One of most talked about handsets of the year, versus one of the most proficient; the OnePlus 5 and the Google Pixel XL are both currently in the prime of their life-cycle, with the Pixel XL still quite popular among the masses, being true to its Google legacy, while the OnePlus 5’s ‘Never Settle’ moniker never ceases to amaze the way in which the company has gone to lengths in maximizing the feature set over a nominal price range. Nevertheless, both phones have their quirks and perks, and only one can truly stake the claim for being the winner. Here’s a comparison of two of Android’s biggest flagships right now.
Display and Specification
Both phones are not at level in terms of power. But having said that, neither of them show it. The OnePlus 5 comes with a beastly Snapdragon 835 processor with either 6GB or 8GB as RAM and options of 64GB and 128GB of internal storage. It also has a dual camera set-up on the back with a 20MP telephoto lens and a 16MP sensor as well. The camera on the front is a 16MP unit as well. The display is a 5.5-inch AMOLED unit with a Full HD resolution and powering everything is a 3,300mAh battery with OnePlus’s proprietary Dash Charge.
Compared to the OnePlus 5, the Pixel’s specs might seem a little outdated. It comes with a Snapdragon 821 chipset; not that slow, but definitely not the fastest in terms of performance. But that can’t really be seen in real-world performance since the Pixel phones have always remained the smoothest phones by Android. 4GB of RAM is enough to handle tasks on the device and storage options go from as low as 32GB to as high as 128GB. The phone also houses one of the best cameras on an Android phone with a 12.3MP sensor and an 8MP front-facing snapper for those selfies. To boot, the phone is also resistant to dust and water to an extent, having a rating of IP53.
While the OnePlus has the advantage in terms of sheer raw spec, the Google Pixel can easily rely on its set of hardware more efficiently. The extra takeaways in terms of better water-proofing and dust resistance also make the phone more durable. The Google Pixel also has a 5.5-inch AMOLED panel but with a higher, QHD resolution instead of FHD, and a slightly larger 3,450mAh to compensate.
Software
It’s easy to say which phone has the upper hand in terms of software since the Pixel gets regular updates and will continue to get updates long after the OnePlus 5 has its updates halted after a year or so. The Pixel currently runs the latest Android Nougat 7.1.2 and OnePlus has been trying to keep up, launching the OnePlus 5 with Android Nougat 7.1.1 with its Oxygen OS layered on top. Both phones, however, offer smooth transitions between menus and are quick to navigate, thanks to the vanilla Android experience that both of them offer. While the Pixel is known to be buttery smooth over time and maintain its performance consistently, past OnePlus devices have always slowed down, and the OnePlus 5 may not be an exception for this as the time goes by. In terms of features, Google’s Pixel XL offers minimal customization features but Oxygen OS has a dark mode, ability to change icon packs, colour accents and so on. In terms of stability, however, the Pixel XL is very hard to beat. Even the Samsung and LG flagships falter on these counts, but OnePlus does come close to the performance of the Pixel phones.
Build
Both phones could have been designed a little better, it can be said, but while they both do have slightly thicker upper and lower bezels on the front, it’s the rear of the phones that could have been better thought out by their companies. In the case of OnePlus, the design was understandably borrowed by Oppo and also shares similarities to the iPhone, but while the Pixel XL was looking to be different with its mix of glass and aluminium on the back, it looked a little odd, considering that the overall look of the Pixel was rounded and fuller, compared to older Nexus models by Google. While the design is different and makes the phone stand out, it still looks dull when compared to other flagship phones that it rivals. Even the OnePlus 5 is not spared from sticking out like a sore thumb from all of the 2017 flagships thanks to its thick bezels and its iPhone clone looks, that a lot of other Chinese manufacturers have already implemented in their designs.
In terms of design, both phones get a tie, because neither design is perfect. In terms of functionality, however, the Pixel does innovatively use different materials to give a more distinct look. Not to mention, the Pixel comes in more colours than just the two black colours that the OnePlus 5 comes with.
Pricing
Of course, being the cheapest flagship out there right now, the OnePlus 5 wins this round hands down. Google’s offering is more premium as it comes directly from the royal lineage of Google, while the OnePlus 5 is kind of a commoner who has entered the royal palace. Even now, with the Pixel XL being a little older, it is still a little more expensive than the OnePlus 5. While OnePlus has made this phone the most expensive OnePlus phone till date, it still is the cheapest in its segment. In terms of value for money, the OnePlus 5 is definitely bang for buck
Verdict
While the OnePlus 5 has an advantage by being the cheapest, it still is not the best in terms of real-world usage. The need for the excess of RAM being built-in to the system seems overkill since most phones in the flagship spectrum perform just fine even with 4GB of RAM. While the OnePlus 5 is newer and a lot more future-proof, the longevity of the phone is still questionable, while the Pixel will still run for the next couple of years at least, even with updates. For those who just want a flagship, the OnePlus 5 is there to perform. But for those who want a daily driver they can rely upon and have it work at any given moment, get the updates without a hassle and also use a phone that is durable enough for more than year, the Pixel XL seems like a better investment and worth the extra money. The OnePlus 5 is just as smooth and just as capable of the Pixel XL, despite its excess of raw power, but that does not make the OnePlus 5 necessarily a better phone. After all, raw specs do not determine the real-world performance of a phone.
When the Pixel XL 2 does eventually come out this year, the OnePlus 5 will then merely be a shadow of what a truly great Android flagship should be like. After all, imitation is the best form of flattery.
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