OnePlus: How midrange flagship brand is discreetly inching towards premium

In 2014, Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus debuted in the smartphone space with the launch of the OnePlus One, which was termed a flagship but had the price of a midrange device. Thanks to its top-notch specifications and brilliant build quality, the phone famously became the first midrange flagship, giving birth to a smartphone segment that had never before been explored or experimented with but had a huge potential in India’s price-conscious smartphone market.

Over the years, the company has continued to offer value-for-money products in the midrange segment, redefining the flagship smartphone segment and proving that a flagship need not be costly. However, with every consecutive launch, the company has raised the price substantially and moved closer to the premium smartphone segment. OnePlus still continues to offer value-for-money smartphones when compared with premium flagships. However, with the premium edition of its current-generation flagship priced at nearly Rs 44,000, OnePlus does not look like a midrange flagship brand any more.
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OnePlus 6 to roll out new update, camera app will flaunt 'Google Lens'

China-based smartphone manufacturer OnePlus on Tuesday said it has started rolling out the next software update that comes with support for "Google Lens" functionality on OnePlus 6's native camera app.

The update in its exclusive Android based operating system (OS ) OxygenOS 5.1.9 also introduces significant camera improvements, the company said in a statement.

Launched during its I/O conference last year, "Google Lens" is an image recognition mobile app to bring up relevant information using visual analysis.

OnePlus 5 and 5T users could also expect to get the "Google lens" via an over-the-air (OTA) update soon, the company informed.

"With the integration of 'Google Lens', users can use the camera to scan QR codes and use the image recognition tool to get more information about things like books, buildings, and works of art, by simply tapping on it," the statement added.

OnePlus 5T launch on Nov 16: Details of design, features & specs revealed

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus is gearing up to launch the next iteration of its flagship OnePlus 5T on November 16. The smartphone design, features and specifications, however, have been leaked by various sources, attributing the review unit shared by OnePlus.

In terms of design, the upcoming smartphone is reported to sport a 6-inch Optic AMOLED screen in the 18:9 aspect ratio, with FHD+ resolution. Like other smartphones with ultra-wide screens, the OnePlus 5T is also reported to have a fingerprint scanner on the back to allow the phone to accommodate a big screen on the front with small bezels. The device is also reported to have a software-based face unlock feature.

The OnePlus 5T is reported to boast the same innards as the OnePlus 5. The smartphone would use Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, in 64 GB and 128 GB storage options. It would come in 6 GB and 8 GB RAM variants. Built on the same chassis of OnePlus 5, the upcoming flagship would feature 3.5mm audio jack at the bottom, along with a USB type-C charging and data transfer port and speaker grill.

The smartphone is reported to boot OnePlus proprietary Oxygen operating system, based on Android Nougat 7.1.1.

The upcoming flagship from the stable of OnePlus is going to cost more than predecessor OnePlus 5, CEO and co-founder Pete Lau had hinted in a tweet a few days ago. The smartphone will be unveiled on November 16 in New York.

OnePlus 5 camera trails Samsung Galaxy S8, HTC U11, scores 87 in DxO review

OnePlus 5 scored a decent 87 on 100 in the DxO camera benchmark review released on July 6.

Interestingly, China-based manufacturer OnePlus had teamed up with image processing software and camera benchmarks expert DxO before the launch of its flagship OnePlus 5. So, it was expected that the partnership would help OnePlus improve its camera algorithms to deliver enhanced photography solution.

The score of 87 out of 100 is not a bad score, but it looks pale when you consider that the dual-cameras in the OnePlus 5 had been much hyped, and yet they lag behind current flagships like HTC U11, Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, Google Pixel and HTC 10. With this score, the OnePlus 5 stands head to head with Huawei P10, which also sports a dual-camera set-up. The HTC U11 has scored 90 on the DxO Mark, while both Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ have got 88, Google Pixel 89, HTC 10 88 and Huawei P10 scores 87. 

Though a mixed bag of hits and misses, the OnePlus 5 offers updated technical specifications, improved operating system and a new camera set-up. Here is our detailed review of the smartphone: 

Design

In terms of design, the OnePlus 5 seems a rather half-baked product, with little that you can call overwhelmingly innovative. The rear certainly has a stark resemblance to the Apple iPhone 7 Plus. Aside from that, the back has a dual-camera set-up on top-left, along with dual LED flash, and a microphone sitting in between the camera module and flash. The OnePlus logo is engraved at the centre and the back looks clean with no regulatory information or model number. The antenna lines, moved to the extreme top and bottom, are subtler than the previous OnePlus device.

Even as the rear has some noteworthy upgrade from predecessor OnePlus 3T, the front is almost identical. The front side is dominated by a 5.5-inch screen, with sensors at the top along with the front camera and earpiece, and the fingerprint scanner is embedded under the home key at the bottom-centre.

The power button is placed on the right, next to the ejectable dual-SIM tray, while the volume rocker keys and alert slider sit on the left side of the smartphone.

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OnePlus 5 launch soon: Device to have flagship features for half the price

OnePlus 5, the next flagship device from the stable of China-based smartphone manufacturer OnePlus, is making a lot of buzz over the internet. The smartphone, expected to launch in a couple of months, is making the tech community keep an eagle eye on every small information available.

While big names such as Samsung and LG have already announced their flagship smartphones, the keen wait for the OnePlus 5 is understood, given that OnePlus devices are known to throw in top-tier specifications at half the price of other flagship devices.

Recently, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau posted a picture on Weibo confirming the development of OnePlus 5. Soon, the smartphone features, specifications, camera samples and even the price of the smartphone surfaced online. And, as days passed, the OnePlus 5 specification sheet was leaked by an online technology-based portal Slashleaks.

The name
The next iteration of the flagship device from the stable of OnePlus would be named OnePlus 5. This, however, is yet to be confirmed by the company. In Chinese culture, numeric 4 is considered bad omen, so the buzz is that the smartphone manufacturer would skip number 4, and the device coming after OnePlus 3 would bear the OnePlus 5 moniker.

Display
According to the specifications leaked through Slashleaks, the OnePlus 5 smartphone is to carry the legacy 5.5-inch screen size but with a major bump in screen resolution. The smartphone screen would be raised to quad-HD resolution from the full-HD resolution, standard across all OnePlus devices so far.

Camera
Earlier leaks suggested that the OnePlus 5 would feature a dual-camera set-up at the rear. However, the latest leaks hint that the device would feature a single camera of 23-megapixel at the rear and a 16 MP camera at the front.
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