Oneplus has provided consumers with top-tier specifications coupled with great design since their first smartphone release. Strangely enough, the manufacturer has skipped the number four and jumped directly to five with their latest mobile device. Some users apparently consider its predecessor, the OnePlus 3T as the fourth-generation version. Some analysts actually describe the OnePlus 5 as having an uncanny resemblance to Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus, but its similarities end there. However, some of the missing features of its previous models like ingress protection, memory expansion, and stereo speakers are sadly still absent on their latest flagship offering.

Design and build quality

The OnePlus series of smartphones have steadily shied away from the original model’s angular design. The next series of designs began to feature softer edges and curved surfaces. The OnePlus 5 apes the gentle curves found on an iPhone 7 Plus and a side-by-side comparison proves it. Its body is made of anodized aluminum, while its display is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 cover.

The rear panel bears a matte texture finish that is reportedly a magnet for fingerprints especially on the Midnight Black color model. Its back cover does away with regulatory print commonly found on most uni-body metal-clad smartphones but keeps a solitary logo engraved in the middle. Its dual-camera sensors are situated on the upper left flanked by a noise-cancelling mic and a dual-LED flash.

The camera bump is also noticeably smaller compared to Apple’s offering.

Similarities with the iPhone 7 Plus continue up front as the smartphone houses its earpiece and secondary camera in the same location. Meanwhile, its ambient light and proximity sensors are arranged vertically in between the earpiece and selfie shooter, while a notification LED is situated on the top left corner.

The bottom half sports an oval-shaped non-mechanical home button/fingerprint sensor, which is sandwiched by two customizable LED-backlit capacitive buttons.

Its dual-SIM tray is housed in its right frame with a power/sleep/wake button just below. The left flank features an Alert Slider that allows users to switch from Ring, Do not disturb, and Silent mode.

The volume rocker sits on its left side as well. The bottom frame sports a speaker grille, a USB-C port, a mic, and a 3.5mm headset jack, while the top portion is barren. The smartphone comes in two colors, Slate Gray and Midnight Black.

Hardware and specifications

The smartphone will be available in either a 64GB or 128GB variant with a 6GB or 8GB RAM, respectively. It is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 CPU with an Adreno 540 GPU onboard. It rocks a 5.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a 1920 x 1080 display resolution and a 401ppi pixel density. The main camera is a dual-setup using a 16MP Sony IMX398 sensor combo with a 20MP Sony IMX350 unit that carries a f/1.7 and f/2.6 aperture respectively.

The selfie shooter is a f/2.0 aperture 16MP Sony IMX371 sensor. A 3,300mAh Li-Po battery supplies its energy requirements while it runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat with its OxygenOS custom overlay.

Release date and price

Consumers can expect the OnePlus 5 to official launch sometime in June but most likely become widely available next month. The 64GB variant is expected to cost roughly around $479, while its 128GB model will carry an estimated $539 price tag.
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