The OnePlus 5 has been around for some time now and we got our hands on the device to see what it really packs. Here is a detailed review about our experience with the OnePlus 5.
OnePlus 5 Specifications
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Physical Overview
In terms of aesthetics, the OnePlus 5 has a premium look and feel to it. The device features an anodized aluminium build which makes it sturdy as well as light in hand.
The phone features a 5.5 inch full HD Optic AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The pixel density of the phone stands at ~401 PPI.
Above the display lies the earpiece, front camera along with sensors and the LED notification light.
Below the display, you will find a front-mounted fingerprint sensor which doubles up as the home button. Also, you get capacitive buttons, which can be turned off.
The back of the phone features a dual camera setup, dual LED flash and secondary mic with minimal ‘1+’ branded just above the center. Antenna bands run at the top and bottom of the OnePlus 5.
The lock button is placed on the right side of the phone. You can see the Nano-Sim slot right above the lock button
The left side carries the Volume rockers and Profile button.
The bottom of the phone packs the 3.5mm earphone jack, USB type-C port, and the speaker grill.
Display
The OnePlus 5 comes with a similar display as the OnePlus 3T. It features a 5.5 inch Full HD (1920 x 1080p) Optic AMOLED display with a pixel density of ~401 PPI. It features a 2.5D curved glass display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. It comes with reading mode, night mode, and lift-up display features. The display on this device is capable of producing sharp and crisp results even in bright sunlight, thanks to the Optic AMOLED panel. We did not notice the jelly scrolling effect that some users pointed out earlier. Although a Quad HD display would’ve been better on the OnePlus 5, the present display also does a good job.
Camera
The rear camera on the OnePlus 5 is a dual camera setup which uses Sony IMX lenses. It features a wide angle 16MP lens with f/1.7 aperture and a Telephoto 20MP lens with f/2.6 aperture. The dual camera is accompanied by a dual LED flash. It is capable of shooting up to 2160p videos @ 30fps. The front camera is a 16MP unit with f/2.0 aperture, Fixed focus, and Electronic Image stabilization.
Camera UI
We found the camera interface easy and effective. All the functions were easily available and visible. The cameras performed really well in our tests.
Daylight
Artificial Light
Low Light
The shutter speed is quick and there is no lag in the camera performance. Color retention and originality are remarkable in the OnePlus 5’s cameras. I felt that Optical Image stabilization was much needed while shooting 4K videos, but OnePlus has already rolled out an update to stabilize it which is good.
Hardware and Storage
When it comes to hardware, the OnePlus 5 packs a mighty punch. It boasts a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa core processor with a clock speed of 2.45GHz. The processor is coupled with Adreno 540 GPU.
In terms of storage, the device is equipped with up to 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB memory. It does not support expandable memory. The OnePlus 5 packs a powerful processor and a whopping 8GB RAM which makes it a blazing-fast performer.
Software and Performance
Coming to the software department, the OnePlus 5 runs on OxygenOS which is near stock Android and is based on the latest Android 7.0 Nougat. Thanks to the near stock Android and the powerful processing, the Apps open lightning quick and no lag is visible.
We did not experience any lag or heating during our tests. The phone is as mighty as it gets in terms of running games. The gaming experience with Asphalt 8 and Gear.Club was as smooth.
Benchmark Scores
Battery
The OnePlus 5 is powered by a 3,300 mAh non-removable battery. The battery provides enough juice to power the phone for more than a day on moderate usage. In terms of charging, it comes with OnePlus’s Dash Charge which can give you a full day’s charge in 30 minutes of charging time. The noticeable thing in the battery is that it keeps charging despite heavy usage while connected to the charger. Many of the devices show signs of slow charging or retaining their remaining charge if heavily used while charging.
Connectivity
The OnePlus 5 is a Dual-Sim 4G compatible smartphone. It has WiFi connectivity and comes with Bluetooth 5.0 support. For positioning and navigation purposes, it has GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou. The phone is also NFC enabled to support services like Android Beam and mobile wallets.
Pricing and availability
There is also exchange offer available, so you can get a good price discount on exchanging your old phone.
Verdict
Indeed, OnePlus 5 is an impressive all-rounder flagship. The device gives near stock Android experience, seamless multitasking, and immersive gaming experience. The sound clarity, camera performance, and display quality are also great. The display could have been a QHD panel that would make full use of the powerful hardware on this phone. Also, the phone lacks Optical Image stabilization but features Electronic Image Stabilization which delivers crisp and steady shots. If you are out to buy a flagship phone, the OnePlus 5 has got you covered. The promise of speedy updates from OnePlus and an assured support to Android O make it an even better deal.
