OnePlus 5 vs iPhone 7 vs Galaxy S8: Specs Comparison

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The next generation OnePlus 5 device has been unveiled at a special event in Mumbai, India. The Chinese manufacturer took the seal off its latest smartphone, and many of the specifications of the OnePlus 5 are now known and settled. Of course, OnePlus also held back some of the details for the ultimate release of the handset, but we now have a very good idea what to expect from this smartphone.

Despite market pressures and an increasingly complicated and diverse smartphone niche, OnePlus has chosen to release the OnePlus 5 almost exactly one year after the OnePlus 3T. Building on the fact that previous releases have established OnePlus as a significant player, the OnePlus 5 is intended to firmly cement the position of the Chinese corporation as a mid-range technology producer, perhaps alongside the base model of the forthcoming Google Pixel 2.

But in order to become successful, it must compete with the big boys, so here ValueWalk compares the OnePlus 5, iPhone 7 and Galaxy S8.

OnePlus 5 vs iPhone 7 vs Galaxy S8 – Specs Sheet

Design

OnePlus has significantly redesigned the OnePlus 5, with the intention of producing a thoroughly modern looking smartphone. And this is particularly reflected in the sleekness of this iteration of the OnePlus series, with the body of the device being just 7.25mm thick. OnePlus seems to be taking its cue from the Apple iPhone series in this department, with the Californian corporation having particularly focused on producing sleek handsets, with the iPhone 7 marginally slimmer at 7.1mm. The Galaxy S8 is the thickest of the three at 8mm.

The appearance of the OnePlus 5 is even slimmer, thanks to the curved and rounded edges included in the device. Perhaps the standout design element of this iteration of the OnePlus range is the continuous hard case that surrounds all four sides of the device. The smartphone is also made from anodized aluminum, and this makes for a very pleasing appearance, and one that meets the zeitgeist of the smartphone marketplace for curved design.

In terms of the OnePlus 5 vs iPhone 7 vs Galaxy S8 battle, this release is strongly influence by the iPhone series in particular, and comares favorably with both.

Camera

One of the first notable aspects of the OnePlus 5 release is the dual-camera module included on the rear of the device. This had been widely anticipated before the release of the handset, and OnePlus has chosen to particularly emphasize this quality in its presentation. Indeed, the developer will utilize the tagline “Dual cameras. Clearer photos” throughout its early marketing campaign, as it attempts to attract new consumers to this device.

So the OnePlus 5 features a 20-megapixel longer focal length camera alongside a 16-megapixel main unit. Even the front-facing camera delivers some impressive specifications, with the selfie snapper also being capable of displaying 16-megapixels. Although front-facing cameras are becoming ever more important due to the cultural power of social media, this OnePlus 5 snapper still represents a particularly impressive front-facer even by the general standards of the market.

OnePlus also divulged some further details about the camera in the OnePlus 5, claiming that a new autofocus mechanism will improve the auto focus speed of the device by 40%. “Fast af”, as OnePlus has branded the feature, has the ability to utilize those sensors and every single pixel in order to create a particularly rapid and effective focus.

Image processing has also been improved, with the OnePlus 5 smartphone using advanced processing in order to improve clarity. This is achieved by the intelligent hardware comparing various frames captured by the device, effectively seeking the best part of each image in order to compile an outstanding shot.

With regard to the OnePlus 5 vs iPhone 7 vs Galaxy S8 contest, the OnePlus 5 outranks both smartphones in terms of specs, although this is only one aspect of photographic performance. Some observers lucky enough to get their hands on the OnePlus 5 suggest that the photographic capabilities match the Galaxy S8.

Processor

As was confirmed before the event, the OnePlus 5 features a Snapdragon 835 processor. This is the same unit that featured earlier this year in the Samsung Galaxy S8. OnePlus states that this will be clocked at “up to 2.45 GHz”. This is faster than the maximum 2.35 GHz of the Galaxy S8 and 2.34 GHz of the iPhone 7.

Display

While many have suggested that the OnePlus five would benefit from a quad HD display, the reality is that the Chinese manufacturer has been somewhat more conservative in this department. This is possibly due to the need to keep down costs, with this smartphone being considered a relatively affordable units.

Thus, the OnePlus 5 is fitted with a 5.5-inch full HD display on the front panel, with a standard 16:9 aspect ratio having been retained. This will mean that the visual capabilities of the smartphone are somewhat less than the Samsung Galaxy range, but it still compares reasonably with the market-leading Apple iPhone, at least for the time being. Nonetheless, this is perhaps a little disappointing at a time when gaming is popularizing 4K resolution, and also that the Galaxy S8 was bumped up to beyond quad HD earlier this year.

Memory

Rumors that preceded the release of the OnePlus 5 suggested that the smartphone would include either 6GB or 8GB of RAM memory. In reality, both of these predictions were correct! OnePlus consumers will have the choice of the base model of the smartphone, which features 6GB, but it will also be possible to upgrade the memory to 8GB as required. In the OnePlus 5 vs iPhone 7 vs Galaxy S8 face-off, this gives OnePlus an advantage over the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S8, which were fitted with 2GB and 4GB respectively.

Storage

Similarly, consumers will be offered different options with regards to storage, with the base model of the OnePlus 5 featuring 64GB. But those wishing for more storage can instead opt for a 128GB model, although OnePlus has once again decided against including the flexible microSD card system. This latter decision can perhaps be considered a little disappointing, if also unsurprising. Apple’s iPhone 7 offered the most storage of the three units, with 256GB fitted in its premium model, although the Galaxy S8 does feature a micro SD slot.

Fingerprint sensor

A fingerprint sensor is included once again in this mobile, and located beneath the display of the device. OnePlus boast that this can unlock the phone in just 0.2 seconds, which was also the case with the OnePlus 2, OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T. The ceramic layer, which is intended to protect the device from scratches, previously included in the OnePlus 3T, is also retained. Both the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 7 featured fingerprint scanners, although in the case of the Apple device it was front-mounted.

Headphone jack

Those who bemoaned the exclusion of the 3.5mm headphone jack from the recent Apple iPhone release will be delighted to note that the OnePlus 5 has retained this feature once more. Samsung also retained this in the Galaxy S8.

Other specs

The OnePlus 5 is armed with Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, while NFC will also be present in the smartphone. A 3,300 mAh battery has been included, which compares excellently with the 1,960 mAh unit in the iPhone 7 and 3,000 mAh battery in the Galaxy S8. An improved Dash Charge system will also debut in the OnePlus 5 release.

Android 7.1.1 Nougat comes out of the box on the OnePlus 5, and on top of it is OnePlus’ OxygenOS UI.

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