The OnePlus 5 is among the most hotly anticipated smartphones of this year and the company's CEO just posted the first teaser, touting a "big surprise."
With the LG G6 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 out of the bag, one of the most rumored smartphones yet to debut is the OnePlus 5, which is expected to hit the scene sometime in the second half of this year.
OnePlus started out shyly, launching its first smartphone — the OnePlus 1 — a few years ago on an invite-only basis to avoid making more units that it could sell. Dubbed the "flagship killer," the OnePlus 1 quickly rose to glory thanks to its top-tier specs at a fraction of the cost of other comparable flagships.
OnePlus made a name for itself by offering high-end flagship killers at affordable prices and it currently has a number of smartphones in its roster, with more on the way.
The OnePlus 5 is expected to continue the company's tradition of cramming top-notch specs into an affordable package, and leaks and rumors so far point at a powerful beast that could seriously undercut the competition.
First OnePlus 5 Teaser Surfaces Online
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau shared a message that OnePlus posted on Chinese social network Weibo, teasing the upcoming OnePlus 5 for the first time.
The message touts that OnePlus is working tirelessly "just to make a big surprise." Lau shared the teaser on his own Weibo account, encouraging the team to "carry on." Both OnePlus and Lau posted the messages using the #NeverSettle hashtag that's already become iconic for the company.
OnePlus used the #NeverSettle hashtag from the very beginning, emphasizing the power of its flagship killers compared with the competition. The phrase has served as the company's motto over the years.
The teaser doesn't reveal much otherwise; it basically just serves as confirmation that the OnePlus 5 is in the works and it will be surprising.
OnePlus 5 Rumored Specs
Various leaks and rumors so far herald a powerful OnePlus 5 with top specifications, including the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor powering the new Samsung Galaxy S8 series.
Rumors also hinted at a whopping 8 GB of RAM, which would mark a first for smartphones. That might be a stretch, however, and 6 GB of RAM sounds like a more plausible theory. Unless OnePlus plans to dive into some complex virtual reality platform or other such power and RAM-intensive applications, 8 GB of RAM would be unjustified for a smartphone. Then again, 8 GB of RAM would truly be a big surprise.
Leaks also indicated that the OnePlus 5 would feature a dual rear camera setup, which has become a trend with recent smartphones. The Galaxy S8 was rumored to have dual cameras as well, but ultimately launched with a single rear camera and rumors now expect the dual layout for the Galaxy Note 8. Should rumors turn out to be accurate, the OnePlus 5 could go head to head with the Galaxy Note 8 and the iPhone 8, all expected in the second half of this year.
The OnePlus 5 is also expected to sport an improved display and a sleeker form factor, with a near bezel-less design.
All purported specs are still in the rumor state at this point, but the OnePlus 5 teaser does confirm that the company has something big in the cards. What would you most like to see on the OnePlus 5? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
