The Return of the Compact Flagship – The OnePlus X

When it was launched in 2015, the OnePlus X marked a shift in strategy for OnePlus as their first small-screened device. Up until then, OnePlus was known for flagship-killing phones at affordable prices like the original One and OnePlus 2.

The OnePlus X brought high-end specs into a more compact package not found elsewhere at the time. It had a 5-inch AMOLED display with narrow bezels in a body measuring just 140 x 69 x 6.9mm. This made it one of the smallest Android phones with such a large screen. Under the hood was a capable Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB storage plus microSD support.

In terms of design, OnePlus went for a premium aesthetic with a glass front and back held together by an aluminum frame. The device was lightweight at just 138g too. Software was OxygenOS based on Android 5.1 Lollipop which provided a clean user experience.

Camera

Around back was a decent 13MP camera along with 8MP front-facing shooter. Video capture topped out at 1080p30 which was standard for the era. Rounding things off was a 2525mAh battery which provided adequate battery life.

While praised for its compact size and powerful specs, the OnePlus X was less of a success due to its higher price than previous OnePlus phones. But it showed there was demand for small high-end Android devices and possibly influenced later “iPhone SE” style phones from brands like Sony. For those wanting a compact flagship experience in 2015, the OnePlus X delivered.