There’s a new kid on the smartphone block. Hailing from China, they call it the “flagship killer” due the extremely low price of $299 off-contract. It’s the OnePlus One, the smartphone that can be purchased only through invitation. Pete Lau, former employee of OPPO where he led the Blu-ray division, launched this startup in December of 2013. His product is a serious competitor to Google, which has been dominating the low-cost, unlocked, off-contract flagship space with its Nexus line. OnePlus One is priced at $299 for the 16GB model and $349 for the 64GB model and requires the aforementioned invitation to be able to order it. Design and specifications-wise, this smartphone explains why it’s called a “flagship killer”. This is a sleek and solid phone that looks anything but cheap. Aesthetically it resembles the HTC more than the plasticky Galaxy phones. It has the tough Gorilla Glass 3 display that rises slightly above the thin metal lip, but the real center of attraction is the rear of the device: OnePlus introduces 7 exchangeable back covers that come in a range of materials and textures including kevlar, bamboo, and denim on top of faux silk and sandstone. The OnePlus is a thin 0.35 inch and weighs in at 5.7 ounces – quite light for a 5.5-inch phone. The display is no slouch at 1,920 x 1,080 IPS LCD with 401 ppi. Its left side is adorned with the volume control and the micro-SIM slot, while the right side has the power button. On the top side there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack and the twin speaker grilles flank the micro-USB port on the bottom. At the bottom of the screen is where its three buttons are – Settings, Home, and Back, from left to right. Its...