OnePlus just recently confirmed that the OnePlus 3T follow-up — the OnePlus 5 — is launching this summer. The OnePlus 3T was already hailed as one of last year's best smartphones. If the company follows its pattern of releasing inexpensive, top-tier smartphones, the OnePlus 5 stands a chance of becoming one of this year's best, too.
Naturally, this should worry other players in the smartphone race. While Samsung's Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus have already amassed stellar accolades, the OnePlus 5 could easily swoop in and steal its spotlight, especially by undercutting its price.
Add to that the rumors surrounding the OnePlus 5, which paints the forthcoming device as having a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip under the hood, dual cameras, and 6 or 8 GB of RAM. These features already make for a powerful device, and one can expect OnePlus not to slap a steep price on it once released.
Still, for Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus users, here's why they shouldn't worry at all.
The Galaxy S8 Has An Infinity Display: Beat That, OnePlus 5
Now, OnePlus has yet to unveil if it also plans to jump on the bezel-less display trend, but even if it ends up doing so, the Infinity Display on the Galaxy S8 still quite holds a truly awe-striking caliber. It's a 5.8-inch — 6.2 if you get the S8 Plus — Super AMOLED screen. What more is there to say? The words gorgeous, eye-popping, and fantastic come to mind, yet they fail to accurately describe the deep blacks, the contrast, the colors, and the size of the Infinity Display. Beat that, OnePlus 5.
Virtual Pressure-Sensitive Home Button
Because Samsung wanted to create a phone that almost doesn't have bezels, it had to sacrifice the home button and allocate that for the Infinity Display instead. Users, however, won't have to come looking for a home button because Samsung has put a special pressure-sensitive sensor underneath the screen that gives vibrations upon touch. It feels almost as real as pushing a real button, and it works great.
Iris Scanner
Despite its successes in designing a gorgeous phone, many critics think Samsung went wrong with the placement of the fingerprint scanner. It's right next to the camera this time, which makes the lens vulnerable to accidental touches and smudges.
Here's a recourse, though. There is actually an iris scanner on the front, which uses the user's eyes to unlock the phone or perform various security features. Some reports even suggest that the scanner is stronger than FBI's fingerprint technology. While this is a point of contention, The Verge notes that it works fast, which already evolves it from gimmicky status to necessity.
Meet Bixby
Something other phones simply don't and can't have is Bixby, Samsung's proprietary voice-enabled virtual assistant that debuted alongside the Galaxy S8. It's still quite early to see whether Bixby can hold a candle to established rivals the likes of Assistant, Alexa, and Siri, but its artificial intelligence-powered camera features already give it a leg up.
Samsung DeX
The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are the first phones to feature Samsung DeX, the company's foray into the mobile-as-a-desktop-computer platform. Simply put, one can connect a Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus to an external display via DeX and have a full-on desktop experience. Some Android apps are even optimized for DeX, which amps up the whole PC-like atmosphere. It's a nifty feature and cements the Galaxy S8's reputation as a powerhouse device.
These five features make the Galaxy S8 one of this year's top smartphone choices, regardless if the OnePlus 5 comes along. All told, this year is definitely showing signs of a high-profile smartphone shootout.
Thoughts? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
