OnePlus' next flagship killer has been stealing headlines over the last few weeks with several confirmations from the company itself prior to the launch. Now all the details are official though with the OnePlus 5 arriving seven months after the OnePlus 3T.

The question is, how much has changed in half a year, or a year if you're a OnePlus 3 owner? Here is how the OnePlus 5 compares to the OnePlus 3T and the OnePlus 3. Should you upgrade?

OnePlus 5 vs OnePlus 3T vs OnePlus 3: Design

  • OnePlus 5 slimmer and lighter
  • Subtler antenna lines on OnePlus 5
  • OnePlus 5 has more premium-looking design

The OnePlus 5 sports an anodised aluminium build with rounded corners and chamfered hard edges and it comes in Midnight Black and Slate Grey colour options. The premium-looking device features a horizontally-aligned dual camera on the rear, a new feature for OnePlus, while a fingerprint sensor is positioned on the front within a capacitive button, like the OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3

The antenna lines on the OnePlus 5 are subtler than on the OnePlus 3 and 3T, now sitting at the top and bottom edges of the rear of the device out of the way, while USB Type-C is present at the bottom along with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The OnePlus 5 measures 154.2 x 74.1 x 7.25mm and hits the scales at 153g.

The OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3 feature the same design, which is a little squarer and less refined than the new model. They both measure 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.35mm and weigh 158g, making the OnePlus 5 a little lighter and slimmer, but slightly taller.

Both the OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3 have an anodised aluminium build, available in three colours and they both have a square single lens rear camera positioned in the middle of the device, along with USB Type-C and a headphone jack at the bottom. None of the three models being compared here offer any official IP rating for waterproofing.

OnePlus 5 vs OnePlus 3T vs OnePlus 3: Display

  • All 5.5-inch AMOLED displays 
  • All Full HD resolutions, 401ppi
  • OnePlus 5 has 2.5D glass 

The OnePlus 5 features a 5.5-inch AMOLED display, like the OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3. Despite rumours of a display size decrease to 5.3-inches, this turned out not to be the case for the new device.

There were also reports of a bump in resolution, but alas, the OnePlus 5 sticks to its guns with a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 401ppi, which again is the same as the OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3.

The new device does offer 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection however, while the OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3 feature standard Corning Gorilla Glass 4. This means the display on the OnePlus 5 will curve into the edges of the device for a more seamless design finish, but colour and clarity of the display itself should be identical across the three devices being compared here.

All have a 16:9 aspect ratio and there is no word on the addition of Mobile HDR for the OnePlus 5, as there has been on other flagships.

OnePlus 5 vs OnePlus 3T vs OnePlus 3: Camera

  • Dual-rear camera for OnePlus 5
  • Bokeh images and 8x optical zoom on OnePlus 5
  • All three have 16MP f/2.0 front camera

The OnePlus 5 has a dual-rear camera, consisting of a 16-megapixel main sensor with a f/1.7 aperture and a 20-megapixel telephoto sensor with an f/2.6 aperture. According to the company, the new camera will capture 34 per cent more light than the OnePlus 3T and it will offer 40 per cent faster focusing. 

There is a Portrait Mode for bokeh images, up to 8x zoom using a combination of optical and digital, 4K video recording and a dual-LED flash is also on board. The front camera features a 16-megapixel sensor with an aperture of f/2.0 and it is capable of 1080p video recording.

The OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3 by comparison offer a 16-megapixel single rear sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, PDAF and OIS, as well as 4K video recording. The front camera is also 16-megapixels with a f/2.0 aperture.

All three devices have a Pro Mode for adjusting settings such as ISO, shutter-speed, focus and exposure but there are a few new features within the Pro Mode for the OnePlus 5. All three devices also offer Auto-HDR and RAW image support.

OnePlus 5 vs OnePlus 3T vs OnePlus 3: Hardware

  • OnePlus 5 offers performance improvements
  • 8GB RAM and 128GB storage configuration available for OnePlus 5 
  • Battery capacity increase for OnePlus 5 over OnePlus 3 but not OnePlus 3T

The OnePlus 5 arrives with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset and it is available with either 64GB of storage and 6GB of RAM, or 128GB of storage with 8GB of RAM.

There is a 3300mAh non-removable battery capacity on board and Dash Charge is also present for quick charging via USB Type-C.

The OnePlus 3T features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, coupled with 6GB of RAM and either 64GB or 128GB of storage, while the OnePlus 3 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

The OnePlus 3T has a larger battery than the OnePlus 5 with a 3400mAh capacity, though the processor upgrade of the new device will no doubt mean it offers battery improvements over its predecessor despite being a little smaller. The OnePlus 3 has a 3000mAh battery and both the 3T and the 3 have Dash Charge too.

OnePlus 5 vs OnePlus 3T vs OnePlus 3: Software 

  • All run on OxygenOS
  • OnePlus 5 has several new features

The OnePlus 5 launches on OxygenOS, a modified version of Android based on Nougat 7.1.1. The OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3 also run on OxygenOS, meaning the software experience should be pretty similar between these three devices but there are some new features on the OnePlus 5.

A few of the new features include reading mode, expanded screenshots, translucent app drawer, auto night mode, three new off-screen gestures, customisable vibration, Secure Box and a Gaming Do Not Disturb Mode. 

It is not yet clear if the OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3 will receive all the new features with an update, but overall the main user experience across these devices will be familiar.

OnePlus 5 vs OnePlus 3T vs OnePlus 3: Price

  • OnePlus 5 is £10 more expensive than same storage model of OnePlus 3T
  • New model still under £500 for 128GB storage and 8GB RAM

The OnePlus 5 is available from 27 June. The 64GB model will cost £449, while the 128GB model will cost £499.

The OnePlus 3T cost £399 for the 64GB model or £439 for the 128GB model, while the OnePlus 3 cost £329 at launch.

OnePlus 5 vs OnePlus 3T vs OnePlus 3: Conclusion

As with any flagship successor, the OnePlus 5 offers several improvements over the OnePlus 3T and especially the OnePlus 3, including camera, design and performance.

The new model delivers a more premium design, big camera advancements and some great hardware upgrades, including the option of an 8GB RAM model. It costs a little more than both the older models did when they first arrived, and the top-specced model is double the price of the OnePlus 2 when it launched, but you're still looking at a very powerful device for under £500.

Sadly, there are no display improvements on the new model, but those upgrading from a OnePlus 3 or 3T should notice a difference in performance with the OnePlus 5, as well as connectivity.