OnePlus has officially unveiled its latest smartphone, the OnePlus 5, confirming the device's specifications and features before it fully rolls out later this month.
The OnePlus 5 is a powerful Android-powered smartphone, continuing the company's tradition of releasing devices that are considered as "flagship killers." For customers who own its predecessor, the OnePlus 3T, is upgrading to the OnePlus 5 worth it?
OnePlus 5 vs OnePlus 3T Design
Both the OnePlus 5 and the OnePlus 3T are designed to feel like high-end smartphones such as Apple's iPhone 7 and Samsung's Galaxy S8 in the user's hand. The OnePlus 5 keeps the all-metal unibody construction of the OnePlus 3T, while very slightly slimming down, and also retains the 5.5-inch AMOLED display.
Comparing the OnePlus 5 and the OnePlus 3T side by side, there really isn't much of a difference. OnePlus 3T owners looking for a radical redesign will not get it with the OnePlus 5.
OnePlus 5 vs OnePlus 3T Specifications
OnePlus upgraded the specifications of the OnePlus 5 in almost every way compared to the OnePlus 3T. While the OnePlus 3T is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 with a quad-core CPU clocked at 2.35 GHz and an Adreno 530 GPU, the OnePlus 5 steps it up to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with an octa-core CPU clocked at 2.45 GHz and an Adreno 540 GPU.
Both the OnePlus 5 and the OnePlus 3T offer 64 GB and 128 GB internal storage options, but for the OnePlus 5, the 128 GB model is powered by 8 GB of RAM instead of the 6 GB of RAM found in the other version.
With these specifications, the OnePlus 5 offers a faster and more powerful experience than the OnePlus 3T.
OnePlus 5 vs OnePlus 3T Features
The OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 3T continue to run on Android's latest versions. While the OnePlus 3T was launched on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and upgraded to the latest Android 7.1.1 Nougat, the OnePlus 5 will continue the chain and come with Oxygen OS based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box, ready to be upgraded to Android O once the next major version of the operating system is released.
One of the biggest reasons for OnePlus 3T users to upgrade to the OnePlus 5, however, is the new dual-camera setup found in the new smartphone. The main camera of the OnePlus 5 loses optical image stabilization but retains the 16-megapixel resolution from the OnePlus 3T and improves to a faster f/1.7 lens. The Snapdragon 835 also offers improvements through its new image signal processor, and the OnePlus 5 also comes with a 20-megapixels telephoto camera with an f/2.6 lens that works together with the main camera.
Should You Upgrade To The OnePlus 5?
OnePlus decided to discontinue the OnePlus 3T last month ahead of the launch of the OnePlus 5, and it is easy to see why. The OnePlus 5 is simply a better smartphone than the OnePlus 3T.
The OnePlus 5 is $40 more expensive than the OnePlus 3T, though, at $479 for the base model and $539 for the upgraded version. Its specifications and features, however, still makes the OnePlus 5 a steal for those prices.
Preorders for the OnePlus 5 are now open, with full availability to launch on June 27.
