Introduction

Do we have a good one for you today – the very popular OnePlus One goes up against the new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.  The OnePlus fans are like a small cult that simply loves their high quality and moderate priced smartphone.  With the new Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung is seeking to redefine the company and regain control of the smartphone market.  How will these two stack up against one another in this comparison – is the OnePlus One still relevant enough in this quickly moving world of electronics or is the new Galaxy S6 Edge simply too much for it.

These two devices do have a few things in common, but differ in most areas – from outside construction and materials to internal displays and processors.  They both feature 3GB of RAM and both offer a 64GB model, with neither device offering their user any means of external storage expansion.  Both of the front-facing cameras (FFC) weigh in with a 5MP shooter and both devices opted for their speakers on the bottom of the device, although the OnePlus One does have a dual mono set compared to the single speaker on the Galaxy S6 Edge.  Both devices have the usual Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, NFC capability, a microUSB port for charging and data transfer, both have a non-removable battery and both offer active noise cancellation with a dedicated microphone.

Please take a look at the detailed specifications comparison found below – expand it by clicking on the “View Full Comparison” at the bottom and you will get a real sense of how these two devices match up against one another.  After that, we will look at each individual device, talk about it, and weigh out some of the pros and cons in an effort to pick a winner for this comparison.

 OnePlus One

The OnePlus is another Chinese startup company that produces a high-end device with a mid-range price tag – a combination that everybody loves.  The OnePlus One is not being sold directly in the US market, but you can still order one online and have it shipped here, as it will work on the GSM networks of AT&T and T-Mobile, including their 4G LTE.  It is a well-designed smartphone – it looks like it is all metal, but the plastic backing just has a metallic-like look and feel to it, and is very comfortable to hold.

The OnePlus One sports a beautiful 5.5-inch IPS LCD FHD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 401 pixels-per-inch (PPI), which is not quite up to the 577 PPI of the Galaxy S6 Edge’s QHD display.  This larger display does make for a slightly larger device.  For processing power, the OnePlus One uses the best processor out at the time – a 32-bit Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor clocked at 2.5GHz – however, the 64-bit Exynos 7420 octa-core used in the Galaxy S6 Edge is two generations better in processing power.  They both have 3GB of RAM…however, the Galaxy S6 Edge uses Samsung’s new, faster DDR4 RAM.  The OnePlus One has only a 16GB or 64GB internal storage option and no room for expansion but the Galaxy S6 Edge has a faster UFS 2.0 Flash memory in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB options in place of expandable storage.

The camera takes good pictures, especially in good light – it has a 13MP sensor, autofocus, and a dual-LED flash, but does not have OIS.  It offers up a great 5MP FFC for those social media selfies and video chats, but the Galaxy S6 Edge adds to that a wider f/1.9 aperture, Live HDR and a 120-degree wide angle lens.  The OnePlus One does have a 3100mAh non-removable battery, larger than the 2600mAh non-removable in the Galaxy S6 Edge, but either battery will get you through a full day.

The OnePlus One has dual, bottom-mounted speakers versus only one on the Galaxy S6 Edge.  It uses Android 4.4.2 as a base operating system, however, it runs CyanogenMod 11S UI. It will run you $299 for a Silk White 16GB version or $349 for a Sandstone Black 64GB model – these are unlocked prices.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Samsung is still reeling from a decrease in sales and revenue last year, so they completely redesigned the Galaxy S6 Edge – a solid metal frame and Gorilla Glass 4 for the back of the device with a curved display on both sides.  It is solid, well-built and premium looking no matter how you look at it.  The response so far has been nothing but positive and analysts are predicting that Samsung may sell as many as 55 million of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge during 2015.

It has a 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 577 pixels-per-inch (PPI) compared to FHD display with 401 PPI on the OnePlus One.  Samsung decided go with their own 64-bit Exynos 7420 octa-core processor.  It has four cores clocked at 1.5GHz and four cores clocked at 2.1GHz.  The 32-bit Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor in the OnePlus One simply cannot hold a candle to the new 14nm processor from Samsung.  The Galaxy S6 Edge is packing 3GB of their new DDR4 RAM, compared to 3GB of DDR3 RAM used in the OnePlus One, and it comes with Samsung’s new, faster, UFS 2.0 flash memory offering 32GB/64GB/128GB models with no room for expansion – a first for Samsung’s Galaxy S series.

Samsung put their best camera ever in the new Galaxy S6 Edge – it’s a 16MP Sony sensor, autofocus, LED Flash, f/1.9 aperture, Live HDR and OIS.  The increase in aperture and Live HDR should help tremendously for low-light photos and now takes less than a second to open and be ready to shoot.  The FFC increased from 2MP to 5MP and then Samsung added a 120-degree wide-angle lens, an f/1.9 aperture and Live HDR for excellent low-light selfies and video chatting.  The 26000mAh battery is smaller than the 3100mAh in the OnePlus One, but it should easily get you through the entire day – the new Samsung, non-removable battery, can charge up to 4 hours of usage in only 10 minutes and they added built-in wireless (Qi/PMA) charging for the first time.

The Galaxy S6 Edge has a large speaker on the bottom of the device, a PayPal certified fingerprint sensor, a built-in IR Blaster, is Samsung Pay ready, has a heart rate sensor, oxygen sensor and wireless charging.  It comes in White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum and the S6 Edge’s exclusive Green Emerald.  It is running Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, and will be released worldwide on April 10.  Pricing on the 32GB on a two-year contract is about $300 and off contract you are looking at about $700.

…And The Winner Is…

Summary

Like the OnePlus One comparison with the Galaxy S6, this decision is even tougher because the price difference is even more when you add on the extra $100 that the Galaxy S6 costs.  I picked the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge as the winner because it definitely out specs the OnePlus One…However…if you are okay without having the leading edge in technology and money is a real object and you were okay with being on AT&T or T-Mobile, then I would tell you to pick the OnePlus One for your device…that is just too many ‘ands’ for me.

When it comes to looks and overall specs, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge wins easily in this competition.  It has a better and more interesting display, curved display for added functions, faster DDR4 RAM, faster UFS 2.0 Flash memory, a better selection of memory options – 32GB/64GB/128GB, it has a more advanced camera area – front and back.  It sports an IR Blaster, Qi and PMA built-in wireless charging, a PayPal certified fingerprint sensor, heart rate sensor, oxygen saturation sensor, Samsung Pay and is sporting the newest 64-bit Lollipop operating system.  It is available on all major US networks and will cost you $299 of a two-year contract and $700 off-contract for a 32GB model.

OnePlus One lovers will complain, but comparing specifications, the Galaxy S6 Edge is the clear winner – if you factor pricing in, the OnePlus One offers a great value for your money, but in the end, you are still still buying last year’s display (FHD), an over year old processor, less advanced memory, less features, and no 64-bit processing.