The OnePlus 5 was officially announced on Tuesday, and there's a lot to like. It's the company's thinnest smartphone yet, it features a gorgeous design, and it comes equipped with a dual-camera setup, similar to the one featured in the iPhone 7 Plus.
While the device is a technical and engineering marvel, it falls short in a few areas. If you were to compare the OnePlus 5 directly with the Galaxy S8, you wouldn't find many differences, particularly where specs are concerned.
However, if you start to look deeper, it's clear OnePlus still has an uphill battle to fight. Not to say the OnePlus 5 shouldn't be praised for what it offers. As the company said, a phone's specs don't determine whether a device is good or not.
Still, if you're searching for the absolute latest in mobile, the Galaxy S8 is the clear winner.
Edge-to-edge display
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau already explained why the OnePlus 5 doesn't feature an edge-to-edge display. Basically, it comes down to logistics. OnePlus wasn't able to secure enough OLED units to be competitive against the likes of LG, Samsung, and Apple, so it went with a 5.5-inch Full HD unit, which the company claims is its best display yet. It's a sensible move from OnePlus.
Wireless charging
While many of today's top flagships support wireless charging, the OnePlus 5 does not. Which isn't a big deal for most consumers, because the company's Dash Charge feature is superior to any wireless charging methods. Still, there's something so cool about being able to place a device on a pad and have it instantly start charging.
Biometricvariety
The OnePlus 5 features a fingerprint sensor that's capable of unlocking the device in less than a second. But, unlike the Galaxy S8, there's no iris scanner and facial recognition. Admittedly, these technologies are still in their infancy in mobile, but the Galaxy S8 wins out thanks to its sheer amount of options.
Expandable storage
Like previous OnePlus devices, the OnePlus 5 conveniently features dual SIM support. Unfortunately, this comes at the cost of expandable storage, which has become commonplace among top Android flagships. With 64GB and 128GB options, most people won't decry the lack of microSD card support. However, it's yet another feature the Galaxy S8 has and the OnePlus 5 doesn't.
Waterproofing
Do people really care about how water resistant their device is? Try asking the person whose phone was ruined by a spilled cup of water. It's an important feature that you don't realize you need until you have an accident. The Galaxy S8 is IP68 rated. Why isn't the OnePlus 5?
Bonus: That price!
It's hard to complain about a phone that offers so much technology at such an affordable price. But ever since the OnePlus One launched in 2014, the price to own a Flagship Killer has gradually gone up, peaking with last year's OnePlus 3T. Now, the price has gone up yet again to $479, which is tiptoeing out of impulse buy territory. The OnePlus 5 is still more affordable than the Galaxy S8, but if the trend continues, that gap will soon be nonexistent.
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