From the OnePlus 3T, the next flagship killer to watch for is the OnePlus 5, which according to new reports will be a huge jump from its predecessors. The premium specifications and feature upgrades will still impress but the pricing will now be in the high-end sphere.
Rumors gathered so far by WCCFTech from Asia indicate that the next OnePlus installment will be in the same league as that of the Galaxy flagship devices from Samsung. And that means "the affordable price tag might also cease to exist on the phone," the report added.
So expect that when the OnePlus 5 is unboxed, the starting price will be north of $500 or even higher. But to justify the significant price increase, the OP5 will get to keep its gorgeous design and stunning build with its maker using glass and metal for the device chassis and casing.
The OnePlus 5 will also make use of ceramic material on its body build, which according to Ubergizmo was highlighted in the Xiaomi Mi Mix. In effect, the OP5 will take a page from both the Galaxy S7 Edge and the Mi Mix in terms of design language.
And to further warrant the higher price tag, which WCCFTech said is inevitable given that the smartphone brand is now fully established with loyal following, it will be the tandem of Android 7.0 Nougat and Snapdragon 835 chip that will run the OnePlus 5 show. For the latter, the RAM support could be up to 8GB RAM, which likely be the highest RAM provision to be seen on a smartphone this 2017.
Also part of the mix is the combo of 23-megapixel camera on the rear and 16-megapixel front shooter with the internal storage capacity coming in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. There will be USB-C connectivity and the power juice will be supplied by a 4000mAh battery pack. Wireless charging is the cards too, which explains the possible use of glass back plate on the OnePlus 5.
All told, there will be five new feature upgrades that the OnePlus 5 will bring to the table, which WCCFTech said could be the chief reason the device is getting its name. But according to Ubergizmo, the OnePlus 3T that was issued in late 2016 served as the fourth in the series and the maker is apparently avoiding the '4' label for better luck.
As for the OnePlus 5 release date schedule, the best guess is around the second quarter of 2017 for the device intro with the actual rollout to follow shortly, likely no later than June.