OnePlus acknowledged issues with scrolling on the OnePlus 5 that leads some users to experience jelly-like stuttering while browsing through any interface on the device. The effects of the problem essentially make the scrolling animations look like they are under a layer of water, as one user picturesquely described on OnePlus Forums, adding that the problem may have been caused by the vertical sync (Vsync) or the lack of the thereof, with the frame rate of the software not matching the screen refresh rate on the OnePlus 5 as the synchronization is constantly switching between an active and inactive state for no apparent reason. Another possibility is that the 5.5-inch screen of the handset doesn’t refresh equally quickly in all of its parts, though that has yet to be confirmed by the BBK Electronics-owned original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in any capacity.
The problem persists throughout all apps, according to recent reports, with content often lagging behind the actual scrolling animation as a result of the stuttering. It’s currently unclear how many devices are affected by the issue and if all users are even aware of it seeing how the phenomenon is only easily observable while scrolling relatively slowly. Numerous owners of the model with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage have confirmed that they’re experiencing the problem, though users of the more expensive variant are yet to do the same.
Likewise, the cause of the problem hasn’t been determined as of this writing, or at least wasn’t publicly disclosed by the Shenzhen, Guangdong-based phone maker. A software bug is the most likely explanation for the phenomenon given how quick scrolling animations work in a smooth and reliable manner and it’s only their slower counterparts that are problematic. In that case, the consumer electronics manufacturer should be able to resolve the problem in a relatively swift manner, possibly even with the next software update that will succeed the OxygenOS build version 4.5.3. Despite this report, the OnePlus 5 is still said to offer a smooth user experience and is sometimes even more responsive than Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus. An update on the situation is expected to follow shortly.