OnePlus may be just a three-year-old startup, but it has carved out a niche in the crowded Android smartphone market. The Chinese startup has made a name for itself with high-end smartphones that sell at nearly half the price of rival products. Following the success of OnePlus 3 and 3T, the company has started teasing its upcoming OnePlus 5 to build up excitement.
Why call it OnePlus 5?
Just a few days ago, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirmed the existence of OnePlus 5, though he didn’t confirm the name of the phone. Today, OnePlus teased the name via an official Weibo post. The post read, “Hey summer! Give me five!” It included an image that said, “Hello 5.” Why would the Chinese company jump from OnePlus 3T to OnePlus 5, skipping the moniker “4”?
OnePlus is skipping the number 4 for two reasons. One, the number 4 is considered unlucky in the Chinese culture. It is associated with death. Revealing the second reason, the company said most of its employees were fans of the former NBA player Robert Horry. There are a couple of paintings of Horry at the OnePlus headquarters in Shenzhen. Horry’s jersey number was five.
Confirmed: OnePlus 5 coming this summer
The Chinese company confirmed to The Verge that its next flagship smartphone is set to arrive this summer. Pete Lau has indicated that the OnePlus 5 is going to be a “big surprise.” We expect Lau to officially unveil the device in June. Though the company has not confirmed its features, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei reportedly posted a couple of images of OnePlus 5 as part of an Instagram Story from his official account.
Here's a better look, @dbrand are the skins ready? @MKBHD any opinions? pic.twitter.com/psFaOBohV4
— Suhant Mehta (@LifeofSM) May 7, 2017
According to Twitter user Suhant Mehta, the images were blurry and didn’t reveal much information. But they did confirm the presence of a horizontal dual camera system. The device shown in the images is hidden under a thick case, preventing us from seeing its design. There is also an LED flash next to the dual cameras. Many previous reports have suggested that the OnePlus 5 would feature vertical dual cameras, though most recent leaks point to a horizontal setup.
How much is it going to cost?
OnePlus devices have always been priced competitively. A few days ago, the OnePlus 5 was listed on OppoMart at $449. But OppoMart has gotten the prices wrong in the past, so their listing should be taken with a bit of skepticism. Separately, the smartphone has also been listed on Geekbuying with a price tag of $449, the same as OppoMart listing. Geekbuying’s price is for the 64GB storage variant. The higher storage model may cost close to $500. OnePlus is unlikely to breach the $500 mark with the OnePlus 5, unless it has a really big surprise feature.
OnePlus 5 features and specs
There have been numerous leaks and rumors about the phone, but OnePlus hasn’t yet teased its specifications. The device is said to have the same brushed aluminum design as its predecessors. According to an image leaked by India Today, the antenna lines will be rearranged to give the back cover a seamless look. The smartphone is rumored to be available in black, gold, and gray colors. The rumor mill is also expecting a ceramic body version.
The OnePlus 5 is rumored to sport a 5.5-inch QHD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. It is not yet clear whether it will have LCD or OLED panels. India Today reports that OnePlus is opting for an edge-to-edge display, which has been a trend lately. If it turns out to be true, the fingerprint sensor could be relocated to the rear panel or integrated into the display.
The upcoming phone is said to offer 6GB RAM and 64GB of built-in storage, expandable via a micro SD card slot. A leaked screenshot posted on Weibo also points to an 8GB variant with 128GB internal storage and running Android 7.1.2 with HydrogenOS on top. HydrogenOS is the Chinese version of the OxygenOS. It’s quite possible that the company could come out with an 8GB RAM model.
Prolific tipster Evan Blass revealed in a tweet that the OnePlus 5 will be powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 chipset with eight cores and 2.3GHz clock speed. Snapdragon 835 is the same chipset that runs Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S8. The device is said to come with Bluetooth 4.2 rather than the latest Bluetooth 5.0.
https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/861244770307497985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Ftech.firstpost.com%2Fnews-analysis%2Foneplus-5-alleged-specs-leaked-online-8-gb-ram-snapdragon-835-23-mp-rear-camera-and-more-375178.html
Some reports claim OnePlus 5 will have a huge 4,000mAh battery while others point to a 3,400mAh battery pack. The current OnePlus 3T comes with a 3,400mAh battery. OnePlus is expected to significantly improve its Dash Charge technology to reduce the time it takes to fully charge the device. According to specs tweeted by Evan Blass, the smartphone will retain the 3.5mm headphone jack.
There have been contradictory reports about the OnePlus camera. Some reports point to a dual-camera system on the back. But others claim it would feature a 23MP main camera and a 16-megapixel front shooter for selfies. The dual-camera is more likely considering it has become a trend since the iPhone 7 Plus launch, and the fact that images teased by Carl Pei via Instagram Story showed a vertical dual-camera system.
