We might be just a day away from the official launch of the OnePlus 5 in India but here is a video in between that is providing us with fresh insight into all that went into the making of the latest mobile sensation from the Chinese manufacturer.
Of particular focus is, of course, the rear camera setup which gets an extra lens this time. The company isn’t revealing the exact specifications but has stated improving the camera performance has been one of the stated goals with their upcoming handset. This also has much to do with the OnePlus 3T which went for rave reviews save for the camera that left quite some more to desire.
OnePlus also thanked Apple for making people aware of what a dual rear camera is all about in the first place, and what good it can be of. Special mention must be made of the bokeh effect that the dual lens are capable of producing, and which in turn provides for spectacular portraits that otherwise is possible only with DSLR cameras.
Interestingly, no mention was made of their association with DxO to further enhance the camera performance. Also, apart from the hardware, there is a lot of software wizardry to make the best out of the two lenses. OnePlus is confident they have done a great job though it still could be a bit risky for the company to bank too much on just camera capabilities to push sales.
What is also noteworthy is that the twin rear camera has been placed to the top left corner this time, a change from the usual central spot for it. The lenses are also protruding that wee bit slightly, all of which reminds us of the iPhone 7 Plus right away.
Another area touched upon as regards the OnePlus 5 is the design, which looks conventional at best. This when the craze right now is to adopt a full-screen front layout, with the ideal scenario is to have the fingerprint sensor embedded within the display.
Though none of the manufacturers have achieved the same, the Chinese company does not seem to have even attempted it given the several technological challenges it comes with. So for now at least, it is going to be the traditional looks that the OnePlus 5 will come with.
Price is another area where the OnePlus 5 could be seen losing an edge. Pegged earlier as the poor man’s flagship, the OnePlus 5 will be hitting shelves with a starting price tag of INR 32,999. That makes it a few notches higher than the INR 29,999 that the OnePlus 3T was priced at when launched in the country last year. The higher price notwithstanding, the OnePlus 5 can still be considered reasonably priced when compared to other high-end phones while still sporting flagship specs.
While that is still a few notches below the likes of the Galaxy S8, S8+ or the Apple iPhones, it will be interesting to see if the company will still appeal to its traditional fan base given that the OnePlus 5 has slightly dated looks, is priced a bit higher and has only performance and camera among its strong points.
