OnePlus recently announced their latest flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 5 and it’s a spectacular smartphone for what it has to offer, boasting high-end specs like Snapdragon 835 chip, dual 20 MP + 16 MP camera set-up, Optic AMOLED display, and up to 8 GB of RAM. In terms of value for money, only few can match the OnePlus 5 in terms of what it brings to the table. However, the iPhone-esque design along with the lack of a trending bezel-less display, higher resolution screen and a waterproof body, didn’t manage to please some of the fans. So, if you’re one of those people who’s disappointed with the OnePlus 5, you might want to look elsewhere for alternatives. Well, without further ado, let’s check out the 8 best OnePlus 5 alternatives you can buy:
1. LG G6
If you’re really looking forward to follow the near bezel-less trend that certain smartphones have been following recently, you’ll be keen on getting LG’s 2017 flagship, the G6. Featuring a screen-to-body ratio of 78.6%, this is also one of the least expensive phones with minimum bezels. The LG G6 boasts a 5.7-inch QHD (2880 x 1440p) IPS display, which is significantly higher than what’s offered by the OnePlus 5. However, the smartphone is powered by last year’s Snapdragon 821 processor, that’s inferior to the newer Snapdragon 835 chip that the OnePlus 5 carries. That being said, the performance difference between these two chips aren’t that significant when it comes to real-time performance.
Moving on to the camera, the G6 features a similar dual-camera setup like the OnePlus 5. However, both of the cameras can take 13 MP stills, despite the fact that one of them is a standard lens and the other, is a wide-angle lens. The LG G6 is IP68 certified, which essentially means that the smartphone is dust and waterproof up to 1.5 meters and 30 minutes, something which is completely lacking on the OnePlus 5. Lastly, the battery on the G6 is rated at 3300 mAh, which is pretty much the same as the latest OnePlus smartphone, but expect the battery life on the G6 to be slightly shorter, as the Snapdragon 835 on the OnePlus 5 is much more battery efficient than the Snapdragon 821 chip that powers the G6.
Buy from Amazon:
India (Rs. 39,990)
US ($474.97)
Others ($511.50)
2. Huawei Honor 8 Pro
This latest smartphone from Huawei is aimed at going toe to toe against the latest OnePlus flagship, especially in terms of hardware. The 5.7-inch QHD (2560 x 1440p) IPS display on the Honor 8 Pro, literally manages to put the OnePlus 5’s Full HD screen to shame. The device is powered by the manufacturer’s own HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor and up to 6 GB RAM depending on the variant you’re opting for. Although the processor is inferior to the Snapdragon 835 chip in terms of raw performance, the Kirin 960 should be able to handle all the real world tasks with absolute ease, and thereby, we’ve got no complaints in this department.
Moving on to the camera, the Honor 8 Pro boasts a dual 12 MP camera set up, which lets you shoot some high resolution stills, especially if you’re into casual smartphone photography. The standout feature of the Honor 8 Pro is the huge 4000 mAh battery, that easily manages to outshine the 3300 mAh unit housed in the OnePlus 5. Well, when it comes to battery life, the Honor 8 Pro sits right on top of every other smartphone that we’ve featured in this list. The Honor 8 Pro is not available right now, but it’s expected to hit stores in countries like India, US, and more in July.
Buy from Amazon:
India (Rs. 29,999)
US (Not Available)
Others ($599)
3. LG V20
We’ve got another LG smartphone in this list, and this one is the company’s 2016 flagship. The LG V20 might not boast minimal bezels like the G6, but it certainly manages to stand up to its name for a 2016 smartphone, by offering some beefy hardware under the hood. The V20 sports a 5.7-inch QHD (2560 x 1440p) IPS display, which is significantly better than what the OnePlus 5 has to offer. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 820 chipset and 4 GB RAM, which might sound inferior to the OnePlus 5, but for a flagship from last year, it’s still quite impressive to say the least.
Moving on to the camera, we have a dual-camera (16 MP + 8 MP) setup just like the OnePlus 5 and other LG flagships that we’ve seen recently. One of them is a standard lens and the other one is a wide-angle lens with a aperture of f/2.4. In addition to all this, you also get a secondary screen at the top of your display, which is the standout feature of this smartphone. As far as battery life is concerned, the V20 carries a 3200 mAh battery, so you can expect battery life to be as good as the newer OnePlus 5 smartphone. All in all, if you want a high resolution display at an affordable price, this is certainly one of the best options you can go for.
Buy from Amazon:
India (Rs. 32,485)
US: ($449.99)
Others: ($402.56)
4. Motorola Moto Z
Motorola unveiled their modular flagship smartphone last year, and it’s nothing short of exceptional. The phone is completely different from OnePlus 5, but if you want to take your smartphone to the next level with all the Moto Mods that are available right now, this is certainly worth all your money. Some of the cool mods that you can try out include JBL Soundboost, Mophie juice pack, Hasselblad True Zoom camera mod, etc. Moving on to the actual hardware, the Moto Z features 5.5-inch QHD (2560 x 1440p) AMOLED display for all the eye candy that you’ll need. Under the hood, it packs Snapdragon 820 chipset, along with 4 GB of RAM, which is still impressive, considering this is a smartphone from 2016.
Speaking about the camera, the device sports a 13 MP primary camera with optical image stabilization to shoot some stunning pictures right from your smartphone. With the camera moto mods, the things you can do with the Moto Z’s camera is limitless. The smartphone packs only a 2600 mAh battery, due to the slim profile, but you could attach some battery mods to the back of your device for significantly better battery performance. Sure, it’s totally different from the OnePlus 5, but the Moto Z is for all the people who prefer unique features than just raw power. However, if you want better performance, you could keep your eyes on the upcoming Moto Z2 that’s hugely expected to be unveiled by the company very soon.
Buy from Amazon:
India (Rs. 29,999)
US ($499.99)
Others ($499.99)
5. OnePlus 3T
What could a be a better alternative to the new OnePlus 5 other than the company’s own OnePlus 3T smartphone that was launched just a few months ago? There are not much significant changes to the device to make it worth the price difference. The OnePlus 3T features the same Full HD Optic AMOLED display that the newer flagship has, and pretty much looks like the same device from the front. Under the hood, this smartphone features some high-end specs from last year, like the Snapdragon 821 chip and 6 GB of RAM, which is still pretty impressive for this year.
Unlike the OnePlus 5, we don’t have a dual camera setup on the 3T, however it still packs a decent 16 MP camera for shooting some beautiful stills from your smartphone. As far as battery life is concerned, the device packs a 3400 mAh battery, which is slightly better than what the OnePlus 5 has to offer, but you can expect similar battery performance from both these devices, as the battery efficiency of the Snapdragon 821 chip is less when compared to 835. Just like the latest flagship, the OnePlus 3T can also purchased in 64 and 128 GB variants.
Buy from Amazon:
India (Rs. 29,999)
US ($459.74)
Others ($451.09)
6. ZTE Nubia Z17 Mini
If you think the OnePlus 5 is out of your budget, you might in interested in purchasing a much more affordable smartphone, that can offer you good performance and better value for the money you’re willing to pay. So, there you go, the ZTE Nubia Z17 Mini should be right at the top of your list in that case. The device sports a 5.2-inch Full HD IPS display, so you’re not losing anything on display resolution, although you’re purchasing at a much lower price point than the OnePlus 5. Under this beautiful aluminium chassis, there’s a Snapdragon 652/653 chip and 4 GB/6 GB RAM depending on the variant you’re going for. Well, for the price point, this is nothing short of impressive.
What impresses us the most about the Nubia Z17 Mini is its dual 13 MP camera setup, which is not usually expected from smartphones in this price range. Although not as good as the OnePlus 5 in terms of picture quality, it does let you take some high quality stills, so there’s no gripe on that regard. Lastly, the device packs a 2950 mAh battery, which is decent at this price point, but you might want to carry a power bank, before you go for a short trip. That being said, if you’re not satisfied with the specifications of the Nubia Z17 Mini, you could wait for the bigger beefier brother, the Nubia Z17 that was announced by the company earlier this month, as it sports the latest Snapdragon 835 processor in addition to 8 GB of RAM.
Buy from Amazon:
India (Rs. 19,999)
US (Not Available)
Others ($310)
7. Oppo R11
Just take a good look at how this smartphone looks. There’s no doubt regarding the fact that the Oppo R11 looks exactly like the OnePlus 5, except for the manufacturer’s logo. Well, considering OnePlus is a subsidiary of Oppo, which is fully owned by BBK electronics, we cannot complain them about stealing the design, can we? That being said, the Oppo R11 features the same 5.5-inch Full HD AMOLED display that we’ve seen on the OnePlus 5. However, there’s a significant different in terms of the hardware housed beneath the similar chassis. The R11 is powered by the inferior Snapdragon 660 chip along with 4 GB RAM, so the device is not as powerful as the OnePlus 5.
The Oppo R11 features the same dual camera set up that you’ve seen on the OnePlus 5, comprised of a 16 MP and 20 MP camera for shooting some breathtaking pictures out of your smartphone. As far as battery life is concerned, the device packs a 3000 mAh unit, which is considerably smaller than the 3300 mAh battery offered by the OnePlus 5. Therefore, you can expect the Oppo R11 to run out of juice, quicker than the latest OnePlus flagship.
Buy from Amazon:
India (Not Available)
US ($520.99)
Others ($520.99)
8. Xiaomi Mi 6
Considered as the primary rival the OnePlus smartphones ever since its official announcement by Xiaomi, the Mi 6 doesn’t fail to impress when it comes to raw hardware. When it comes to design, the Xiaomi Mi 6 looks quite similar to the OnePlus 5, especially when you check it out from the front. The device sports a Full HD IPS display, similar to all the OnePlus smartphones that we’ve seen. Under the hood, the device is powered by the same Snapdragon 835 chip, that we’ve seen on the OnePlus 5. However, Xiaomi offers 6 GB of RAM in the Mi 6, which might sound inferior as OnePlus offers up to 8 GB of RAM on their latest flagship.
The Mi 6 also sports a dual-camera setup, which is capable of shooting 12 MP stills, so you won’t be worried about this device when it comes to getting some stunning shots. Lastly, the device packs a 3350 mAh battery, which makes it slightly better when it comes to battery performance. Similar to the OnePlus 5, you can purchase the Mi 6 in either 64 or 128 GB variant. It’s currently not available across the globe, but if you just cannot wait until the official roll-out in the coming months, you can purchase one from the link below.
Buy from Mi: ($466.99)
Bonus: Asus Zenfone AR
As we all know, the smartphone market progresses rapidly, so we really have no idea what tricks the manufacturers have, up their sleeves. What’s new today, might get updated tomorrow, because that’s how intense the scenario is. Well, we’ve listed some of the best alternatives to the OnePlus 5, but we’re sure you’ve noticed that none of them had 8 GB of RAM. That’s because 8 GB of RAM is pointless for any smartphone that’s available today, as there’s no real world scenario where the Android OS can take full advantage of 8 GB RAM, as of yet. However, if you’re looking forward to future-proof your upcoming phone with 8 GB of memory, you could wait a tad longer for the Asus ZenFone AR to hit the stores. The smartphone not only packs 8 GB RAM, but it’s also the first phone to have Google Tango and Daydream VR support built it.
SEE ALSO: 12 Best OnePlus 5 Accessories You Should Buy
The Best OnePlus 5 Alternatives You Can Buy
There’s no doubt that OnePlus 5 is a spectacular smartphone for the price point, but we wanted to let you know that it’s not the only option that offers value to the customer. Over the last two years, the competition has certainly caught up to compete against OnePlus smartphones, to gain the majority of the market share. Well, now that you’ve read the list, you’ve probably realized that there are several great alternatives than can replace your desire for the OnePlus 5 smartphone, like the LG G6 that provides better value for money and even the Xiaomi Mi 6, that manages to offer similar levels of performance. So, which one of these smartphones are you planning to go for, and why? Make sure you let us know, by shooting your opinions in the comments section down below.
Sagnik Das Gupta
