OnePlus 5 Review: A Year With the 2017 Flagship Killer

I bought the OnePlus 5 on launch day in June 2017, the same day as the Amsterdam launch event, and used it as my daily driver for about a year. This review is based on that long-term experience: how the phone held up, what still stands out, and who it’s really for.

Note: This review reflects the phone as it was in 2017 to 2018 (Android 7.1 to 8.x, OxygenOS 4.5 to 5.x). The OnePlus 5 has since received Android 10; official support has ended. For current specs and history, see OnePlus 5 on Wikipedia.

Specifications at a glance

Even after a year, the combination of Snapdragon 835 and 6 to 8 GB RAM made the OnePlus 5 feel like a new phone: smooth in the UI, in games, and in multitasking. Storage is fixed (no SD card); 64 GB was enough for plenty of photos and videos, but power users will prefer the 128 GB variant.

Battery and Dash Charge

The 3,300 mAh cell is nothing special on paper, but Dash Charge makes day-to-day use stress-free. The conversion from AC to DC happens in the charger, not inside the phone, so the device stays cool while charging, even when gaming or watching video. In practice, you get from 0% to around 60% in roughly 30 minutes.

Because charging was so fast, I often kept the screen at full brightness and still got solid screen-on time, including long Netflix sessions. The bundled Dash car charger delivers the same speed as the wall adapter, which is rare and very useful.

Software: OxygenOS and Android

The phone shipped with Android 7.1.1 and was updated to Android 8.0/8.1 Oreo; Face Unlock was added later (originally on the OnePlus 5T). Unlike heavy skins (e.g. Samsung’s), OxygenOS stays close to stock Android and adds features you can ignore or use:

• Screen-off gestures: Draw a V for the flashlight, or use gestures to skip tracks or pause music without turning the screen on.
• Gaming Do Not Disturb: Disables hardware keys and notifications so you don’t accidentally leave the game or get interrupted.
• Customizable navigation: Double-tap or long-press the Home, Recent, and Back keys to launch camera, Google Assistant, split-screen, or lock the device.

I used long-press on Home for Assistant, double-tap for camera, and long-press on Recent to turn the screen off. Once you set it up, it’s hard to go back to a phone without these options.

Display: quality and the “jelly” effect

The 5.5" Optic AMOLED panel is 1080p (401 ppi) with DCI-P3 support and multiple color profiles (sRGB, DCI-P3, etc.). In use it’s bright, color-accurate, and readable in direct sunlight. Blacks are true black, and the default calibration is good.

Some units showed a “jelly scrolling” effect when scrolling vertically. XDA Developers confirmed that the display was mounted upside down; the panel had to rotate the image before output, which a subset of users perceived as a slight lag or rubber-band effect. OnePlus stated it was not a defect. On my unit it was barely noticeable; your mileage may vary. Sticking with 1080p instead of 1440p was a sensible choice for battery life; the difference in sharpness at this size is minimal.

Design and build

The OnePlus 5 has a full metal unibody and OnePlus’s “Horizon Line” contour on the back, which makes it sit comfortably in the hand. It was available in Midnight Black and Slate Gray (and later Soft Gold); I had the 64 GB Slate Gray model.

• Buttons: Tactile, easy to reach. The Alert Slider (silent / do not disturb / ring) is stiff; the textured finish helps when switching.
• Fingerprint sensor: Front-mounted, ceramic, and still one of the fastest I’ve used; it’s reliable and rarely misreads.
• Speaker: Bottom-firing; loud enough to hear from a pocket. Not stereo, but fine for calls and media.
• Headphone jack: OnePlus kept the 3.5 mm jack and even asked the community whether to keep it. For wired backups (e.g. when your Bluetooth headphones are dead), it’s invaluable.

The phone has no official IP rating. Build quality is high, and some users have dunked it with no issues, but water damage is not covered under warranty. Use at your own risk.

Cameras

The dual-camera setup uses a 16 MP Sony IMX398 (f/1.7) main sensor and a 20 MP Sony IMX350 (f/2.6) telephoto. OnePlus marketed “2× optical zoom”; independent testing found around 1.33× true optical zoom, with the rest software. DxOMark rated the camera 87 at the time, above the iPhone 7.

In practice:

• Pro Mode delivers the best results when you take a moment to set exposure and focus. This phone is what got me into mobile photography.
• Panorama was weak; I avoided it.
• Video: 720p at 30 or 120 fps, 1080p at 30 or 60 fps, 4K at 30 fps, all with electronic stabilization (EIS) only. No optical image stabilization (OIS), but EIS was good enough for casual use.

The front camera is a 16 MP IMX371 (f/2.0) with screen flash. For selfies and video calls it’s more than adequate.

Who is the OnePlus 5 for?

OnePlus positioned the 5 as a “flagship killer” at around €500 (about $479 for 64 GB, $539 for 128 GB at launch). Compared to an iPhone X or Galaxy S9 at roughly twice the price, you got similar performance, fast charging, a clean OS, and a headphone jack. The 2× zoom (even if not fully optical) was handy in class or at events when you were sitting farther back.

For students and value-conscious users, the OnePlus 5 made sense: Dash Charge meant you could wake up with 0%, shower for 15 to 20 minutes, and have enough charge for the day. The design was understated but premium, and the software stayed out of the way while adding useful extras.

Bundle and accessories

Depending on region and promotion, the box could include:

• OnePlus Bullet V2 earbuds (~$20), often compared to more expensive in-ears like the Sennheiser Momentum for sound quality.
• Carbon-style case: Good fit and protection.
• Dash Charge car charger: Same fast charging as the wall plug, with a clear charging indicator.

I eventually switched to a dbrand skin and Grip bumper; the stock case served me well for most of the year.

Verdict

The OnePlus 5 delivered what it promised: high-end specs, Dash Charge, OxygenOS, and a solid display and build at about half the price of an iPhone or top-tier Galaxy. A year in, it still felt fast and dependable. The camera wasn’t the best in class, but Pro Mode and the telephoto made it capable enough for serious use. The lack of microSD and official waterproofing were the main trade-offs.

OnePlus later moved to glass backs (OnePlus 6 and on) and eventually dropped the headphone jack, so the 5 remains a particular moment in the lineup: metal, jack, and a skin that enhanced Android without overwhelming it. If you’re picking one up used today, expect no new OS updates (official support ended with Android 10), but custom ROMs like LineageOS can extend its life.

For more on specs, reception, and known issues (including the 911 dialing bug and jelly scrolling), see the OnePlus 5 Wikipedia article.