OnePlus 5 vs OnePlus 3: Should You Upgrade?

After an average 2016 where OnePlus released two flagship smartphones, the company is back this year with its best smartphone yet. The new OnePlus 5 has specs to match the Galaxy S8 and a camera that competes with the iPhone 7 Plus. It has a lot to offer, but is it worth the upgrade over the OnePlus 3? Read on to find out.

Last year the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T almost lived up to the brands “Never Settle” tagline. It’s a great phone for half the cost of the Android competition but it had a few compromises.

Read: OnePlus 3 Review

The OnePlus 5 however, doesn’t have those compromises. It’s slimmer, has an improved premium design, better battery life and a new dual camera system on the back. Let’s talk about new, what changed and if it’s worth spending your hard-earned money on.

When it comes to buying a new smartphone roughly a year later, it all comes down to your priorities and personal preference. Some just buy the next best thing and call it a day, but others may have real reasons to make the switch. Not to mention the OnePlus 3T is only seven months old, so buyers are likely wondering if that’s enough time to offer significant upgrades.

On the outside, the new OnePlus 5 and last years OnePlus 3 look nearly identical, at least from the front. The company didn’t slim down the bezels and make the screen bigger like Samsung, nor did they make any other big changes that are noticeable right away.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth buying though. OnePlus prides itself on offering premium smartphones for those on a budget, and that is exactly what you’ll get with the OnePlus 5. It has all the makings for an $800 flagship smartphone but it only costs $479.

For those wondering, they skipped the number 4 as its bad luck in the company’s home country of China. With that all said, here’s how the OnePlus 5 and the OnePlus 3 compare.

OnePlus 5 vs OnePlus 3: Design & Display

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At first glance, almost nothing has changed. The OnePlus 5 and OP3 looks exactly the same from the front. There are still big bezels on the top and bottom of the screen, and it still has a front-facing fingerprint scanner. However, the phone is slightly smaller as they rounded the corners on the sides and back, and slimmed down the overall design.  Both phones have the same 5.5-inch 1080p HD AMOLED display. And while good, they aren't quite as good as Samsung. Nothing changed here but that isn't a bad thing either. Many consider this the perfect size.  What did change though is the design, even if it's subtle. There are fewer antenna lines, clean and more rounded corners, and a slimmer profile. You'll still have a USB Type-C port on the bottom, a headphone jack, and a single speaker. Just like last year, the new OnePlus 5 is not water-resistant, which is about the only compromise this phone has.  What is new are the cameras on the front and the back. OnePlus added a sleek dual camera array on the back similar to the iPhone 7 Plus. One is 16 megapixels, while the other has a 20 megapixel shooter great for zoom, portrait photos, and other neat things.   OnePlus stuck to the same beautiful design with its new phone, so keep that in mind as you decide if it's worth buying.

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