Gadgetory

for Android enthusiasts there are a few devices this year which will generate as much buzz as the phone we're reviewing today my own personal experiences with the brand I was very skeptical of the company start especially critical of early advertising campaigns but over several generations this label really has evolved to represent what their slogans claim can you deliver a mere flagship great experience at a significant price reduction as vicious as this market has become the oneplus 5 cuts precious few corners but can it still excite fans like earlier oneplus phones could when novelty was on their side while starting off with design let's get this out of the way right now this phone looks an awful lot like another phone out there well yeah sure that one but it also looks like another phone - in my R 11 first impressions I had this to say this seems to be the final evolution of this style as other companies are pushing boundaries in other ways we wouldn't disagree from the comments we're short again about this phone in similarities with other devices and this runs doubly true for the oneplus 5 the aesthetic is as evolved as it really can be screen size aspect ratio front fingerprint sensor camera bolt we've lived through three generations of similar Apple products so this is as low risk as a manufacturer can get a phone that aims for a premium feel but won't rock the boat I'm not angsty about the oppo there's actually something charming about sharing a shell like a joint effort between Porsche and Volkswagen same frame different features different trim different markets words like derivative or copycat might be bandied about but I do have to give one plus credit for yet again showing how much space Apple wastes for the same screen size I'm definitely being kind but there is a small moral victory to applaud that and I just dig matte finish phones a nice satiny layer over a gracefully contoured back with faucets carved into the sides for better grip thankfully oneplus was kind enough to send over some sample cases so I can replace the sandstone texture I enjoyed so much on the oneplus 2 it makes the camera testing a lot easier knowing I have a good grip on the thing the tech inside is on point but doesn't push the boundaries much on the oneplus experience welcomes newest chipset packs a great punch especially when paired with fast storage and energy efficient Ram these guts are top-tier but some folks might be frustrated by the dual SIM card tray instead of expandable storage or the lack of enhanced water resistance or durability certifications and all this horse power is paired again with a 1080p display we've come to expect a higher pixel density on proper Android flagships though an HD screen is plenty fine to make it through your daily business so much so that even Samsung now delivers a significantly more expensive phone out of the box with a reduced resolution AMOLED panels deliver that tasty contrast ratio accentuated by the dark scene included with oneplus software pushing a nice color pop photos and videos our consumer pleasing and outdoor viewing is better than average in auto brightness mode highlighted for the oneplus 5r separate night time in reading modes to ease the strain on your eyes you can dial in a bit more of an amber tone or select apps to shift into an almost Kindle like state it's a nice consideration for those late night insomnia credit sessions and expanding on the software oxygen OS is a wonderfully evolved experience consider it stock Android refined only minor touches here and there to differentiate with a minimum of green installed software really clean a blank slate for the consumer to customize as they see fit a too handy additions mobile gamers will certainly appreciate a do not disturb mode setting filters for which notifications can disrupt your boss battles and for folks worried about privacy the file manager now has a secure box locked down by a pin or fingerprint to keep your sensitive materials away from prying eyes if there is any concern software wise it's in an area we can't properly predict and that's future support we can be confident that this phone will be in line for Android oh but the recent announcement that the oneplus 2 will not be receiving nougat was disappointing it introduces a touch of doubt as to how this company might support future products turn back to happier news lien software in HD resolution it's no great shot that this phone is a screamer the most fluid UI performance I've yet experienced on this chipset I'm not sure how much software really benefits from this quantity of RAM but it's sure-footed and predictable in multitasking situations it chews up daily communication in social networking and it's more than capable of brute forcing its way through a poorly optimized game like Marvel future fight and oneplus touts improved carrier reception and MIMO Wi-Fi antennas for better wireless performance real-world it didn't let me down in tricky reception areas around Los Angeles though both LTE and Wi-Fi consistently fell behind a glass back phone like the LG G 6 we dig deeper into camera tech in our separate real camera review but as a brief summation here if you thought the overall phone Hardware looked familiar the camera will also create some deja vu the dual lens setup opting for a standard view and the equivalent of a 2 X optical zoom all round we saw very good photo performance in a variety of shooting situations it still falls behind the fastest performers but improvements to autofocus over the 3t are certainly appreciated and refinement to image processing produces some stellar JPEGs even in low-light situations dual cameras deliver fun software blur here in a portrait mode almost completely copy pasted from the iPhone we wish there were a bit more control over this effect but it is well implemented unfortunately video takes us a small step backwards with only software stabilization and this is not available when shooting UHD it's a shame as we've seen what older chipsets can produce when cropping and adjusting the frame the oneplus 5 should be more than powerful enough to match that smoothness when switching to 1080p output is deliciously fluid supporting my hypothesis that hybrid software and hardware stabilization is less desirable but this comes at the expense of clarity and resolution if there's any area we're hoping for improvement on a future update it's an adding stabilization to UHD video while a significant focus has been applied to camera tech we're happy to hear that audio has also received some attention your performance won't wow anyone for being a bottom firing mono solution it's about as good as a single speaker can be when not cleaning that okay no the one plus five continues a track record of including above-average headphone performance new for 2017 retreated to true blue 32-bit playback and this is another phone added to our list of gadgets which can properly produce frequencies of sound that most dogs cannot hear in terms of quality it's exciting to see a less expensive phone which produces almost exactly the same numbers as the improved Galaxy s8 and any differences we could detect we're well within the margin of error better still the amp on the five takes a small step up over our 1 plus 3t making this phone ever so slightly better at driving nicer headphones then most of the current flagship competition very well done indeed but there have been some concerns over the slightly smaller battery in the 5 over last year's 3 T 1 plus claims the more power-efficient chipset and RAM should more than make up that difference and we'd say this philosophy is on point in our media test the oneplus 5 posted the best numbers of any phone we've yet tested this year it won't cross over into the marathon territory of some bigger battery devices but it shouldn't leave you stranded during the day under moderate use in the event you do need to recharge you can also expect some of the fastest juicing around thanks to the - charger not only does this rapidly increase your runtime it manages to keep the phone relatively cool while topping off so let's wrap this up where's that leave us with the 1 + 5 I'm very happy with this initial experience the mission of a company like oneplus is to balance competitive pricing against delivering as few compromises as possible reviewing the more expensive model we're treated to performance which exceeds our expectations and with a retail price some $200 less than a Galaxy sa you really do feel like most of your money is going towards what's inside the phone the trade-offs are acceptable for most daily use scenarios you don't get the most pixel dense screen you don't get expandable storage or water resistance you don't get the most fashion-forward gadget any of those could rightfully be deal breakers depending on the consumer but the lower price helps take some of the angst off that balance of features for the dollar is critically important and oneplus makes a very compelling argument for your money as always thanks so much for watching be sure to subscribe to this channel and hit the bell icon for our full 1+5 coverage including real camera and real audio reviews and please drop us some comments down below on what phones you'd like to see us compare against the 1 + 5 and help us out with some sharing on your favorite social media sites for pocket now I'm Juan Carlos bag now some gadget guy on Twitter and Instagram and I will catch you all on the next review