The wait is finally over! After weeks of intense teasing, the OnePlus 5 is finally here. The successor of last year’s highly acclaimed OnePlus 3T, the OnePlus 5 launches to carry on the company’s “flagship killer” legacy.
Visually the phone looks very much like an iPhone 7 Plus complete with the dual camera setup on the back, the flash next to it and the antenna lines along the top border. And while companies like Samsung and LG have opted for innovative designs this year, the OnePlus 5 isn’t very striking in this respect. Even so there are a few nice touches: the phone features a sleek aluminum unibody that just 7.25mm thin and the rounded corners and edges make it more ergonomic.
The physical home button hasn’t really changed since the OnePlus 3T and it still houses the fingerprint scanner, which according to OnePlus, can unlock the phone in merely 0.2s.
When it comes to raw specs, we pretty much knew the story in advance. The new phone boasts a 5.5-inch display with fullHD resolution and a powerful Snapdragon 835 chipset under the hood with either 6GB/8GB of RAM (which comes in Slate Gray) or 64GB/128GB (in Midnight Black) configurations. We should also note the OnePlus 5 takes advantage of UFS 2.1 storage.
It appearance is not the only reason why the OnePlus 5 looks so similar to the iPhone 7 Plus. Its dual camera setup brings a telephone lens and a dedicated Portrait mode that simulates the bokeh effect around the subject of the picture. But unlike Apple’s flagship, the OnePlus 5 pairs more advanced sensors: the main Sony 16-megapixel IMX398 sensor with f/1.7 aperture and electronic image stabilization with a secondary 20-megapixel IMX350 telephoto lens with smaller f/2.6 aperture.
This combination should, in theory, be able to allow OnePlus 5 to snap detailed, sharp images with great color reproduction. The new f/1.7 aperture on the main sensor allows the camera to capture 34% more light (compared to the OnePlus 3T) for improved low-light shooting.
The Chinese company also revealed it improved autofocus speed which is now 40% faster. A new “Pro Mode” manual mode allows users to shoot in RAW format and control ISO, white balance, focus, shutter speed and more.
As for the selfie camera it’s a 16-megapixel snapper.
The OnePlus 5 features a smaller 3,300 mAh battery than the OnePlus 3T which relied on a 3,400 mAh powerhouse. But wait, don’t get alarmed yet! Thanks to the more efficient Snapdragon 835 processor on board and other optimizations the new phone is said to be able to offer 20% more battery life than its predecessor. OnePlus also updated its Dash Charge technology, so users will be able to charge up to 60% in only 30 minutes – which is really fast!
Naturally OnePlus 5 offers some software improvements compared to the OnePlus 3T. The Oxygen OS onboard laid upon Android 7.1.1 Nougat offers new functionalities like a new reading mode which filters out blue light, auto night mode, off-screen gestures, and a translucent slide-up drawer. There’s also a thing called “App priority” which shows you the apps you use the most when you turn on your phone for the first time in the morning.
On top of that, OnePlus has implemented a neat gaming do not disturb mode and the ability to capture extended screenshots. Another detail we should mention here is that the OnePlus 5 gets a 20% quieter vibration motor which users can customize.
When it comes to connectivity the OnePlus 5 has faster 4G LTE, faster Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, dual SIM. Also, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, in case you were worried.
If you’re already wondering when you’re going to be able to pick up the OnePlus 5, the phone will officially launch in North America on June 27. You can pre-order one starting today.
If you watched the event, you should have heard a special code which you can enter on the company’s website in order to get early access to the OnePlus 5.
As for pricing, the OnePlus 5 with 6GB of RAM/64GB of storage will ship for $479, while the 8GB of RAM/128GB of storage will be available for $539.
PS: There’s another option to snag a OnePlus 5 early. Through pop-up stores. The Chinese company will open locations in New York today and across the pond in London, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Helsinki, and Copenhagen tomorrow. Check this website for more info.
