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The OnePlus 5: Everything you need to know

By popular demand, the OnePlus 5 will get Selfie Portrait Mode

Brenda Stolyar
Steven Winkelman
By and

OnePlus has taken the wraps off of the OnePlus 5 — the follow-up to last year’s OnePlus 3T. OnePlus has long been known as a company that offers high-end specifications at a very reasonable price, and it’s no different this year with the OnePlus 5.

“The OnePlus 5 showcases our obsessive attention to detail and our focus on delivering the best user experience possible,” OnePlus founder and CEO Pete Lau said in a statement.

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Here’s everything you need to know about the OnePlus 5, including specs, pricing, availability, and ongoing promotions. For our full impressions, read our review of the OnePlus 5.

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Software updates

After first being added to the OxygenOS beta, the release of the Oxygen OS 5.1.5 update also brings support for Project Treble, Android Police reports. Introduced in May of last year, Project Treble is a framework that helps to speed up the process of bringing new versions of Android to smartphones. Adding it to the latest update could mean that both the OnePlus 5 and 5T might soon receive Google’s latest operating system, Android 9.0 Pie.

OnePlus announced it will add its Selfie Portrait Mode feature in a future update. The feature was initially limited to the OnePlus 6, but the company decided to add it to the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T after it received requests in its traveling Open Ears forum.

In an interview with Digital Trends, OnePlus said changes to its software department would mean faster updates for its phones, and it was put into action with the OnePlus 5. The phone now ships with version 4.5.10 of the OxygenOS operating system (based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat), which has new features and crucial fixes.

The most notable addition is electronic image stabilization (EIS) when shooting 4K video, which promises to make high-resolution videos less shaky. Other changes include an update to the Android security patch level, a new font called OnePlus Slate, several system changes to increase battery life, and improved Wi-Fi connectivity.

With the OxygenOS Open Beta 3 update in January update in January 2018, users are now able to use facial recognition to unlock their phones on the OnePlus 5. The feature, originally limited to the OnePlus 5S, offers a quick way to unlock your phone without having to enter a PIN or password. Since the feature is not as secure as facial unlock on the iPhone X, though, it cannot be used for purchases or third-party app authentication.

How to buy the OnePlus 5

The OnePlus 5 is a monster of a phone, and it’s thankfully pretty easy to get — but you may have to switch carriers if you want to use it. The OnePlus 5 is GSM-only, so in the U.S., it only works on AT&T and T-Mobile networks. That’s bad news if you’re on Verizon or Sprint.

The slate gray version of the OnePlus 5, which has 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, costs $480. The midnight black model, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, is priced $60 higher at $540.

oneplus 5

The OnePlus 5 JCC Plus, a limited edition version of the OnePlus 5 designed by French artist Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, features a custom cosmetic shell with a handwritten note and yellow-and-red accented buttons. It comes pre-loaded with hand-drawn home screen wallpapers, and has the same hardware as the midnight black OnePlus 5 (8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage). It’s available now for 499 euro (about $587).

You can head to the OnePlus website to order the OnePlus 5. Unlike other flagship phones, you can’t get the device from your carrier — meaning you’ll have to shell out the full price of the phone to get your hands on it.

OnePlus 5 specs

You might be wondering what happened to the OnePlus 4 — after all, the last OnePlus phone to launch was the OnePlus 3T. OnePlus decided to skip the number 4 because it’s considered unlucky in China — in Mandarin, it sounds a lot like the word for “death.”

OnePlus is known for offering top-notch specs in its phones, and the OnePlus 5 continues that trend. For starters, you’ll find the latest and greatest Qualcomm chip and the Snapdragon 835 processor under the hood.

On the back of the phone, there’s a dual-camera setup with a 16-megapixel main camera, along with a 20-megapixel telephoto lens, which helps add depth to images in a new Portrait mode. The large f/1.7 aperture will help take both faster photos and better low-light images, and a “Pro” mode gives you manual control over things like white balance, shutter speed, and more.

The OnePlus 5 battery has a 3,300mAh capacity, and it charges with OnePlus’ proprietary Dash Charge technology through the USB Type-C port. OnePlus claims Dash Charge gets you a full day of battery life in 30 minutes of charging.

The 5.5-inch display is a little less impressive than some of the other specs, but for many it may not matter. It sits in at 1920 x 1080 pixels, which is around 401 pixels per inch. That’s a little less than some other flagship devices, but for those who don’t use their phone for virtual reality (VR), it shouldn’t be an issue. There’s also Bluetooth 5.0 technology, and NFC for Android Pay. You’ll also find a headphone jack on the bottom.

The OnePlus 5 is a nice-looking device, though some may say it looks a little like a certain Apple product.

Updated August 22: OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5t now have support for Project Treble

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