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Five OnePlus 5 features we'd like to see
The first batch of unfounded OnePlus 5 specs have started doing the rounds, including a 5.5-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 835 chipset, 3,000 mAh battery, 23 MP camera and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Make of those specs what you will, but here are five features we hope the OnePlus 5 will have.
What happened to the OnePlus 4?
Apparently the next OnePlus flagship will skip the number four due to its association with death in Chinese culture (phonetically the word for “four” sounds a lot like the word for “death”). vivo arguably did the same thing when it jumped from the vivo V3 to the V5. vivo, like OnePlus and OPPO is owned by BBK. OPPO also avoids the use of the number four, preferring to use 3, 5, and 7 in its device names instead. We asked OnePlus if they were willing to confirm or deny the naming rumors around the OnePlus 4/5, but they're not playing ball.
Water-resistance
The OnePlus 5 price point may make this an impossibility, but considering how adapted we’ve become to various flagships having water-resistance, it’d be nice if OnePlus could squeeze an IP68 rating into the budget.
Dual camera
Some would say OnePlus should get one camera at Pixel or Galaxy levels before slapping a second one on there and they’re probably right, but for a company that prides itself on delivering a flagship experience, a dual camera is a must have if you’re going to compete with (or beat) the best of the best this year.
Some would say OnePlus should get one camera at Pixel or Galaxy levels before adding a second one.
OnePlus: just think about the smarmy marketing potential of saying your phone has a dual camera when even the Galaxy S8 doesn’t. It’d also make that whole “flagship killer” line a little easier to swallow.
Sadly though, I just don’t see the OnePlus 5 price tag allowing for a second camera, as nice as it would be. Unless we’re in for another price hike that is…
Wireless charging
As far as fast charging goes OnePlus already has it locked down with the excellent Dash Charge, but the metal back of the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T deny us the possibility of wireless charging.
Wireless charging may have largely taken a back seat in popularity to fast charging in the last year or so, but there are still a lot of fans of the tech that would appreciate it on the OnePlus 5.
Fortunately (depending on how you look at it), the rumor mill has already posited a glass or ceramic back for the OnePlus 5, so we may be in luck with wireless charging if that pans out. If things take a different turn entirely (anyone want to see the return of sandstone?) perhaps wireless charging could be achieved via the lucrative accessories market with optional back panels equipped with charging coils.
MicroSD expansion
No matter what OEMs say about faster flash storage and dubious security, the vast majority of consumers want microSD expansion, this fact has been demonstrated time and time again. Sure, we want a fast phone but most of us would be happy to take a slight hit in terms of read/write speeds in order to be able to throw a 256 GB microSD card for all our music, footage or whatever else.
Paying a fortune extra to get a 128 GB version is not most people’s idea of a good compromise and, contrary to what OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei has said, most users don’t think microSD is “not a good user experience”. At the very least, we deserve the right to decide if we want the pros and cons of using microSD: isn’t that the point of Never Settle?
Don’t forget, the OnePlus X had a microSD card slot and there’s no reason the tray couldn’t also be used for a second SIM if 64 GB is enough for you or you prioritize performance over additional cheap storage. Sometimes we need less hype and more substance. So OnePlus, please, give the people what they want: it worked out fine with NFC after all.
Sometimes we need less hype and more substance.
Better updates
The OnePlus 5 will be the company’s next flagship and as such, should get better treatment where updates are concerned than, say, the OnePlus X or OnePlus 2. While I’m happy to note that OnePlus did manage to just make its deadline for the Nougat update for the OnePlus 3 and 3T, there’s no point pretending the company has the best reputation where updates are concerned.
From fewer bugs at launch to more transparency in the update process, admission of guilt when things go haywire and addressing critical flaws faster, OnePlus still has a long way to go to earn update brownie points. The OnePlus 5 will be an insta-buy for a lot of people, but it would be an even more attractive option to those that have had their OnePlus update fingers burned in the past if they felt this time they were assured of more timely and stable updates.
What do you want most from the OnePlus 5?