Today, OnePlus took wraps off its latest handset, the flagship killing OnePlus 5, featuring the latest Qualcomm processor and 8GB RAM.
In terms of design, it takes on a style very similar to the iPhone 7 Plus. A dual-camera array is tucked into the top left, while the back is finished in a simple one-piece metal design. Overall footprint is practically identical to the OnePlus 3T, although it is much thinner at just 7.25mm thick. Antenna lines curve towards the outer edges of the handset, helping to increase its minimal aesthetic, while the sides curve around the edges in a similar way to the iPhone. The front houses a USB-C makes a return along with a headphone jack, the latter of which many people will be happy about. Waterproofing was not announced during the presentation, so we’re assuming that the OnePlus 5 will not include this feature.
Inside is a Snapdragon 835 and up to 8GB DDR4 RAM, which puts it as the most heavily equipped handset to date. Internal memory is up to 128GB and now supports Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 2.1 for 50% faster read/write speeds versus the Oneplus 3T. Dual-image processors are also embedded for better handling of photos, which we’ll get to in a second. The company has chosen to go with the same 5.5-inch FullHD AMOLED panel found on its predecessor, though the company claims to have fixed colour calibration issues and lowered input lag for a smoother user experience. Cellular speed is CAT12, which is on a par with all flagships bar the Samsung Galaxy S8 (CAT 16). It is also only the second handset currently announced to support Bluetooth 5.0, which allows the use of two pairs of wireless headphones simultaneously.
The OnePlus 5 will be the first smartphone released by the company to feature a dual-camera setup. It again functions in a similar way to the iPhone 7 Plus, with the second sensor acting as a telephoto lens. The main sensor is a 16 megapixel Sony IMX398 with f/1.7 aperture and a 0.2 second Fast AutoFocus (Fast AF), which is the same one featured in the OnePlus 3T. The secondary sensor is a 20 megapixel solution. The software uses a new feature called Smart Capture, which can predict and correct images for better clarity/ colour reproduction. Emily Ratajkowski came onto the stage to explain things further, detailing the camera application. A new Pro mode allows much more editing tools plus the addition of a histogram.
The battery on the OnePlus 5 is unchanged at 3,300mAh, which means that it will probably have similar life to the 3T. The inclusion of the more power efficient Snapdragon 835 should help to improve things somewhat, but it’s not going to be a huge jump. Dash Charge makes a return and OnePlus compared the technology to a Samsung Galaxy S8. After 30 minutes, the OnePlus 5 was over 50% percent charged versus 38% for the Samsung.
The handset runs on the latest version of Android Nougat, with the OnePlus Oxygen OS. A new reading mode has been introduced which will optimise colours displayed on the panel based on your surroundings. The OnePlus 5 will be available June 27th for $499 in American markets and ¬479 in European markets. This is roughly £20-30 more than the 3T retailed for, which isn’t a massive jump considering the hardware. UK prices are not yet confirmed but by our estimations, we would expect a street price of £450 (EDIT: the UK price will in fact be £499, which is significantly higher than the 3T). It will be available in two colours: Midnight Black and Slate Grey.
