OnePlus 5 vs. Google Pixel 2: 5 Ways Next-Gen Flagship Killer Will Beat its Pure Android Rival

May 24, 2017 11:31 AM EDT

The Android world seems to be dominated by two names - Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel, and everything in between are but options or alternatives. But it's a different thing with the so-called flagship killer OnePlus and rumors say for the OnePlus 5 push, the handset will be in many ways far better than the competition.

Faster applications

While the OnePlus 5 will run on Android, Tech Radar said in a report that the handset will deliver faster app rendering and will easily beat the best Android headliners out there, including the recently deployed Samsung Galaxy S8 and the upcoming Pixel 2 phones.

The report said it obtained a chart from a credible source that showed "the OnePlus 5 delivering times quicker than its rivals in most of the app loading tests." The rivals mentioned were the GS8 and the Pixel 2 line, handsets that have or will have the same engine found on the OP5 - the Snapdragon 835 processor.

Better specifications

While the same report did not include specific details, it speculated that OnePlus will pair the monster SD 835 chip with a higher RAM provision. The regular GS8 has 4GB of RAM installed and the same is expected from the Pixel 2 unboxing.

The OnePlus 5, according to Tech Radar, will boast of 6GB RAM support. The specs bump might be an overkill but higher RAM is always better especially when performing multi-tasking on a mobile device.

Prettier

YouTuber Marques Brownlee once said the Google Pixel line is nearly the perfect Android smartphone, mostly due to the device's Pure Android OS. But if he has his way with Google engineers, Brownlee would recommend prettifying the Pixel 2 and make it a worthy rival of the GS8 and the iPhone 8 in terms of aesthetics.

But beautiful is already a OnePlus signature from day one - its premium build and design with the use of metal and glass materials mainly responsible for earning the moniker Android flagship killer. For the OnePlus 5, the handset is said to boast of an all-screen profile, which is something that is still unsure if Google will employ with the Pixel 2.

Earlier release date

And the chance is high that the OnePlus 5 will materialize first. Traditionally, Google lets out its hero phone in the last quarter of the year, which indicates that Android fans will not get a hold of the Pixel 2 until October or November this year so it will be a long wait.

But not in the case of the OnePlus 5 as the device maker already teased that debut is certainly happening summertime of 2017. No definite release date has been provided but it's a safe bet that unpacking will happen as early as June or July.

Premium but cheap

Unlike the Nexus line, Google sells the Pixel phone at a premium price starting at $649 and to be sure the same pricing model will be in effect for the Pixel 2 rollout. The tech giant has already indicated there's no turning back with the current Pixel business model - the build and specs will only get more premium in the upgrades and the price will remain the same.

OnePlus too is said to stick with its flagship killer status and one component of which is accessibility or affordable pricing that used to be associated with Google's Nexus phones. When the OnePlus 5 come out, the asking price will be no more than $440, Tech Radar said in a separate report.