By now, most people have probably heard of OnePlus, makers of fairly inexpensive smartphones loaded with top-tier specs. They offer much of the features found on pricier handsets at a lower price — a combo that seriously undercuts the competition.
It's no secret that the company has been successful so far, despite not reaching quite the level of Apple or Samsung in the broad smartphone market. Treat it like the tiny but beloved independent film studio pumping out charming films amid Marvel and other Hollywood heavyweights. To phrase it better, OnePlus sort of has a cult following, and a loyal one at that. So what's next for these followers?
Why Is It Called OnePlus 5?
Well, what's next is the OnePlus 5, reports are saying. As you may have noticed, the name skips past "4" and jumps into "5" as its new naming scheme, which is odd considering that the company's recent smartphone release was the OnePlus 3T. Rumors say that the jump from 3T to 5 is because of a Chinese belief that the number 4 is bad luck.
But forget about the name — a new set of leaks from Chinese publication PCPop suggests that the OnePlus 5 will be a stunner in terms of specs.
OnePlus 5 Rumored Specs
Right off the bat, leaks suggest that the OnePlus 5 will come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, which, if true, will make the phone parallel to the Samsung Galaxy S8, which is also equipped with the same chip. Further under the hood will be 8 GB of RAM, which is unprecedented in the history of smartphones. At most, the best phones come with 6 GB maximum, much like the OnePlus 3T.
But such a move wouldn't be too surprising, as OnePlus has been wont to come out with unprecedented RAM configurations in the past. Case in point: releasing the OnePlus 3T in a smartphone market dominated by devices with only 4 GB of RAM at most. Keep in mind, however, that 8 GB is still a staggering figure for a smartphone, and unless OnePlus is venturing into something truly power/memory-intensive such as an advanced virtual reality platform of some sort, then it's hard to imagine why 8 GB would be necessary for a phone.
Beyond the specs, it's also worth noting that the leaks suggest the OnePlus 5 will have a much more sleeker frame in addition to an improved display. It's hard to say whether OnePlus is also jumping aboard the near bezel-less smartphone trend as exemplified by both the Galaxy S8 and the G6, but it would make sense if it did, as the direction of smartphone design seems to be heading there.
To top it all off, the leaks also suggest that the OnePlus 5 will sport dual cameras, also another smartphone trend of late. Dual cameras, for the uninitiated, are useful for a number of things, but chiefly, they're there to help the user take better and more dynamic photos, since the other camera would often sport a wide angle lens.
Rumor has it that the OnePlus 5's dual camera setup will be vertical instead of horizontal as found on most phones. Why exactly this is remains to be determined.
Of course, all rumors and purported leaks must be taken with a grain of salt, as these may end up not being true at all.
OnePlus 5 Release Date
OnePlus hasn't given out a proper unveiling date for the smartphone yet, let alone a release date. It's expected to arrive on the second half of 2017, however, which makes sense. If the phone is released by November, it would mark exactly one year since the OnePlus 3T was rolled out, and a year in the smartphone industry is wide enough of a gap.
What features do you expect to see on the OnePlus 5? Speculate away on the comments section below!
