OnePlus 5T announcing Nov 16, on sale Nov 21; anyone else excited?

[srlawren]

It's official that the OnePlus 5T will be official, on Nov 16th at 11AM eastern/8 AM pacific:

https://m.androidcentral.com/oneplus-will-unveil-oneplus-5t-nov-16-new-york-city

And I'm thoroughly excited!  Some of you may have seem my various ramblings here the past few months where I was excited about the LG V30 for a while, then nearly bought a G6 when Koodo had it on for a great price, and then kind of decided against both in favour of the OnePlus 5....   ...just in time for them to sell out completely more than a month before the rumoured announcement of the successor, the 5T.

More recently, you may have seen me post interest in the Essential PH-1 given the recent price drop to $650 at Telus (or now $450 USD from the US Best Buy, wow).  However, the more I think about the various options I've considered, the more I keep coming back to loving my OnePlus 3 experience overall.  I love the liquid quick near-stock Android experience.  I love what they've added by way of their OxygenOS custom flavour of near-stock Android.  I love the slider switch.  I love the rugged hardware and high-end specs for [relatively these days] decent prices.  This is what lead me back to the idea of the OP5.

But now the 5T is coming, with a larger 6"18:9 slimmer bezel display, rumoured to be in the same size body as the OP5 due to the new aspect ratio.  I'm not totally thrilled with the idea of them moving the finger print scanner to the back, but as long as it's as reliable and lightning-fast as the front-mounted reader on the OP3/OP3T/OP5 is, I'lll adjust to the new location and be happy.  I do love the idea of the larger screen in the same size footprint.  And yes it will still be "just" FHD+ (slightly higher than 1080p due to the stretch 18:9 aspect) rather than QHD/QHD+, but that's never bothered me.  Rumoured improvements to the camera--I wish they'd go with a standard lense + wide angle lense like LG does, but I'm good there.  

I guess the main thing now is what will the price be?  Recent hints/rumours suggest around $600 USD for the base model https://www.androidauthority.com/oneplus-5t-price-confirmed-going-up-pete-lau-812657/.  That's a bit higher than I was hoping for, given the $480 USD base and $530 USD 8/128 config offered on the OP5.  I'd love to see them go up another $40 USD like the OP3->OP3T and the OP3T->OP5 increase, which would put them in at $520/570 USD.  If that's the case, I'll be ordering a shiny new 128GB model on the 21st for sure.  

EDIT: all the current rumoured info about the 5T: https://m.androidcentral.com/oneplus-5t 

Anyone else excited for the OP5T?  Or is it just me?  😉

[srlawren]

Update:  Ordered at 6AM (PST) this morning!  Should be delivered to my office by Monday (I'm hoping it arrives by Friday, though!).

[NDesai]

I don't really care about waterproofing, but i can't decide between this 5t or pixel 2. I like small screen so more towards pixel 2 but the price... :(. I might just wait a few months and hopefully it drops. 

[srlawren]

@mattdxb I would have liked to see water resistance as well (at least IPX7). But considering it's literally less than half the price of a Note 8 or and iPhone X, I still think it's very exciting. I'll be ordering at 6am on Tuesday (Pacific time). 

[mattdxb]

For some reason, I feel a little underwhelmed with the 5T. I mean it seems fine considering the price but there's no wow factor for me. I think if it had an IP68 rating, I would be a little more interested.

[NDesai]

One Plus 5T is out. Priced at $659 CAD for the 64GB/6GBram and $559 USD for the 129GB/8GBram. 

[srlawren]

Cool, thanks @stonechucker.  I'm not a huge Knopler/Straits fan (with the exception of Sultans of Swing, which is right up there with Hotel Cali for me) but I will give that a listen.  🙂

[stonechucker]

@srlawren, the headphone jack is more for me, so the adapter on the Essential would work, but not my favorite option... I lose things I don't use regularily for weeks at a time.  Built in headphone jack is certainly better.

Another great song I like is, I believe, a BBC performance of 'Brothers in Arms' (Dire Straits), performed accousticly by Mark Knopler, with a string stange band.   Wonderful!

[srlawren]

@stonechucker that is a heck of a good performance, isn't it?!  I love that song, just about any recording of it.  

Yes I was thinking of your unique needs and figured the user experience was probably more important.  In that case the Essential could work, or the OnePlus 5T, or of course the Pixel 2 or 2 XL.  The OnePlus is the only one in that actually has a headphone port, if that helps.  🙂

[stonechucker]

Thanks @srlawren for the audiophine info.  Unfortunately for me, close to stock is my main concern, as I hate junk apps, and overlays that mess with the user experience.  This is based on my vision issues only, as to me, seeing information is more important than listening to the Hell Freezes Over tour recording of Hotel California.

Cheers!

[srlawren]

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@ShawnC13 wrote:

I had thought about the OnePlus5T as well this scared me a little https://www.chrisdcmoore.co.uk/post/oneplus-analytics/  The price will interest me but with the recent price drop on the Essential phone has me leaning there or even the Xiaomi Mix2

@ShawnC13 well, they've been called on that now and said they're discontinuing going forward.  Also, there are ways to disable the collection entirely.  But I can see how it's disconcerting.  I haven't personally seen any negative results of this happening over the past year and a half, so it doesn't bother me too much.

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@canucks4life wrote:

wow @srlawren quite the post you have shares in OnePlus or something lol 

@canucks4life hey that's a pretty good idea!  Maybe I should!  LOL.  No, but I've become a fan.  Fell in love with the OP3 while watching a live stream of the announcement, and ordered it on the spot June 14th last year.  

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@stonechucker wrote:

All the other devices you've described, I've been looking at, the ZTE Axon 7 from last year is also a desired device (I'm an audiophile), but for me, if I am going to upgrade, it needs to be stock or awfully darn close to it, and tech needs to be at or better than the Nexus 5.  So, too many choices!!!

Grrrr.... Dash charging eh... I could use that.   Thinking about the 5T now.....  But the Essential is also a possibility.

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@stonechucker The Essential may not be a great choice for Audiophiles, unless you're okay with dealing with a USB-C to headphone port adapter (or you use Bluetooth headphones, which I don't see too many self-described Audiophiles doing).  The Axon is nice but if you're looking for close to stock Android, that's definitely not it.  For Audiophile you may want to have a look at the LG V30.  It also fails on close-to-stock, but features a very highly rated Quad DAC with high-res support, and an amp that can drive even high-impedence headphones very well.

[stonechucker]

@srlawren, why do you feed me these tidbits! LOL

I look at my Nexus 5 - stock Android, FHD display, 4.95" screen (they just couldn't get that extra little bit).  Purchased direct from the GooglePlay store, and had it in 1/2 the expected shipping time.  I was spoiled by this phone.

All the other devices you've described, I've been looking at, the ZTE Axon 7 from last year is also a desired device (I'm an audiophile), but for me, if I am going to upgrade, it needs to be stock or awfully darn close to it, and tech needs to be at or better than the Nexus 5.  So, too many choices!!!

Grrrr.... Dash charging eh... I could use that.   Thinking about the 5T now.....  But the Essential is also a possibility.

[canucks4life]

wow @srlawren quite the post you have shares in OnePlus or something lol

[sbreakin]

I am starting to look at potential replacements.

Oneplus 5:

I am definitely planning to check out the Oneplus 5T (especially as Oneplus 5 is sold out & been well received.

Essential:

I was also thinking of the Essential - especially with USD pricing at 450 (under $600) & 360 camera for $50 deal.  I wouldn't normally get a 1st generation but it is quite an accomplishment for 1st gen & with Andy Rubin & several big investors should have funds to continue to develop. 

Pixel 2:

I am impressed with the Pixel2's also - the AI seems to be great especially what they can do for camera & Google assistant. It's a gen 2 & has many great features but the price especially for the bigger size is crazy.  I realize Google has phone support & an agreement with a cell repair chain but I do prefer APple's system where u can go in & get a screen or battery replaced to original spec's (& my wife's wasn't too bad at $129 i think - they had dropped screen repairs a bit - for 6s in this case).

Iphone 6s, maybe 7

These 'older' generations seem to be working just fine. I have to use one for work (6s) & the 7 added some splash proofing.  Then there's my wife's broken screen after a few months & the easy repair (admittedly for 129?) & back to spec. 

Background:

I use a Motorola/ Google Nexus 6 with it's large 6" display & Snapdragon 805. It's been great, fast but recently very occasionally seems to pause/ freeze & not even doing tough games or anything. Great calls/ connections/ downloads/ streaming...  however it has come to the end of it's security releases & even though the guaranteed minimum was Oct 2017, i thought Google would do a November one for the Krak Wifi issue. But no - doesn't look like it.  I have had Nexus phones from Nexus 4, 5 & 6, then paused as the 5x & 6P as N6 was great.  Then the Pixel had bluetooth issues & the price jumped to almost $1K, the same as Apple with no stores to do repairs or ask questions (or the OS updates as with our ipad2). 

So I've started to check out the other companies (not Apple/ Google) who offer top tech for a more reasonable price.

We shall see what Black Friday brings...

[ShawnC13]

I had thought about the OnePlus5T as well this scared me a little https://www.chrisdcmoore.co.uk/post/oneplus-analytics/  The price will interest me but with the recent price drop on the Essential phone has me leaning there or even the Xiaomi Mix2

[will13am]

I am excited about the one plus line of phones.  I own the one plus one and it's cousin, the Oppo Find 7a.  Both are great phones.  But with one plus going so upscale, my wallet doesn't like the price.  I can't see myself spending that much coin for a phone.  Since the OPO and Oppo are still perfoming admirably, I will have to watch on the sideline with great envy. 

[srlawren]

Some further thoughts.....

Wireless charging:

No, it won't have wireless charing, but I don't care.  It's a nice to have for me that I doubt I'd use much if any anyway.  EDIT: Mostly because of....

Dash charging:

I'd rarely use wireless charging becuase it's quite a bit slower.  And having had Dash charging for the past year and a half on my OP3 makes me really appreciate the tech.  It's not just super fast, it also keeps the phone cooler.  Once you've had it or something similar (Qualcomm quickcharge 4+ I believe does a similar trick, as does maybe Huawei's charging tech for the Mate 10 line) you'd not want to go back unless you had to

Camera

Yes I'd prefer a wide-angle lense to a zoom lense, but not at the (literal) cost of a V30, and not with the more pronounced fish-eye of the cheaper G6.  I'd love it if they'd add OIS to at least the primary lense but haven't heard rumours of that happening so not holding my breath.

Battery

Would sure love slightly larger capacity than the 3300mAh on the OP5.  Maybe 3,400-3,500 or so?  Would gladly take an extra couple of mm thickness for that in return.

Headphone jack

Nice to have and will be there.  In practice I use pretty much exclusively bluetooth so not a big deal to me.  But again, better to have it and not need it than the other way around.

Water resistance

It sure would be nice to get IP67 or IP68 but I don't think it's coming this time around.  I'm willing to continue to be careful until my next purchase I suppose. 🙂

[mattdxb]

I've been wondering about this phone as well. I'm always been a fan of stock android but I haven't been impressed with this years Pixels, especially for that price.

OnePlus phones are close enough to stock that I would consider one for sure.

I hear the 5T could be the same or close to the Oppo R11 although I'm not too familiar with it.