The exact amount of the cashback will depend upon the condition of your old smartphone, which will be evaluated and approved by the company’s program partner, Cashify.

If you want to upgrade to the OnePlus 3 using the exchange offer, you’ll first need to visit Cashify’s webpage to check the replacement value of your old smartphone. Next, you’ll have to purchase the OnePlus 3 from Amazon India and take down the order ID. Finally, you can accept the T&C on Amazon India, after which you’ll be redirected to the Cashify page where you’ll have to input key details of your old smartphone, check your pin code serviceability, and confirm the buyback price and pickup time for your device.

A Cashify representative will then visit you at your submitted address, and pay for your old smartphone after examining the condition of the device. The upgrade offer is available in selected Indian cities of Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Pune, Faridabad, Bangalore, Ghaziabad, Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad.

The exchange offer could be a sign that OnePlus is feeling the heat from other Chinese manufacturers in the Indian market, with budget-conscious Indian consumers warming up to smartphones from OEMs like Xiaomi, Lenovo, OPPO, Vivo, Huawei, Gionee, and LeEco. Even as Chinese smartphone companies slug it out in the Indian market by throwing in more offers and discounts, Indian consumers are obviously happy to get a bigger bang for their buck.

Do you plan to exchange your old smartphone and upgrade to the new OnePlus 3? Let us know in the comments below!

Android Authority

This year, OnePlus has so far released two devices: a second One, and an X One. Thanks to a new Oxygen OS update (2.1.1) being released OTA, both the OnePlus 2 and the OnePlus X are going to get some new features. Specifically:

The OnePlus 2’s update will include the following:

• Improved UX for preview in Camera
• Performance improvements on app install and launch
• Individual icon customization support
• Fixes for RAW format on 3rd party camera apps
• Russian & Turkish language support
• Lockscreen wallpaper support
• Security patches
• Bug fixes to System Update to improve OTA stability
• General bug fixes and performance improvements

The following comment was included with respect to the update:

A note about RAW support if you are a FV-5 camera user. FV-5 will be releasing an update to their app to support RAW on OnePlus 2 devices as soon as we push out this OTA . The new version should carry the version number 2.79.5 and you should get this update within a few days of upgrading to 2.1.2.

The OnePlus X’s update will include the following:

• UX bug fixes in the Camera app
• Improvement to color offset in HDR mode
• Bug fixes to System Update to improve OTA stability
• System optimizations in low battery state
• General bug fixes and performance improvements

The company also offered the following note:

Also, we’ve received feedback that some users have experienced issues with SD storage. Although the improvements are not included in this OTA, please be assured that we are expediting another update to fix those issues so you get a great experience on your new OPX.

OnePlus reminds users that, “these are incremental rollouts, so several days may go by before you see the notification pop up on your device.” For those that want to try and speed things up, it’s best to manually check for updates however sometimes time is the only cure to the OTA blues.

Has your OP device received the Oxygen OS 2.1.2 update yet? We want to know! Leave us a comment below and tell us how it has changed things.

Android Authority

OnePlus is not one to stay quiet about its upcoming smartphones and teasers for something “beautiful” have begun showing up today. The image, which was shared both through Facebook and Twitter, simply shows what seems like either creased paper or some kind of powdery material. Regardless of what the photo displays, though, OnePlus claims it represents “beauty in the making”, and goes as far as using the hashtag #PowerfullyBeautiful.

Needless to say there is not much we are getting out of this ad, but we have previously heard of a second 2015 OnePlus handset coming. OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei mentioned this mysterious gadget wouldn’t be like previous handsets the Chinese startup has built. Instead of focusing on high-end specs and power, this rumored device is to have a high emphasis on design, a statement which happens to go right in line with today’s teaser.

“I think its going to be a phone catering to a different type of audience. Perhaps for those who appreciate design over specs.” -Carl Pei, Co-Founder at OnePlus

The rumors!

Rumors say OnePlus is working on a “Mini” smartphone. The smaller device is rumored to feature a 5-inch 1080p display, a MediaTek Helio X10 processor, 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage, a 13 MP rear camera, a 5 MP front shooter and a 3000-3100 mAh battery.

But all of that is irrelevant to those who OnePlus is targeting with this handset. As already mentioned, what matters is the aesthetics – so what is it that will make the OnePlus Mini (or whatever device they announce) stand out? We know nothing but rumors so far, but if the OnePlus Mini happens to be real and the rumors prove to be true, it will all be about customization.

While the phone is said to be built of plastic, the true lure is that the company might also sell accessories that change the colors and styles of the phone. Something like what others have been doing with removable back covers, we suppose.

Conclusion

Don’t you worry, guys. The hype train has just taken off and you can be sure more teasers will be coming soon. This is OnePlus, after all! What do you guys think about the idea of a good-looking phone that has lesser specs, though? Is that something you would be interested in? By the way – judging by the rumored specs, the phone might not be a weakling either!

Android Authority

The OnePlus One, while being a high-end smartphone, didn’t come with a whole lot of bells and whistles, which wasn’t really an issue, given how budget-friendly the device was. The affordability factor continues with its successor, the OnePlus 2, but the latest flagship offering from OnePlus does manage to pack a few extras in both hardware and software. Here is a look at some of the new features of the OnePlus 2!

Alert slider

Starting with the alert slider, this is one of the main additions to the OnePlus 2 seen on the left side of the device. It is a three stage slider that allows you to toggle among the different notification settings in Android 5.1 Lollipop, and have the slider set to allow all notifications, priority notifications, or no notifications, with the last one essentially used to silence the phone. Moving between the three stages is now actually become very simple, and with the ridged design on the button, it is very easy to locate, for example when the phone is in your pocket.

Fingerprint sensor

The other very obvious addition to the OnePlus 2 that is seen on the front of the phone is the fingerprint sensor below the display. This area also doubles as the home button, but it has to mentioned that this isn’t a tactile home button with an integrated scanner as seen on Samsung flagships, but rather a capacitive area that has been marked out to house the actual reader itself. This is also of the touch type variety, which is certainly the better implementation compared to the swipe variant, and setting it up is simple, requiring multiple touches until the scanner gets all the information. You can also save up to 5 fingerprints at a time.

You can wake and unlock the device using the fingerprint scanner, but the slight issue that comes up is when using it as a home button is that it isn’t as sensitive as you might want it to be. When using it as a fingerprint reader, you do have to cover the entire area with your finger and put a little bit of pressure, which makes sense, but that is also required when using it as a home button. This is not really an issue but rather something that will take some getting used, and you of course, do have the option to opt for on-screen navigation keys as well.

Dual-SIM capabilities

This next feature may not be a big deal in the west, but is a welcome inclusion for users in emerging markets, and that is dual-SIM capabilities. In the US, dual SIMs isn’t a particularly necessary feature given the current network carrier landscape and the fact that it is quite expensive to have just one connection, but it can prove to be useful for some. With a dual SIM phone, you can use the data from card and take calls on another, and really cater the experience to the way you want it to be, and it can also be useful for the frequent traveler, who can avoid having to switch out SIM cards every time.

That said, I did find that switching between the two SIM cards can be quite cumbersome. Having to change which data you want to use from which card can sometimes make the phone slow down, it does take a while for the cards to register, before you can switch between the two. Whether this is a software issue, or if this is just how it’s going to work on the OnePlus 2 remains to be seen, but there are other dual-SIM devices out there that do work better.

USB Type-C

The USB cable it comes in a very similar construction to what we got with the OnePlus, with its flat, tangle-free design and red and white color scheme. The best part about this chord is that it is reversible on either end, so no matter what orientation you plug it into the phone or the USB port, it’ll work, which is fantastic, and takes the guess work out of finding the right way.

The port is of the USB 2.0 variety though, so you won’t be able to take advantage of fast data transfer speeds, along with the fact that the OnePlus 2 doesn’t offer any fast-charging capabilities. USB Type-C charging does seem to be a little above average, with the device charging fully in 90 minutes when the phone is off, and in up to 2 hours when on and with minimal usage. While not too bad, this isn’t nearly close to the less than hour standard set by some devices with quick charging out there. Other than the cable included in the box, they can also be picked up separately for around $ 5.

Shelf

At first glance, Shelf seemed to essentially be just two widgets, with one housing your most frequently used applications, and the other featuring a list of favorite contacts. It’s great to see that this isn’t the case though, with Shelf functioning as a page where you can add a number of different widgets, apart from the two that are already available, giving you an easy, single point of access for all your widgets. Other small changes that can be made is changing the cover at the top and the re-arranging of the order of the widgets. Basically, it isn’t just a place for the phone to put your favorite apps and contacts in a quickly accessible area, but also lets you put your most used widgets there, allowing you to keep your homescreens clutter free.

Dark mode

Dark mode is a feature that is expected to be a part of the upcoming Android M release, but OnePlus has been able to put it into their latest 2.0 version of the Oxygen OS. The idea behind dark mode is to just take all of the light elements and make them dark, to make things easier to view in certain situations, such as when your in bed with the lights off and are looking at the phone. The white background and other elements can be very jarring at that time, and that is where dark mode makes a huge difference. Dark mode can also be contextualized in certain applications, automatically changing the in-app elements as well, but this isn’t a functionality that is available across all apps just yet.

So there you have it for this quick look at some of the new features available with the OnePlus 2! Stay tuned with Android Authority for other great coverage of the OnePlus 2, including a camera shootout, the full in-depth review, and a lot more.

Android Authority

OnePlus has certainly had a difficult time selling its flagship One handset in India over the past few months. If you can recall back to October, Cyanogen made an exclusive agreement with Micromax, preventing any other company from selling Cyanogen-powered devices in India, including OnePlus. Cyanogen had a global licensing deal with OnePlus, but the Micromax deal took precedence over it. Then in December, the ban was lifted, and OnePlus was, once again, able to sell the One in India.

It looks like all legal troubles between these companies have finally subsided, because today, OnePlus announced that OnePlus One owners in India who are running Cyanogen OS will continue to receive OTA updates from here on out. The company explains:

…we are happy to confirm today that all legal proceedings have been resolved and the cases have been withdrawn through mutual consent. We hate donning suits and ties anyways. To make things sweeter, we would like to re-assure our customers and fans in India that our flagship phone, the “OnePlus One” will continue to receive OTA updates from Cyanogen in-line with our users in markets around the world.

OnePlus has also recently created its own Android-based ROM, OxygenOS. The OS replacement provides a stable, customizable experience for users looking for an alternative to Cyanogen.

Android Authority

OnePlus kind of let us believe it would show us at least a preview of its new OxygenOS today, but instead we’ve got news on who is going to develop the new OS – some of the leading figures behind Paranoid Android.

Paranoid Android is the most popular custom ROM project outside CyanogenMod. Offering stability and some unique features on top of a stock-like experience, PA secured tens of thousands of followers. Now some of the lead developers and designers behind it will be working for OnePlus to make OxygenOS.

Among the PA team members mentioned by OnePlus in a blog post are Aaron Gascoine (co-founder of PA, technical lead), Arz Bathia (UI/UX lead), Carlo Savignano, Hieu Nguyen, Jesús David Gulfo Agudelo, and Yamil Ghazi. Besides these PA people, OnePlus purportedly has another 50 engineers dedicated to the project.

OnePlus also talked about the motivation behind the project (getting away from CyanogenMod is not mentioned, of course):

By doing so, we can offer better localization and faster updates. We can directly implement user feedback and make it easy for the OnePlus community to shape our ROM and create the OS that they want to use. Integration between hardware, software, and the cloud will become more seamless and unified for everyone using a OnePlus device. By creating our own software, we’re better able to work directly with our users to improve our OS. It’s something we’ve become quite fond of saying: when we work together, amazing things happen.

It’s not clear for now what will happen to the Paranoid Android project – will the PA team enrolled by OnePlus still contribute to the project? Also unclear is whether OnePlus plans to incorporate some of the features developed for PA into Oxygen OS.

We’re looking for more details –  meanwhile, tell us your opinion on this development.

Android Authority

Welcome to the Sunday Giveaway, the place where we giveaway a cool Android or tech gadget each and every Sunday. Last week’s winner of the ZTE LivePro is Chris J (USA). Congratulations Chris, enjoy your new ZTE LivePro Smart Projector! This week we’re giving away a huge fan favorite, and arguably still one of the best value flagship smartphones on the market, the OnePlus One!

OnePlus One

Interesting OnePlus One reads:

• OnePlus One Review
• What every phone maker could learn from OnePlus
• OnePlus One vs Samsung Galaxy S5
• OnePlus One vs Galaxy Note 3
• Best OnePlus One cases & covers
• 2014 so far – the rising tide of the Chinese smartphone manufacturer
• OnePlus One: worth all the hype or a big disappointment?
• Interview: Steve Kondik talks about new CM 11S features and the OnePlus One

How to enter the giveaway

You can earn entry tickets into the giveaway by completing the following tasks in the RaffleCopter widget located below.

1. [1 Tickets] Free entry into the giveaway.
2. [2 Tickets] Join our community
3. [1 Tickets] Sign up for our newsletter
4. [10 Tickets] Refer friends to the giveaway. You will be given a unique URL to share with your friends or social networks. You will receive 1 bonus entry (up to 10 max) for every person who you refer to the giveaway using your unique URL.

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Good luck everyone!

Android Authority