The OnePlus 5 arrived over the summer with an impressive design, dual-camera setup, and 8GB of RAM. Few phones can compete with its combination of power and value, but now that the Note 8 has launched, Samsung is making a pretty good argument to ditch the flagship killer.
What makes the Note 8 such a compelling alternative to the OnePlus 5 is its S Pen, which offers a unique and powerful experience you can’t get from any other device. Factor in the Note 8’s gorgeous design, powerful specs, and edge-to-edge display, and you have even more reasons why Samsung’s newest flagship is a winner.
But when you consider price, it becomes a little more difficult for the Note 8 to compete. At $479, the OnePlus 5 is relatively cheap by flagship smartphone standards. The Note 8 is almost double. That’s a pretty hard sell if price is ultimately your most important factor.
That being said, when considered among its other contemporaries, such as the Essential Phone and iPhone 7 Plus, and the Note 8’s higher price doesn’t seem bad. For many, what you get is well worth the cost (and I tend to agree).
If you aren’t an S Pen believer and don’t need a display with minimal bezels, picking the Note 8 over the OnePlus 5 becomes much harder. Then again, the prospect of Samsung Pay, Bixby, and wireless charging might pull you over to Samsung’s side.
Check out how these two devices compare in the chart below.
Samsung - Galaxy Note 8 | OnePlus - OnePlus 5 | |
---|---|---|
Display Size | 6.3-inch, 2960 x 1440 pixel display (522 ppi) | 5.5-inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel display (401 ppi) |
Resolution X | 2960 | 1920 |
Resolution Y | 1440 | 1080 |
Display Type | Quad HD+ | AMOLED |
Operating System | Android 7.1.1 (at launch) | Android 7.1.1 Oxygen OS (at launch) |
Processor | Octa core (2.3GHz Quad + 1.7GHz Quad), 64 bit, 10 nm processor/Octa core (2.35GHz Quad + 1.9GHz Quad), 64 bit, 10 nm processor - Differs by market | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 |
RAM | 6GB | 6GB/8GB |
Storage |
|
|
External Storage | Yes | No |
External Storage Specs |
|
|
Main Camera (Back) | 12MP | 16/20MP |
Secondary Camera (Front) | 8MP | 16MP |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 LE | Bluetooth 5.0 |
Battery | 3300mAh | 3300mAh |
NFC | Yes | Yes |
Connectivity |
|
|
Sensors |
|
|
GPS |
|
|
Height | 162.5 mm (6.40 inches) | 154.2 mm (6.07 inches) |
Width | 74.8 mm (2.94 inches) | 74.1 mm (2.92 inches) |
Depth | 8.6 mm (0.34 inches) | 7.25 mm (0.29 inches) |
Weight | 195 g (6.88 oz) | 5.4 oz (153 g) |
Colors | N/A | Black, Gray |
Supported Audio Formats | MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DSF, DFF, APE | MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, WAV, FLAC, APE, OGG, MID, M4A, IMY |
Supported Video Formats | MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM | MKV, MOV, MP4, H.265(HEVC), AVI, WMV, TS, 3GP, FLV, WEBM |

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