The Internet is flooded with OnePlus 5 leaks. The leaks and rumors are expected to intensify as its launch date approaches. Talking of its launch, OnePlus recently confirmed that the device would hit the store shelves this summer, though it didn’t specify the release date. The Chinese smartphone maker has started teasing various features of its upcoming flagship to build up consumer excitement.
Snapdragon 835 to power OnePlus 5
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed one of the biggest features of OnePlus 5 in the company’s official forum, though the confirmation is unlikely to surprise OnePlus fans. Lau said in a post that the upcoming device would be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 chipset. Snapdragon 835 is the best processor available today that third-party Android vendors can use in their devices.
Qualcomm also took to Twitter to confirm the use of its processor in OnePlus 5. Almost every leak we have seen has suggested that the next-gen OnePlus flagship would be powered by Snapdragon 835. But it’s good to see both companies confirming the feature. The new device will be called OnePlus 5 rather than OnePlus 4 because of tetraphobia in the Chinese culture.
#OnePlus5 is coming soon and we couldn't be more excited that it's powered by #Snapdragon 835. ✋ https://t.co/Q4srf6LrqC pic.twitter.com/DP41b2jtcq
— Qualcomm (@Qualcomm) May 24, 2017
Software optimizations to improve speed, user experience
Pete Lau added in his post that using the right components is not everything. The company will also have to optimize the performance to offer the best user experience. He said OnePlus has improved the touch latency on the upcoming handset. OnePlus engineers figured out why scrolling differed between different phones using high-speed cameras to monitor screen movements.
OnePlus has also added a new feature to its custom OxygenOS that makes the apps run smoother than before. The apps you use most frequently will be ready to go the moment you turn on the device. The rarely used apps are deprioritized to prevent them from affecting the phone’s performance. These optimizations help explain why the OnePlus 5 managed to beat Samsung’s Galaxy S8 on GeekBench a few days ago.
GSMArena recently posted a screenshot of GeekBench scores provided by a “very reliable source.” The OnePlus 5 scored an impressive 1963 points in single-core and 6687 points in multi-core tests. By comparison, the Galaxy S8 got 1929 and 6084 points in single-core and multi-core tests, respectively. Interestingly, both handsets use the same processor.
OnePlus executives teasing one feature after another
Snapdragon 835 is not the only feature OnePlus has teased. Last week, the company’s co-founder Carl Pei hinted that the 3.5mm headphone jack might not be placed on the bottom panel. Pei said in a tweet, “Why did the headphone jack cross the road?” Pei was responding to a user’s question about where the headphone jack is going to sit.
https://twitter.com/getpeid/status/865681733290569728
GSMArena speculates that Pei’s comment indicated that the headphone jack will be relocated to the “other side” of the device. It would sit at the top rather than at the bottom. Previously leaked prototypes have shown no headphone jack at the bottom, which sparked speculations that the company might be ditching the feature. If OnePlus were to remove the headphone jack, Pei might not have teased about the jack crossing the road.
Another feature teased by OnePlus officials is the fingerprint scanner. A few days ago, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau (Weibo username: Liu Zonto) said on Weibo that the upcoming phone would have a fingerprint sensor, which would be placed on the front panel. It is unclear whether the fingerprint sensor will be embedded in the display or will be housed in a physical home button.
Earlier this week, OnePlus posted a photo on Twitter showing four different color swatches. The company sought suggestions from its followers what color they would want their next smartphone to be. Though OnePlus didn’t clearly state that these color options were for the OnePlus 5, it curiously replaced the “s” in “should” with a “5”, hinting that these colors are indeed for the upcoming flagship. The colors included black, gold, red, and a strange “unicorn” shade.
What 5hould the color of your next phone be? 😉 pic.twitter.com/5FevP1VSq5
— OnePlus (@oneplus) May 22, 2017
OnePlus5 listed on GearBest, specs revealed
The upcoming OnePlus smartphone has been listed on GearBest. The listing was first spotted by Xiaomi Today. GearBest leaks and listings have been fairly accurate in the past, so the OnePlus 5 specifications mentioned in the listing could well be the final specs. According to the listing, the device will have a near bezel-less display and a vertical dual camera system on the back.
The image attached to the listing shows a physical home button, which might house the fingerprint sensor. It features a 5.5-inch Quad HD display, 8GB RAM, and 64GB of internal storage, which you can expand up to 128GB via a microSD card slot. The dual-SIM smartphone runs OxygenOS on top of the Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box. The handset weighs 156 grams and measures 152.7 x 74.7 x 7mm.
Listing adds that the phone will sport a 23MP rear camera sensor and a 16MP front snapper. Since the device will have a dual camera setup on the rear, it is unclear how a 23MP sensor would fit in the setup.
DxO to help OnePlus enhance its cameras
Recently, OnePlus partnered with DxO to help enhance the quality of the OnePlus 5 camera. DxO is known for their photography benchmark test DxOMark, which is the most cited benchmark for smartphone camera performance. Its other products include ViewPoint, OpticsPro, Analyze, and FilmPack. The Chinese company said its partnership with DxO will make the OnePlus 5 camera capable of taking some of the clearest photos around.
The nature of their partnership is not yet clear, though. DxO, which has extensive experience and expertise both in smartphone cameras and professional cameras, could help OnePlus on the hardware side or software side or both. Smartphone makers know that having the right sensors is only half the task. The image processing algorithms are equally important.
OnePlus 5 will be an expensive phone
A dual-camera system, top of the line Snapdragon 835 processor, an 8GB RAM, and many other high-end specs. Do you still expect the OnePlus 5 to be cheap? The Chinese company has always priced its smartphones competitively despite packing premium specs. But it has been increasing prices of its flagship smartphones with each new model.
Sources told Android Authority that the OnePlus 5 would be an expensive phone due to its premium design and component costs. Until now, the OnePlus handsets have been priced below $500, but the upcoming model could break that barrier. In fact, it could cost as much as $650, reports Android Authority. That price tag will put it directly in competition with the Galaxy S8 and flagship iPhones, both in terms of specs and price.