OnePlus 5 name, launch confirmed, sketches show dual cameras
Really soon now, the Samsung Galaxy S8 will no longer be the only smartphone bearing the Snapdragon 835 platform. This month will see the unveiling of the "squeezable" HTC U 11 and next month will mark the availability of the Sony Xperia XZ Premium. Not far behind, however, will be OnePlus with its 2017 hero, the OnePlus 5. Yes, it will indeed be skipping the OnePlus 4, as the company's own Weibo account has practically confirmed.
It's no secret by now why OnePlus is skipping the number "4". Or rather, it's mostly common presumption, because what other plausible reason is there? The number "4" is considered unlocky in many East Asian cultures because of its ties with the word for "death". Suffice it to say, OnePlus' teaser itself confirms it'll be using "5".
So does that mean the OnePlus 5 will be lucky? That really depends on how well OnePlus executes things this time, from production to design to, perhaps more importantly, retail. Although not critical dealbreakers, OnePlus has had a track record of shipping devices with some minor hardware issues. But it's most criticized missteps have been the way it sells its smartphones.
On the design front, it seems that OnePlus will be making some changes. It has been rather proud of its designs, from the unique sandstone back to the recent limited edition midnight black. For the OnePlus 5, it will seemingly adopt a design not unlike that of Google's Pixel. That means the back will have two tones and two materials, with a ceramic area at the top.
The sketch also hints that OnePlus will be finally jumping on the dual camera bandwagon. But it's also doing more. It will actually have dual cameras front and back, when most of the other smartphone makers usually make a choice between the two. Interestingly, there will also be dual flash, although that's on the back only.
OnePlus' teaser also hints that the OnePlus 5 will arrive around summer time, which can be any of the next two or so months after mid-June. It will practically be cutting the OnePlus 3T's retail life short. In fact, OnePlus has already stopped selling the 128 GB model of the OnePlus 3T because they ran out of stock and won't be producing new ones anymore.