OnePlus with their ‘Never Settle‘ philosophy always impress with their impeccable devices. With amazing specs and an affordable price point the OnePlus smartphones end up giving high-end flagships some serious competition. The company has confirmed that their next flagship, OnePlus 5 will be arriving in Summer 2017.
You would be thinking what happened to OnePlus 4, wasn’t this supposed to be the name? Well, OnePlus has succumbed to ‘tetraphobia’. Some of the countries in the Asian belt consider the number ‘4’ as unlucky as avoid using this number. We have seen Samsung follow similar tactics when they assign model numbers to their devices. After OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T last year, this year you will be looking at OnePlus 5. So, what can we expect from OnePlus latest offering, let’s have a look.
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Processing Power
OnePlus, as per tradition uses Qualcomm’s latest chipset. With OnePus 3T, they used Snapdragon 821, which at the time of production was the latest processor. With OnePlus 5 we can expect the company to use Qualcomm Snapdrgon 835. Galaxy S8 and Xperia XZ Premium are already using this chipset, so logically this is the processor that OnePlus 5 will be equipped with.
Snapdragon 835 is faster and more efficient than Snapdragon 821, as it has been produced using the 10nm process. You can expect the device to pack quite a punch. In the alleged GeekBench scores, OnePlus 5 outperforms its competitors which use Snapdragon 835. OnePlus scored 1963 on a single core and 6687 on multi-core. While Samsung Galaxy S8+ scored 1929, 6375 and Xperia XZ Premium got 1943, 5824 for single core and multi-core respectively.
Storage: 8 GB RAM?
OnePlus 3T came with an impressive 6GB RAM and 64 GB of native storage, we can expect OnePlus 5 to follow suit. Where a lot of flagships has still not pushed for a 6GB RAM, we can expect the Chinese company to equip their latest device with an 8GB RAM. Although industry experts believe that a 6GB RAM is more than enough, OnePlus seems to believe in bigger is better. As far as the internal storage goes, users will get different options. OnePlus 5 will come with a 64GB, 128 GB and 256 GB storage options.
Horizontal or Vertical Dual Camera Setup?
OnePlus 5’s camera is going to be one of its most talked about features. If the renders which have been making rounds around tech town are somewhat true, then OnePlus is jumping the dual-camera bandwagon. There is ongoing debate about the placement of the camera and whether it is going to be horizontal or vertical. The leaked live image of the alleged device shows the dual camera to be placed vertically at the rear, similar to where the camera is in OnePlus 3T. The flash is sandwiched in between the two cameras.
In the second render, the new OnePlus smartphone looks a clone of iPhone 7 Plus. The dual camera placement is horizontal at the top left corner of the device. As these are renders with no official confirmation from the company this debate will ensue till the smartphone officially launches.
In terms of specs, the device will reportedly sport 12MP dual cameras and 8MP front facing camera. There are certain advantages to dual cameras as they not only enhance the image quality but provide depth of field and reduce blur. Which features OnePlus goes ahead with is yet to be seen. For producing a top notch camera they will be collaborating with photography experts, DxO.
Working alongside DxO, we’re confident the OnePlus 5 will be capable of capturing some of the clearest photos around.
With the increased use of social apps like SnapChat and Instagram , OnePlus will make sure that they give their users the optimal camera experience.
Improved Bezel-less Display Specs?
To date OnePlus has equipped its smartphones with a 5.5-inch 1080 x 1920p resolutions display. Will OnePlus 5 also follow suit? It is possible but given the focus of users on Virtual Reality this may change. With other brands working on display which will provide an optimal VR experience, the Chinese company would not like to be at a disadvantage. The resolution may get bumped up to 1440 x 2560, so that OnePlus users are all up for enjoying the VR experience and other visual content.
In addition, if you were expecting a bezel-less display as seen in Galaxy S8/S8+ and LG G6, then you are in for a disappointment. In the renders seen till yet, the fingerprint scanner is at the front. OnePlus will focus more on specs than on the design of the product ensuring that users are getting value for the money spent. Upping the resolution seems more logical than going for the bezel-less display.
Design and Color
In terms of design it is doubtful that the company will go for a dramatic redesign. Even though there are rumors that the display will be curved, industry experts don’t think that this will be the case. So, we will be looking at a familiar design with some key tweaks. OnePlus for their latest offering will be going ahead with a metal unibody design similar to OnePlus 3T. Other rumors suggest that a glass design is in works, but one thing has to be kept in mind that the company will not opt for any option that will increase the price point. Looking at this metal seems to be the most probable choice.
There is a possibility that the 3.5mm headphone jack will be given the boot. In one of the alleged renders seen, the headphone jack is missing. But one thing has to be kept in mind that during the design and production process many prototypes are produced to check different elements. So, the images are not always reflective of the finalized product.
Users are always interested in the color options the device will come in. Looking at the popularity of the Midnight Black variant of OnePlus 3T, the company is definitely going to opt for this. The matte finish achieved with the color was stunning. Graphite and Soft Gold will most probably be the other two color variants.
Release Dates and Price
The major question is, how much would OnePlus 5 cost? Will we see a major price hike? Or will OnePlus stick to its core philosophy by giving users the best value with an affordable price point?
| OnePlus 1 | $299 |
| OnePlus 2 | $329 |
| OnePlus 3 | $399 |
| OnePlus 3T | $439 |
Looking at how the OnePlus devices have been priced, we can expect OnePlus 5 to be priced between $460-$490. The price is expected to stay below $500 and given the alleged specs it looks like a pretty good deal.
As far as the release date go, OnePlus has confirmed that their latest smartphone will arrive in Summer. We can expect the smartphone to launch somewhere in June-July. OnePlus 2 launched in July and OnePlus 3 in June. OnePlus 5 is expected to follow suit.In the coming days the rumor mill regarding OnePlus 5 is going to get hotter, it will be interesting to see which features and specs the Chinese company goes ahead with to stay on top of the competition.
