Price vs power
The OnePlus One stands toe-to-toe with 2014’s premium-end devices, but it places itself squarely in the affordable range. This is a powerful flagship handset that costs the half the price of the Samsung Galaxy S5 at $349.
Design
A premium design is a given for a flagship handset. The cheaper you go, the more you’ll compromise on aesthetics – that’s a given. But the OnePlus One does it a bit differently. You won’t find a full metal body – like the HTC M8 – here, but you will find a very sturdy and slick looking matte plastic rear shell à la Nexus 6.
Customisability
The One runs the popular open source custom firmware CyanogenMod 11, which is based on Android 4.4 KitKat. If you’ve recoiled away from your screen at the sight of ‘custom firmware’ and ‘mod’, you needn’t be worried – the One is as easy to use as any Android device.
Size
The creeping length of your smartphone is a divisive issue in the tech industry. Picking out the correct size is a matter of taste, and at 5.5-inches the One needs to be viewed in person before you decide to make a purchase. But it’s hard to argue that the trend of larger phones is becoming increasingly popular with consumers.
Battery life
Another benefit of a bigger device typically means a bigger battery, which the One has in the form a giant 3100mAh power source. That’s bigger than what the HTC One M8 offers, bigger than the Galaxy S5 and the LG G3.