There has been a tough fight in the affordable flagship segment with companies like Xiaomi, YU and OnePlus racing to gain dominance in the market. These companies have changed the way we look at high-end phones, which are usually tagged with a premium price. Handsets like Yu Yutopia, OnePlus 2, Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and several upcoming devices pack top-of-the-line specs and offer them at a much affordable cost.
When there are plenty options to choose from, we are left confused. To help make the right call while shopping for an affordable premium device, we thought it is wise to compare it to two of the most talked-about devices in the market right now, Yu Yutopia and OnePlus 2.
After OnePlus ended the invite-only system for its 2015 flagship, it is just as easy to grab the device. Both phones are exclusively available on Amazon India. Yu Yutopia costs Rs. 24,999 same as OnePlus 2 in India, making them equal rivals. We have reviewed both Yutopia and OnePlus 2 so this article evaluates the performance of both devices.
Design and display
Both phones reflect a high sense of class, elegance and quality usually found in high-end smartphones from Samsung and Apple. Speaking of Yu's flagship, Yutopia has a full metal unibody with a 7.2mm thickness. The handset continues Yu's signature look with symmetrical design and three-element key system. Yutopia has a 5.2-inch 2K display with 2560 x 1440 pixels, PureBlack Touch panel and Corning Concore Glass protection. The power button and volume rocker keys are placed on the right and the SIM card tray sits on the left side.
On the other hand, OnePlus 2 also has its own unique design that combines metal and Sandstone to offer a great grip, which is Yutopia's shortcoming due to its smooth metallic structure. The handset is tad thicker than Yutopia, measuring 9.9mm and 175 grams compared to Yutopia's 159 grams. The volume rocker and power key buttons are placed on the right and the dual SIM slots are under the removable back cover. OnePlus 2 features 5.5-inch display with Full HD resolution and Gorilla Glass 4 protection.
Both phones have their own qualities. If you are looking for a handset with better grip, OnePlus 2 is a winner but Yutopia gives a posh design with twice the screen resolution as OnePlus 2.
Camera
Yutopia has a 21-megapixel Sony IMX230 sensor with PDAF, OIS, HDR, 0.2second AF, Blue Glass filter and an 8MP front-snapper. OnePlus 2, however, packs a 13-megapixel rear camera with dual LED flash, laser AF, OIS and an f/2.0 aperture. The front side of the device has a 5MP snapper.
We tested both phones for their camera quality and the results on Yutopia and OnePlus 2 are equally appealing. In sunlight, both phones delivered a great quality in pictures. However, the colours in OnePlus 2 appeared more balanced than in Yutopia, but the difference is hardly identifiable. Yutopia performed well in low-lit conditions. Camera samples of both phones are available in their respective reviews.
[Read: OnePlus 2 review and Yutopia review]
Performance
Performance is one of the key areas for any smartphone to succeed. OnePlus 2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, 4GB RAM and 64GB fixed storage. When we ran benchmark tests on the device, it scored 54,188 on AnTuTu, 914 single core and 3,954 multi-core in GeekBench, 1,393 in Basemark OSX II and 18,226 in Ice Storm Unlimited. The performance was not affected in any way and OnePlus 2 handled multiple tasks with ease without heating up.
Yu Yutopia is also a performer as it packs similar specs. It is powered by a 2GHz Snapdragon 810 64bit octa-core processor paired with 4GB DDR4 RAM and 32GB expandable storage. In benchmark tests, Yutopia scored, 54,267 on AnTuTu, 698 single ore and 2238 multi core in GeekBench and 1011 in Basemark OS II. The overall performance of the device was great throughout our review, but some UI bugs stopped the navigation buttons to work while using the handset in full screen.
Yutopia runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop based Cyanogen OS 12.1 ROM while OnePlus 2 has its own OxygenOS 2.0.1 based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. Both operating systems offer a great deal of customisations to fit users' needs.
The microSD card option is an add-on in Yutopia, but OnePlus 2 already offers ample storage. In terms of scores, OnePlus 2 outran Yutopia. OnePlus 2 also has an added advantage of handling heating issues, which we discovered in Yutopia while running performance-heavy apps.
Battery
Yutopia has a 3,000mAh battery with Quick Charge 2.0 technology. With full charge, the device easily pushed through the day requiring another charge towards the end of the day. But the Quick Charge 2.0 integration comes in really handy as it can quickly restore power in your battery without having to wait for long. It is worth noting that we used the handset mostly for calls, browsing, music and little bit of gaming too.
OnePlus 2 has a bigger 3,300mAh battery and survived well over a day with regular usage. But the handset does not have a fast-charging tech so it may take a while before you can hit the road again.
Fingerprint sensor
Both phones have advanced biometric security sensors. Yutopia features its fingerprint scanner at the rear end of the device, just below the camera module. During our review, we found the scanner to be buggy and failed to authenticate most of the time.
OnePlus 2, on the other hand, has a quite snappy fingerprint scanner, which is integrated within the Home button of the device.
Verdict
OnePlus 2 turns out to be a better device in terms of performance, battery and design (grip). Yutopia has its own strong suits such as premium look, better display and integration of Around YU service. Both handsets have equally good camera and battery but Yutopia is due for some tinkering for its fingerprint scanner and UI bugs.
Both phones are priced at Rs. 24,999 but OnePlus 2 offers 64GB storage compared to Yutopia's 32GB onboard memory. The microSD card is an option in Yutopia that overcomes this factor while comparing Yutopia and OnePlus 2. The fast charging tech in Yutopia is definetely a pointer but then OnePlus 2 has swappable back covers that can be switched for a new and unique experience.
