We've got our first official look at the OnePlus flagship phone for 2017 – the OnePlus 5. With a high-resolution dual-lens rear camera, up to 8 GB of RAM, and a sleek-looking unibody design, OnePlus will once again be hoping to give the big smartphone names something to worry about.
The OnePlus 5 was unveiled at a special event livestreamed across the web, in which OnePlus emphasized its focus on user experience, and the way in which feedback from existing customers has gone into the design of its new flagship.
If you're wondering what happened to the OnePlus 4 after the OnePlus 3 and the OnePlus 3T, apparently it's either because four is an unlucky number in China or because the staff at OnePlus are big fans of ex-NBA player Robert Horry, who wore the number 5 jersey, so take your pick (that latter explanation is actually the official one).
The specs of the new handset certainly put the OnePlus 5 right up there with the biggest phones of the year so far: a 5.5-inch, full HD display, a Snapdragon 835 processor, either 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM and either 64 GB or 128 GB of internal storage. A 3,300-mAh battery provides power.
At 7.25 mm – a smidge thicker than the latest iPhone – the handset is the thinnest OnePlus model yet, though there's no sign of the bezel-shrinking 18:9 display preferred by LG and Samsung this year.
For the camera, OnePlus has combined a 16 MP lens and a 20 MP telephoto lens to create photos that are clearer than ever. The company is promising the OnePlus 5 brings faster focus, better low-light performance and less noise, though we will of course have to wait to see for ourselves if that's the case. That dual lens apparently improves zoom quality and enables special features like a bokeh effect on portraits.
OnePlus also showed off a feature called Smart Capture, which uses custom algorithms to determine the best exposure and shutter speed settings for the type of shot you're taking. On top of that, the phone's camera app includes a manual mode where these settings can be tweaked individually.
The Dash Charge technology we saw last year is back again in a new and improved guise, which OnePlus says is speedy, cool, and reliable – you can expect to get a full day's worth of phone power from half an hour of charging, apparently.
There are software tweaks too, including a feature called App Priority, where apps you use a lot are preloaded into memory, while those that are opened up less often are deprioritized. OnePlus says the overall effect will be to improve system efficiency and eke more life out of your battery.
OnePlus' very own OxygenOS, based on Android, is again on board, with a new reading mode designed to mimic an e-reader screen that's easy on the eyes.
What really makes this a compelling proposition though, is the price. True to the OnePlus tradition, the company is aiming to undercut its better-known rivals, with the 6 GB version of the OnePlus 5 on sale for US$479 in the US and €499 in Europe. You can pre-order in some regions now, with units expected to ship from June 27.
Product page: OnePlus
