Chances are you’re eyeing up the Galaxy S5, LG G3, iPhones 5s or HTC One (M8). All very good, very capable devices, and we should be so lucky to own them. But with an average price of $200 on a two-year contract, and hundreds more off, getting the latest technology is never cheap. So what’s a phone aficionado to do? Luckily there are some excellent alternatives out there; the unsung heroes of the mobile world—and, no, you don’t have to settle for a handset with specs from 2005.
Thanks to devices such as the Nexus 5 and OnePlus One, there’s never been a better time to jump into the liberating world of off-contract living. Maybe in six months you’ll want to jump to AT&T or, better yet, you’ll want to see what life is like on the UnCarrier. With an off-contract device, you have the freedom to do so as you please. Never has there been so many inexpensive options. A 16GB Nexus 5 is just $349. A 16GB OnePlus One, meanwhile, starts at $299.
The Nexus 5, for example, will ensure you get the very latest in Android updates. Nexus 5 owners can actually start enjoying the virtues of Android L long before the final version is available later this fall. The OnePlus One, meanwhile, runs a terrific custom version of CyanogenMod, CyanogenMod 11S, which offers great customization options and one of the most fluid mobile experiences around. Software-wise, the two are pretty much on par.
From a design standpoint, we’re actually a bit conflicted. On the one hand, we prefer the more compact body of the Nexus 5 which, as the name gives away, sports a 5-inch display. However, we prefer the OnePlus One’s more durable build, particularly the Sandstone Black; you can also replace the rear shell of the One to a different material, including wood, denim, and kevlar. The Nexus 5 offers no such options, though you can choose between red, white and black.
Even though the OnePlus One does sport beefier specs, you’re really not going to notice any significant difference in performance over the Nexus 5. Though, being as the Nexus 5 is nearing the end of its life cycle, the OnePlus One is just a tad more future proof; it can easily hold up to most of today’s big flagship devices, and in some instances even one-up them. Put it this way: Nexus 5 buyers won’t complain that their device is slow, though there’s something special about the way that CyanogenMod 11S runs on a phone with 3GB of RAM.
Thanks to devices such as the Nexus 5 and OnePlus One, there’s never been a better time to jump into the liberating world of off-contract living. Maybe in six months you’ll want to jump to AT&T or, better yet, you’ll want to see what life is like on the UnCarrier. With an off-contract device, you have the freedom to do so as you please. Never has there been so many inexpensive options. A 16GB Nexus 5 is just $349. A 16GB OnePlus One, meanwhile, starts at $299.
The Nexus 5, for example, will ensure you get the very latest in Android updates. Nexus 5 owners can actually start enjoying the virtues of Android L long before the final version is available later this fall. The OnePlus One, meanwhile, runs a terrific custom version of CyanogenMod, CyanogenMod 11S, which offers great customization options and one of the most fluid mobile experiences around. Software-wise, the two are pretty much on par.
From a design standpoint, we’re actually a bit conflicted. On the one hand, we prefer the more compact body of the Nexus 5 which, as the name gives away, sports a 5-inch display. However, we prefer the OnePlus One’s more durable build, particularly the Sandstone Black; you can also replace the rear shell of the One to a different material, including wood, denim, and kevlar. The Nexus 5 offers no such options, though you can choose between red, white and black.
Even though the OnePlus One does sport beefier specs, you’re really not going to notice any significant difference in performance over the Nexus 5. Though, being as the Nexus 5 is nearing the end of its life cycle, the OnePlus One is just a tad more future proof; it can easily hold up to most of today’s big flagship devices, and in some instances even one-up them. Put it this way: Nexus 5 buyers won’t complain that their device is slow, though there’s something special about the way that CyanogenMod 11S runs on a phone with 3GB of RAM.
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