OnePlus 5 VS OnePlus 3T: Six key differences

After a careful examination of both OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 3T, we were able to spot six key differences. Let's find out what they are.

Design – the devil is in the details

At the first glance, OnePlus 5 is very similar to OnePlus 3T — at least in size and weight:

● OnePlus 5: 15.42 x 7.41 x 0.73 cm (6.07 x 2.92 x 0.29 inches) and 0.1560 kg.

● OnePlus 3T: 15.27 x 7.47 x 0.74 cm (6.01 x 2.94 x 0.29 inches) and 0.1580 kg.

A metal unibody with the simple and clean style remains in the new model as well, and the fingerprint sensor is still at the front.

However, quite a few details have been altered:

● OnePlus 5 is notably slimmer (7.25mm - almost as thin as the iPhone 7, which is 7.1mm) with more rounded edges, which means it sits more comfortably in your palm.

● Double C-shaped antenna lines are redesigned to go around the perimeter of the phone instead of cutting across the back, making them less noticeable.   

● The dual rear camera was shifted to the top-left corner, making it look much like the iPhone 7 Plus.

One thing though, OnePlus 5 just offers two color options at present - Midnight Black and Slate Gray, we are eagerly expecting this choice to expand later.

Performance – a big power leap

How does OnePlus 5 perform? See for yourself.

"It is the most luxurious and sincerest configuration in 2017'', said Pete (OnePlus CEO) on OnePlus 5 conference in China. Let's see if the data backs up the big claim and how the phone compares to OnePlus 3T.

● OnePlus 5 - Qualcomm Snapdragon 835: Octa-core Kyro CPU, Adreno 540 GPU, 6GB RAM and 64GB ROM, or 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM

● OnePlus 3T - Qualcomm Snapdragon 821: Quad-core Kyro CPU, Adreno 530 GPU, 6GB RAM and 64GB ROM, or 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM

OnePlus 5 maximizes the performance of Qualcomm 835 chipset. Compared with Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 packed on OnePlus 3T, Snapdragon 835 is 27% faster while consuming 40% less energy, with the overall size being 30% smaller than the previous generation.

OnePlus 5 is up to 25% more efficient than OnePlus 3T thanks to Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, which delivers 10% greater CPU performance and 21% greater GPU performance than the Snapdragon 820.

However, the best feature is the phone's massive 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM. This should be more than enough for the average user's daily needs — note that you will not be able to expand the storage as the phone does not come with a micro SD card slot. 

With excellent hardware, OnePlus 5 brings us clearer, faster and smoother user experience, especially for all media and gaming fans.  

Camera - dual camera conversion

In addition to the improved design and a strong performance on OnePlus 5, the next biggest upgrade is the dual camera.

See the back of the two handsets and you can easily spot the difference in the rear cameras.

OnePlus 5 is put in a dual lens setup, with 16 and 20MP sensors, while it's just 16MP on OnePlus 3T, which is a big leap. Combined with a 2X optical zoom, it can deliver very good results in Portrait Mode. That is to say: dual camera technology lets you focus on your subject, progressively blurring the background for a gentle, yet powerful effect. Besides, the camera's focus speed got a 40%  increase.

The similarity is: both phones come with the same 16MP front-facing shooter, which is enough to help take some high quality selfies.

Display - further humanized design

"Not much difference on display", you may say at first glance, but in fact, OnePlus 5 has subtle changes and the design is more user-oriented. Let's look some key data here:

● OnePlus 5: 5.5-inch, Optic AMOLED panel, 1920 x 1080 pixels (401 ppi pixel density), 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5

● OnePlus 3T: 5.5-inch, Optic AMOLED panel, 1920 x 1080 pixels (401 ppi), Corning Gorilla Glass 4

See the difference? The main difference lies in Corning Gorilla Glass. OnePlus 5 adopts Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which offers better protection and scratch resistance as compared to Gorilla Glass 4.

Gorilla Glass 5 can survive drops on hard and rough surfaces 80% of the time when dropped from a height of 1.6 meters. It is also as clear and touch sensitive as the Gorilla Glass 4.

But wait, we seem to have missed one more thing - the 2.5D curve. This is also a significant feature on the screen of OnePlus 5.

What's 2.5D? 2.5D refers to a slight curvature at the edge of the glass display, also known as a contoured edge.

Thanks to the 2.5D glass, the phone is more ergonomic and aesthetic, with a smooth touch and swipe.

OxygenOS - advanced operating system

Both OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 3T run the company's own OxygenOS, but the system on OnePlus 5 is based on the latest Android version - Android 7.1.1 Nougat.

On that basis, OnePlus 5 also adds some new functions.  First and foremost, we have an added display option - Reading Mode. In Reading Mode, your eyes will feel as comfortable as when reading an actual book, just like on a Kindle.

In addition, there are other new software features, such as automatic night mode, expanded screenshots, a do not disturb mode while gaming, and more.

Battery Life and Charging - smaller capacity, higher efficiency

In terms of battery, both OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 3T have a non-removable battery on board. But you may be surprised at the smaller battery capacity on OnePlus 5:

● OnePlus 5 - 3300 mAh

● OnePlus 3T - 3400 mAh

Don't worry about it. Due to the optimized hardware and software, the battery of OnePlus 5 works even more efficiently. As OnePlus claimed, "The efficiency in both hardware and software will actually last 20% longer than OnePlus 3T", but that will depend on how you are using the phone (gaming vs reading emails, for example).

Next, on to the charging where OnePlus 5 maintains its original advantage — a feature that all active mobile users will appreciate. The super fast Dash Charge is carried over from its predecessor.

As reported, OnePlus 5 can charge over 50 percent of its battery in about 25 minutes, and can reach its full capacity in less than 90 minutes. This dash charge speed is greatly faster than its rivals, such as Google Pixel XL, Samsung Galaxy S8, and so on.

Summary

As the latest flagship successor, OnePlus 5 is quite an outstanding handset.

OnePlus 5 offers several significant improvements over OnePlus 3T, including the ergonomic and aesthetic design and display, incredible performance, big camera advancement, improved OxygenOS and longer battery life.

I can't say OnePlus 5 is a perfect phone, but it's undoubtedly a premium and good-value handset far exceeding the company's most famous models.  

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