OnePlus 5 and 5T (64GB and 128GB) smartphone - pros and cons

In 2017, OnePlus announced the 5th series of smartphones. However, less than half a year later, in 2018, a 5T series smartphone appeared. Thus, the company decided to update the line of 5 series smartphones. As soon as the OnePlus 5 and 5T smartphone (64GB and 128GB) appeared, the advantages and disadvantages became obvious. This is not to say that everyone liked them. Many call them "flagship destroyers". In fact, this is far from the truth. The article describes two models of OnePlus smartphones 5 and 5T series.

Specifications

operating system

The 5 series uses the shell of the Android 7.1.1 operating system, in the 5T the developers decided to use the 8 version with the OxygenOS 5.0.3 firmware.

Display

The display size in the 5 series is 5.5 inches with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels, the 5T screen has increased to 6.01 inches, and the resolution has also increased to 1080x2160 pixels. The rest of the parameters remained unchanged for both devices:

• the density of the screen image is 401 dpi;
• the display has a double layer of polarization of the Optic AMOLED matrix;
• functionality from previous series is left - automatic control of screen brightness adjustment;
• the developers decided not to experiment and left the glass protection of the Corning Gorilla Glass 5 brand.

Chipset

The processor type has remained unchanged in both Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998 models. Depending on the chipset, this can be:

• a quad-core Kryo processor with a clock operating frequency of 2.45 GHz;
• Quad-core processor of the Kryo brand with a clock operating frequency of 1.9 GHz.

Even with the lowest frequency, the processor remains productive. Such processors are used mainly by no more expensive models of devices, which very pleasantly surprised many owners. Together with the Adreno 540 graphics processor, they increase its performance by a class above its price category.

Memory

The working memory of both devices is:

• 6 GB RAM (LPDDR4X memory modules are used). The amount of disk space is 64 GB type UFS 2.1;
• 8 GB RAM (LPDDR4X modules). The size of the disk capacity is 128 GB, the type of memory is UFS 2.1.

Removable drives are not included.

Battery and SIM cards

It uses 3300 mAh lithium polymer batteries (Li-Pol). The option to quickly charge the Dash Charge battery at a voltage of 5V and a current of 4A is applied. There is a dual sim slot for two nanosized SIM cards.

Front-camera

Sony IMX371 front camera with 16 megapixels, f / 2.0 lens aperture, EIS image processing technology, automatic dynamic color range expansion (Auto HDR) and image density of 1080 dots.

Rear camera

The rear camera has dual modules. The first Sony IMX398 module has a resolution of 16 megapixels with autofocus, an f / 1.7 lens aperture and EIS image processing technology. The second Sony IMX376K module has 20 megapixels of resolution. The lens aperture in the 5 series of the device is f / 2.6, in the 5T series it is f / 1.7. Another difference between the cameras is the x1.6 optical zoom. The OnePlus 5T device model does not have one. The cameras of both smartphones have many photo modes and an automatic LED flash.

Miscellaneous

There is an active noise cancellation system and a dedicated equalizer with built-in Direc HD Sound technology.There is a fingerprint scanning sensor, only in the 5T model it is placed on the back of the case. Both models have proximity, light, magnetic field sensors, an acceleration calculator, a gyroscope and a Sensor Hub list option.

Operate on LTE frequency bands on FDD channels 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/29/30/66 and on TDD 38 / 39/40/41. Wireless Wi-Fi network using 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac standard. There is a navigation system GPS / A-GPS / GLONASS. Dimensions of devices: OnePlus 5 - 154.2x74.1x7.3 mm, OnePlus 5T - 156x75x7.3 mm, Weight of devices: OnePlus 5 - 154 grams, OnePlus 5T - 162 grams.

As you can see from the technical description, smartphones have no significant differences. Their main difference is size and operating systems. The developers decided to remove the optical zoom from the 5T model. Not all owners liked this novelty.

Equipment

The package includes:

• smartphone;
• glass protection stickers. It is glued at the factory;
• instructions for users;
• warranty service coupon;
• device charging device with USB-C cable, standard cord length;
• silicone case (OnePlus 5T only).

Comparative description

The OnePlus 5T smartphone appeared in 2018 almost six months after the release of model 5 of the same device. The changes turned out to be minimal, and somewhere not even distinguished by originality, which was perceived by the fans of this brand very hostilely. The question arises, how to choose, if the changes are only in dimensions. The company has increased the mass just to increase the size of the displays. Although the battery remains the same. The decrease in the pixelation of the rear camera and the removal of the optical zoom in the company explained the need to improve the quality of images in low light conditions. With the same characteristics of the matrix, this is hard to believe.

As for the design, the company never ceases to amaze with its borrowed ideas for external performance. Ideas for previous versions were taken from Huawei. Although they cannot be classified as the best manufacturers. The placement of panels, buttons, the presence and location of a dual camera, the general outline of the case indicated a clear borrowing from the devices of this company. Moreover, the manufacturer is not at all embarrassed by such similarities and uniqueness of their devices.

On the contrary, they seem to show who they are challenging and who they want to surprise. This is a confrontation between Android devices and more expensive iOS devices. They seem to prove to these companies why customers prefer their devices. And statistics help them in this, their devices are in the first place in the rating of quality goods in terms of the number of phones sold. Users understand which company is better to buy.

Companies such as Samsung, Huawei, Apple are in serious competition for OnePlus. Their smartphones are much more expensive, but it is difficult to judge how much this speaks about the quality of their products. Everyone knows the marketing trick of raising prices, which should indicate high quality. However, this ratio is not always justified. Therefore, smartphones from OnePlus are considered for a limited, narrow circle of buyers who understand gadgets. They buy the filling for their products from their direct competitors.

Devices of the 5 and 5T line have many positive qualities that will help it reach the masses, especially since there is an opportunity to buy them at lower prices. Where can you buy profitably? As an example, Aliexpress. They offer reliable, non-defective products at low prices but no guarantee. For example, you can buy smartphones from them for less than 140,000 tenge for Kazakhstan.

The first acquaintance of all buyers with the phone begins with the complete box. Of course, no one will admire its design for long. After opening it, they will throw it away or put it away in a drawer, and they will never remember it again. But the design, the approach to the acquisition is done correctly.The first impression is always positive.

The phone itself comes in just two colors: gold and dark gray. The first option is more feminine, the second is suitable for people of any gender. Sometimes a company produces a limited number of series that never actually appear on sale. You can find out about them only from the company's news feeds, but it is almost impossible to purchase them. So, for example, it was with the JCC + series. This is a marketing extension of their models, which are available only in the virtual access of an inexpensive line of models.

The body has a pleasant curved shape that makes it more comfortable ergonomics. Since it is very thin, it is very convenient and easy to hold in your hand and store in your pockets. This will be especially appreciated by men who prefer to carry their phones in the pockets of their trousers and jackets. It is hardly felt there. However, there are complaints about its subtlety and streamlined shape. To people with big hands, he seemed like a "bar of soap" that constantly strives to slip out of their hands. Saves only the silicone case, which is included in the package. Indeed, the body is thin, streamlined, the surface is smooth, and for those who are not used to it, it seems uncomfortable at first.

Weighing 153 and 162 grams, it does not seem heavy even for women and children. Only the 5T version is more suitable for men due to the elongation of the body. This speaks in favor of this series. The body itself is made of an anodized phone. The display has glass protection. Many owners note the absence of scratches and the preservation of the paint even after six months of operation. This only speaks of the strength of the case. Even phones of a high price category cannot boast of this. Anodized aluminum is a very expensive material and this is reflected in the overall cost of the device.

On the back side there are two special holes for installing antennas. You can only see them if you look specifically to find them. It is easier to notice them on the golden case, but they do not spoil the appearance. The layout of all controls remains the same. It remains standard for every episode and never changes.
There is a special indicator on the top of the front part indicating missed events. The LED is not bright, but it is difficult not to notice it. The functionality of the phone with a user-friendly interface allows you to customize the highlighting of events in different colors. All sensors and a front camera are also located here. How she takes pictures can be seen in the photos below.

On the left side there is a checkbox with three positions. Its purpose is to switch the desired modes without having to go into the phone settings and set these modes. Nearby is a double button for volume control. It is also used to navigate through the menu when the phone boots up. On the opposite side there is a power on or off button for the phone. There is also a SIM card slot. The holder is removable, so you can easily remove it, insert the SIM-card and insert it back. The phone uses nano SIM-cards.

At the bottom there is a mini USB connector, type C. Nearby is a microphone for talking on the phone. Another microphone is located next to the rear camera, but it is only used to record voice while filming video and to absorb noise while talking on the phone. It does not cause any particular problems. Also at the bottom is a speaker and a 3.5mm SD card slot.

Below the screen is a fingerprint sensor. OnePlus 5T has it on the back side. No one has any complaints about his work. In terms of performance, it corresponds to the expensive counterparts of other phone manufacturers. You can set the sensor for one long touch or two short ones. The speed of scanning and processing the received data takes literally a split second. The functionality of the phone allows you to assign a touch to the scanner to call any function convenient for the user, for example, to call games.Although its main function is to unlock the screen. On the sides of the sensor there are touch keys. Their functionality remains the same.

The only drawback of the smartphone that can be noted is the presence of a film. It protects the glass. But over time, it begins to wear out and scratch. You will have to remove it.
Some "experts" even looked inside and found silicone seals there. This indicates the tightness of the case. It is protected from moisture, dust, dirt. It cannot be considered completely sealed. It will not pass the bath test, since there are connectors that are not equipped with such seals, for example, a SIM card slot.

Comparison of displays

Smartphones OnePlus 5 and 5T have screen sizes of 5.5 and 6.1 inches diagonally, respectively. This is where the difference between the screens ends among themselves and with other models of the same company. Manufacturers continue to use AMOLED matrices. The popularity of the models of this matrix distinguishes their products from cheap consumer goods, and puts them on a par with the phones of more expensive brands.

Although matrices are bought from their direct competitor Samsung or smaller manufacturers, the performance of their matrices is much lower. It does not have highly efficient energy saving functions, so it will quickly drain the battery with its work. In the name of the matrix, the Optic prefix appeared, but this only means that the developers have adjusted the color gamut profiles. This feature has the entire line of OnePlus smartphones. Therefore, this cannot even serve as a criterion for choosing a phone.

Maximum viewing angles without any image distortion. The only drawback that can be noted is the presence of a slight shade of green when changing the viewing angle. This is a serial disadvantage of this matrix. But good for viewing images, they are always clear with a contrast of 10,000: 1 and a brightness of 440 cd / m3. This is a very good quality for this price group. There is a possibility of color calibration. You can change color schemes in your phone settings. There are only two of them: sRGB, DCI-P3. Using a custom color scheme allows you to customize the screen for non-cold or warm colors yourself. The screen dims a little in the sun, but the images are always visible.

Phone battery

It uses 3300 mAh lithium polymer batteries. At first glance, such a capacity should not last long. However, as it turned out, when the screen is on, its charge lasts for 6-7 hours. With moderate use, the phone will be able to work for almost two days. The battery lasts 20 hours for listening to music, and up to 15 hours for surfing the Internet. There is a very convenient function of fast charging of the DASH technology battery. It allows you to fully charge the battery in just an hour.

Hardware performance

The phones come in two flavors, with 6GB and 8GB of RAM and 64GB and 128GB of hard drive capacities, respectively. Both options show high performance even at maximum load. With the Snapdragon 835 chipset, which itself is very powerful, coupled with fast and large memory, manufacturers were able to get a phone with good characteristics. The RAM speed is 6700 MB / s, the built-in memory has a data processing speed of 215 MB / s. With a processor clock speed of 214 GHz, it turned out to be a very smart phone. Suitable for working with large amounts of information and for active games.

Camera comparison

In the OnePlus 5T version of the phone, the developers decided to abandon the zoom, which is present in the 5 series. Instead of zoom, the developers decided to use paired modules with different resolutions. As soon as the illumination falls below 10 lux, a high-resolution camera is activated. How she photographs at night can be seen in the photo below.

This decision did not please everyone. The zoom function is interesting in itself. Many are accustomed to her and would like to see her in all models. Despite this omission, the cameras produce good, clear images. There is good focusing with good image sharpness.
The video quality remained at the same level.Maximum 4K resolution for a frame rate of 30 frames / second. However, the camera does not have optical stabilization.

Reviews of smartphone owners

The strengths of users include: clarity and contrast of the screen, ergonomics of the case, sound of the speaker, protection from moisture and dust, beautiful appearance, good quality of shooting, design, performance, quality of cellular communication, pricing policy of the company, especially how much it costs now , is liked by almost all buyers. Those wishing to purchase have not yet decided which model is better to buy. There are practically no differences between the models, and the price is almost the same.

The disadvantages include: heating during charging, poor-quality firmware of the operating system, lack of battery power for a long time, inconvenience of buttons on the screen, inability to switch sound modes in the case, scratches on the film after some time, lack of 3.5 headphone jack, to listen to music or radio.

• high-quality video and photo;
• clear sound, no noise;
• stylish design;
• fast battery charging;
• the presence of a silicone cover in the kit;
• great autonomy.

• strong vibration;
• unpredictability of the night mode of the screen;
• lack of automatic shutdown of alarm signals;
• the body feels very slippery.

The devices have not received mass distribution, with an average price of $ 500, they cannot be called budget. They are more intended for people who understand and know a lot about smartphones, as they have adopted a good price-to-quality ratio from the previous versions. They are cheaper than their counterparts of popular models of recognizable brands, but much higher than usual consumer goods. The devices have taken some intermediate position, but many see it as a kind of marketing gimmick. In reality, they surpass consumer goods in terms of price and quality, but are close to high-quality devices.