OnePlus 5 Confirmed Specs, Release Date, And Everything We Know About The Flagship Killer

The OnePlus 5 is one of the most anticipated flagship releases of the year. Poised to be a Samsung Galaxy S8 and iPhone 8 competitor, the Chinese handset is looking awesome so far. Here’s what we currently know about the upcoming flagship killer.

OnePlus 5 Design

A recent leak showed the industry what the next OnePlus flagship could look like. If the alleged leak is legit, then fans should not expect much change at the rear. The image below shows a device that looks much like the OnePlus 3 except that the camera now has dual lens arranged vertically and the antenna line at the top has been removed.

The flash is still in its usual spot sandwiched between the camera and the OnePlus logo. Apart from these design elements, the back of the smartphone looks barren.

The front of the alleged OnePlus 5 was not showcased, but we could see that there is a total of three buttons on the sides in similar positions as in its predecessor. Another bit that can be deduced from this picture is that the 3.5mm headphone jack is still intact at the bottom.

A fingerprint sensor is also missing from this render, which suggests two things. OnePlus might keep the physical home button or Chinese company has found a way to embed the scanner right on the screen. The latter is a feat that Samsung was not able to manage on the Galaxy S8, so it will be interesting if the cheaper phone would offer it this year.

OnePlus 5 Specs

India Today Tech’s report, which released the image above, claims that the vertical dual-camera set-up can be confirmed. This is in line with the most popular rumors and reports, so it is definitely a possibility. On the front, a 16-megapixel shooter like that of the 3T is expected.

As for what’s under the screen, the OnePlus 5 is believed to have the same processor as in the Galaxy S8. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip will likely be paired with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. Both the OnePlus 3 and 3T already sport 6GB of RAM, so if it is not retained, the succeeding smartphone will have upgraded memory.

The internal storage will most possibly be at 64GB since the current flagship is only available at that option. But a 128GB version of the OnePlus 5 might be coming up. Or, the next flagship might finally have a microSD slot.

OnePlus 5 Release Date

OnePlus’ flagship releases have no clear pattern, so it is hard to predict when OnePlus 5 might come out. However, reports are confident that it will be revealed during the second quarter of the year, giving the company until June to officially unveil and launch the device.

It’s important to note, though, that the release of the 3T in November might have skewed up the launch window of the company’s future devices. OnePlus 5 could face delays, so it’s better for fans not to get their hopes up.

OnePlus 5 Advantage

Not taking into account the specs, the brand, and the design, the OnePlus 5 has a clear advantage over the likes of the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 8. It’s none other than its price. While other flagships can sell for as much as $1,000, OnePlus is keeping its customers satisfied with less than half of that.

Of course, that’s not to say that it lags behind in performance. OnePlus handsets are quite capable and that can be expected as well for the OnePlus 5. The appeal of the brand is that it is priced much cheaper, hence why many people consider it the best value for money. According to Phone Arena, the device will be priced lower than $500. OnePlus 3T is being sold at $439, so this pricing seems accurate.

More news of the OnePlus 5 should come soon if the rumored release date in Q2 2017 is true.

[Featured Image by R?zvan B?lt?re?u/Flickr/Cropped and Resized/CC BY-SA 2.0]