Everything that you need to know about the OnePlus 5

If you’ve got cash to flash on a new smartphone, you’ve got plenty of options to choose from. Samsung’s S8 may not be as massive a leap forward from the stunning S7 phone of last year but you can’t argue with that killer screen. Then there’s Apple and their dedicated community of fans who’ll happily purchase anything with its fruity logo, Sony’s reliable Xperia range which currently has an absurd slow-mo camera in the XZ Premium and LG stepping back into the ring with its solid G6 smartphone.

Maybe you’re a bit more frugal however. Maybe you’ve realised that your bank account doesn’t have to move heaven and earth for a device that is primarily meant for communication. That’s where the One Plus 5 comes into play.

Who?

The One Plus 5! You might have heard about OnePlus, a Chinese company owned by BBK Electronics. While they might not have the financial muscles of Samsung or Apple, the company has been making waves lately with their handheld devices. Phones which won’t cost an arm and a leg and offer plenty of bang for their buck. Do they have the same ridiculous specs as their rivals?

No, no they don’t. But do you even need such pricy hardware for your primary means of communication? OnePlus has a simple philosophy: One new phone, once a year. That results in new tech out regularly and with the latest enhancements available. Not a bad business plan for people wanting something cheap and quick.

2017 marks a departure for OnePlus however. While previous phones have been aimed at people wanting something that fits into their tight fists, the OnePlus 5 is set to be a pricier alternative to the big boys with hardware to match. Not too pricy mind you, although the internals are more than adequate enough for the day to day of modern-life.

So what’s inside the OnePlus 5?

Grab one of the phones, and the spec-list (at least for the US) will reveal:

Display

• Size: 5.5 inches
• Resolution: 1080P Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) 401ppi
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9
• Type: Optic AMOLED
• Support sRGB, DCI-P3
• Cover Glass:2.5D Corning^® Gorilla^® Glass 5

Operating System

• OxygenOS based on Android^™ Nougat

CPU

• Qualcomm^® Snapdragon^™ 835 (Octa-core, 10nm, up to 2.45GHz)

GPU

• Adreno 540

RAM

• 6/8GB LPDDR4X

Storage

• 64/128GB UFS 2.1 2-LANE

Notification Light

• RGB LED notification light

Dimensions

• 154.2 x 74.1 x 7.25 mm

Weight

• 153g

Material

• Anodized Aluminium

Vibration

• Haptic vibration motor

Sensors

• Fingerprint
• Hall
• Accelerometer
• Gyroscope
• Proximity
• RGB Ambient Light Sensor
• Electronic Compass
• Sensor Hub

Ports

• USB 2.0, Type-C, Support USB Audio
• Dual nano-SIM slot
• 3.5mm audio jack

Battery

• 3300 mAh (non-removable)
• Dash Charge (5V 4A)

Buttons

• Capacitive hardware keys and on-screen navigation support
• Alert Slide

Audio

• Bottom-facing speaker
• 3-microphone with noise cancellation
• Support AANC
• Dirac HD Sound^®
• Dirac Power Sound^®

Not too shabby at all.

And the camera?

Ah yes, the camera. The key selling point of any smartphone these days is the hardware that allows you to document your daily life. We’re very close to the ceiling of what a smartphone camera is capable of, and the OnePlus 5 isn’t going to bump its head on that natural limit. Still, you’re going to get plenty of quality snaps with the little beast inside the case.

Much like the iPhone 7, the OnePlus 5 has gone for a dual-camera lens setup that sports a 16-megapixel IMX398 wide-angle f/1.7 lens. Combined with a 20-megapixel IMX350 with an f/2.6 telephoto lens, that’s some serious hardware. What the phone doesn’t have however is optical image stabilization that may result in images not being that sharp. Still, a software update could easily sort that out. Camera specs:

Rear Camera Wide-angle

• Sensor: Sony IMX 398
• Megapixels: 16
• Pixel Size: 1.12 µm
• EIS: Yes
• Autofocus: DCAF
• Aperture: f/1.7

Rear Camera Telephoto

• Sensor: Sony IMX 350
• Megapixels: 20
• Pixel Size: 1.0 µm
• Autofocus: PDAF
• Aperture: f/2.6

Flash

• Dual LED Flash

Video

• 4K resolution video at 30fps
• 1080P resolution video at 60fps
• 1080P resolution video at 30fps
• 720P resolution video at 30fps
• Slow Motion: 720p videos at 120fps
• Time-Lapse

Rear Features

• Portrait, Pro Mode, Panorama, HDR, HQ,
• Dynamic Denoise, Clear Image, RAW Image
• Front Camera
• Sensor: Sony IMX 371
• Megapixels: 16
• Pixel Size: 1.0 µm
• EIS: Yes
• Autofocus: Fixed Focus
• Aperture: f/2.0

Front Video

• 1080P resolution video at 30fps
• 720P resolution video at 30fps
• Time-Lapse
• Front Features
• HDR, Screen Flash, Smile Capture, Face Beauty

What’s the battery life like then?

Possibly the best feature of this phone. Smartphones these days require a daily charge, and that’s something that the slim design of the OnePlus 5 can’t escape. What it can do thanks to the bundled Dash Charge charger however, is refuel your phone within minutes. OnePlus claim that you can get a full charge within half an hour, although they might be hyperbolising a bit according to early reviews.

What you will get is around 60-70% in that time period according to people who have gone hands on with the OnePlus 5, which is still leagues ahead of the competition and perfect for anyone who has a busy day in the office.

When is it out and how much will it cost me?

Next month! Gearburn broke the news of the local OnePlus 5 launch, which will be at an unspecified time in July. As for price, nothing has been revealed locally yet. The OnePlus 5 starts at $478 in the US, while for the sake of comparison the OnePlus 3 sold for $400 in the US last year and cost R10 999 on launch here. That price has since dropped to R9199. Time to start saving up, but not that much.

Last Updated: June 22, 2017