The OnePlus 5 is, definitely, one of the most anticipated smartphones of this year. The OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T, which are OnePlus 5’s predecessors, were truly compelling smartphones, and yet they were considerably more affordable than the competition. The OnePlus 3T currently costs only $439 over at OnePlus’ website, and it can compete with pretty much every other phone out there, at least that’s what most reviews are saying. OnePlus managed to pack in quite compelling specs in the OnePlus 3T, including a fullHD AMOLED display, 6GB of RAM, 64GB / 128GB of internal storage, a 16-megapixel OIS camera, etc. Well, if rumors are to be true, the OnePlus 5 will be amongst the most powerful devices out there once it launches, and that will happen this summer, as that is one tidbit that OnePlus actually confirmed quite recently. In addition to saying that it will arrive this summer, the company also confirmed that it will ship with a 3.5mm headphone jack, and that you can expect to see a front-facing fingerprint scanner on this smartphone. That being said, let’s get into it, shall we.
Specs
So, what can we expect in terms of specs? Well, the OnePlus 5 will ship with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 64-bit octa-core SoC, which is the company’s current flagship processor. After a ton of rumors suggesting that the phone will ship with this processor, OnePlus confirmed the news. The device will sport a 5.5-inch display, though we’re still not sure whether to expect a fullHD or a QHD panel, but it’s highly likely we’re looking at an AMOLED panel here. You can also expect this phone to include at least 6GB of RAM, though it is possible OnePlus will opt for 8GB of RAM instead, who knows. More than one internal storage variant will be announced, and the phone’s battery will be larger than 3,000mAh, though it’s still not certain how big exactly. Two 12-megapixel or two 13-megapixel cameras will be included on the back of the OnePlus 5, it all depends on what sensors will the company opt for. Well, the OnePlus 5 did surface on AnTuTu recently, and if that listing is to be believed, at least one 16-megapixel camera will be placed on the back of the device. Is it possible we’ll get two 16-megapixel main cameras? Who knows, we’ll just have to wait for more info. One thing is for sure when it comes to the phone’s camera setup, though, that DxOMark will help OnePlus when it comes to the camera quality on the OnePlus 5, as the two companies partnered up recently. Android 7.1.1 Nougat will come pre-installed out of the box on the OnePlus 5, and on top of it, you’ll get the company’s OxygenOS skin.
Design
Now, in terms of the design, we pretty much know what to expect here. The OnePlus 5 will, most probably resemble its predecessor in many ways, which not only will it sport a front-facing fingerprint scanner, but it will also be made out of metal, at least if leaks are to be believed. The device surfaced a number of times thus far, some of those leaks looked pretty real, to be quite honest, but we still don’t know what exactly will the phone look like. Now, in addition to the metal build, the OnePlus 5 will also ship with a dual camera setup on the back, which is also something pretty much every rumor / leak suggested. On the bottom of the phone you’ll get a Type-C USB port, and it seems like a 3.5mm headphone jack will be placed on the very top of OnePlus’ flagship this time around (it was on the bottom of the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T), at least that’s what OnePlus’ CEO suggested in his recent tweet. We do expect its bezels to be thinner than they were on the OnePlus 3T, but it’s probable that they won’t be as thin as they are on the LG G6 and the Galaxy S8. The OnePlus 5 is also expected to ship with a flat display, though a 2.5D curved glass will probably be included on top of it.
OxygenOS
The last available global, stable version of OxygenOS (as of the time of writing this article) is OxygenOS 4.1.3, though v4.1.4 did start rolling out in India recently. This version of OxygenOS is based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat, in case you were wondering. OnePlus’ Android skin, or OS, as they refer to it, is not bloated, and yet, it’s really useful. OxygenOS, in its current state, looks much like stock Android, but it adds a lot of features on top of it, you can, for example, turn on on-screen buttons on the OnePlus 3T, despite the fact you have three capacitive keys on the device. This skin lets you customize various things on the software side, and OnePlus is expected to introduce some new features to OxygenOS when they release the OnePlus 5, despite the fact the phone will still be based on Nougat. Unfortunately, though, we did not see any rumors or leaks when it comes to this new version of OxygenOS, so we’re still not sure what exactly to expect, but since the OnePlus 3T was announced OnePlus did push some new features to OxygenOS, and it’s almost certain that we’ll see quite a few of those when the OnePlus 5 lands, along with the ones that are currently available for OnePlus’ smartphones.
Dash Charge
Unlike most other well-known flagship smartphones which are fueled by Qualcomm’s processors, the OnePlus 5 will not be utilizing Qualcomm’s Quick Charge fast charging technology. OnePlus’ upcoming flagship will ship with Dash Charge, which is OnePlus’ proprietary fast charging technology, and it’s one of the fastest ones out there. This fast charging method lets your phone charge at full speed even if you’re using it while it’s on the charger, and in its current version, it can charge up a smartphone from 0% to 60% in only 30 minutes, these are numbers from the OnePlus 3, but similar speeds are reached on the OnePlus 3T as well. So, will we be getting a new version of OnePlus’ Dash Charge? Well, it is possible, though nothing leaked thus far, so we’re in the dark as far as that goes.
Pricing and Availability
So, how much will the OnePlus 5 cost? Well, with each new iteration of their flagship, OnePlus increases the price point a little bit, so, the OnePlus 5 could cost around $450 in the US, while its price in Europe could be around €450. Now, how did we come up with this number? Well, the OnePlus 3T currently costs $439, which was its price point at launch as well, so the OnePlus 5 is probably going to be a bit more expensive than that, unless the company opts to keep the $439 price tag, which would be great, of course. It is worth noting that a recent rumor suggested that the OnePlus 5 will be considerably more expensive than its predecessor, though, and that OnePlus is looking to go all out this time around, and that will require a price bump. Now, this rumor did not have any credibility when it surfaced, and that actually goes against OnePlus’ motto and philosophy, so chances are that the OnePlus 5 won’t be as expensive as that rumors suggested it will. What about its availability? Well, OnePlus did struggle when it comes to making enough units available for consumers to purchase in the past, though with each new iteration of the device, OnePlus made a step forward, so we’re hoping that the OnePlus 5 won’t have supply shortage issues. The device will become available in a number of countries (same as the OnePlus 3T) soon after it gets announced, though it is possible that some regions will be prioritized when it comes to its launch.
Wrap Up
So, what do we know thus far except for the fact that the phone will be called the OnePlus 5? Well, we know that it will launch this summer, that much has been confirmed, while OnePlus also confirmed that the device will be fueled by the Snapdragon 835, that it will sport a 3.5mm headphone jack, and that it will ship with a front-facing fingerprint scanner. On top of all that, it was also confirmed that DxOMark is helping OnePlus when it comes to the OnePlus 5’s camera, well, so we’re expecting to see a set of really compelling camera sensors on the back of the device. That is more or less it as far as official / confirmed info is concerned, everything else is speculation, but we do have a really good idea as to what expect from this smartphone.
UPDATE (June 6): It seems like the OnePlus 5 will be announced on June 15, at least according to a leaked email which was allegedly sent by one of OnePlus’ executives. In addition to that, two posters leaked recently and both of those posters are hinting at June 15 as the phone’s launch date. The OnePlus 5 will also be very thin, that’s something OnePlus’ CEO confirmed when he said that the phone will be ‘the thinnest flagship’. A well-respected Chinese analyst said that the OnePlus 5 will be more expensive than its predecessor. though exact numbers were not shared. On top of everything we’ve mentioned, it’s worth noting that the OnePlus 5 will sport a smaller body compared to the OnePlus 3T, despite the fact that it will sport a 5.5-inch display, just like its predecessor, at least that’s what OnePlus’ teaser suggested. Speaking of the display, the company’s CEO indirectly confirmed that the phone will ship with a fullHD panel, and leaked wallpapers only confirmed that theory. Several new images have also been added to the gallery down below, in case you’re interested in checking them out.
UPDATE (June 16): Since the last time we updated this article, OnePlus indirectly confirmed that the phone will sport a dual camera setup on the back, while the company also shared an official render of the phone, well, its back. A number of new, alleged, OnePlus 5 images surfaced as well, and the company started sending out invites for the OnePlus 5’s announcement, and along with invites, the company is sending the device’s Kevlar case. Speaking of that case, the OPPO R11 fits in there it seems, which suggests that the OnePlus 5 will have almost identical proportions to the OPPO R11. OnePlus also shared a couple of camera samples, and Amazon India confirmed that an 8GB RAM variant of the OnePlus 5 will become available as well. A leak suggested that a 6GB RAM model of the OnePlus 5 will cost $515 in India, and the company also showed off the OnePlus 5’s audio recording capabilities in a comparison with the OnePlus 3. The device also surfaced on GFXBench, and both the OnePlus’ Product Manager, and the company’s co-founder defended the phone’s design. On top of all that, the company’s CEO confirmed that the OnePlus 5 will ship with UFS storage (probably UFS 2.1), and registrations for the OnePlus 5 sale popped up on both JD.com and OppoMart. You can find a number of new images in the gallery down below.
