Ladies and Gentlemen, my new phone...

I am taken by the specs and the low, low cost. Apparently this bad boy comes with a Snapdragon 801 processor (I'm not so worried about that, my current HOX is fast enough), a 5.5 inch screen, with some kind of power-saving technique which means it draws as much power as a 5" screen, and a 3100 mAh battery. And it's 4G. Excellent.

Except...

It's not 64-bit. I was listening to Android Central's podcast the other day and they mentioned the move to 64-bit is gathering momentum. Not that I really understand the difference between 32- and 64-bit; I need to look it up again. But they were talking about a possible future where the apps / OS were written for 64-bit and the 32-bit solution was a half-baked, cobbled together afterthought. Having said that, though, 64-bit processors for Android won't be available until 2015, so I'd get at least 6 months with what is apparently the best processor in the market at the moment. And what will this bad boy cost, I hear you ask?

£269.

You read it right, people. £269. I don't have it in my hand yet, and I haven't told my wife, but the 64gb version is going to be my next acquisition.

There's a bit of controversy around the way this phone has been promoted. Firstly, the company have claimed they are a start-up. Oneplus was started by a VP who left Oppo, and wanted to have a company with a different philosophy. Both Oppo and Oneplus have Oppo HQ as stakeholders, but apparently they are different firms.
Secondly, they encouraged people who wanted a One to smash their current flagship phone. They were running a comp to identify 100 people who would be able to buy the phone for $1. They will also be given three invitations to buy a phone which they can give to their friends. And then those folks, when they buy their phone, might also get invitations which they can hand on...
Thirdly, the invitation set-up is rubbing some people up the wrong way. Some people reckon they should just take pre-orders like everybody else. But at least people are talking about it.

Either way, none of those things bother me. This is a phone I'm planning to keep for at least two years. I can hold on for another month or two before ordering, and the specs look good enough at a reasonable enough price, that every time I look at it or use it, I will probably be reminded of what a bargain it was (will be).

Once I get my sticky mitts on this lovely beast I'll update here. I hope to have a glowing report. :)