The OnePlus One sure made a splash when it popped up last year. The only problem? Actually getting the thing, thanks to its unique invite system. That’s no longer an issue now that the OnePlus 2 is out, with one online store not only having stock, but happy to ship to Australia without demanding an organ as payment.
The deal, spotted on both Whirlpool and Ausdroid, can be found on Oppomart. Right now only the 64GB model is available, coming in at $US459. Add shipping of $US19.99 (or $US29.99 if you want it faster), brings the total to about $645 in local dollars.
The OnePlus 2 is a nice looking phone with great specs… except when it comes to LTE. There’s some confusion over which bands it supports, as the phone comes in three models: Europe, US and Hong Kong. A post on Whirlpool by user “S3ISOR” outlines the predicament:
OnePlus 2 LTE bands:
US Version: FDD-LTE: Bands 1/2/4/5/7/8/12/17
HK Version: FDD-LTE: Bands 1/3/5/7/8/20 TDD-LTE: Bands 38/40/41
UK Version: FDD-LTE: Bands 1/3/5/7/8/20 TDD-LTE: Bands 38/40/41
Australian LTE Bands
Telstra LTE Bands: 1/3/7/8/28
Optus LTE Bands: 1/3/7/28/40/42
Vodafone LTE Bands: 3/5
Unfortunately, none cover all the local bands (unless you’re with Vodafone), though the European and Hong Kong phones provide the best coverage. The OP2 on offer at Oppomart is likely the HK version, but there’s no way to tell for sure.
Yes, it’s a bit of a gamble, but if you don’t mind the lack of full LTE coverage, this is one way to get your hands on the OnePlus 2 sooner rather than later. However, if you are willing to wait, you might be able to grab it a bit cheaper over at Gearbest, though it won’t ship until September.