TechforTheTechie Review: The OnePlus5

The budget super-phone you never knew you wanted… until now!

THE PITCH

If you're racing to catch a bus or train, or just glancing for 2 mins at your phone, here's my elevator pitch…

Grunt. Speed. Elegant styling. Ridiculously quick. Super-affordable. Sexy-in-Black. And, Oh the camera(s) on this device... Crisp quality pictures, and an even sleeker 'portrait mode’. Easily kills all of the competition on the majority of benchmarks, and all that for a comparatively 'diet' price point.

Buy a OnePlus now!
Need further convincing? Read on.

STYLING AND DESIGN

The OnePlus5 in Matte Black (snippet of Carbon Fibre case top-right)

The OnePlus5 comes in a sleek black.
It has a very sturdy feel and design with an all metal chassis. And a burnished non-reflective matte coating.

It also has a decent weight to it while still feeling very light.

One particularly useful design cue is the side button for muting notifications. The left side of the OnePlus5 has a super-handy slider button for doing just that. And has three settings: one to mute all notifications, one to allow all notifications, and a mid-level to allow only priority notifications.

I've found this very handy and use this all the time especially when you're in those awkward moments where you quickly need to adjust this (like when someone else's phone rings out in the middle of a meeting)!

THE CAMERA(S)

The OnePlus5 is revolutionary in that of all the phones with dual cameras released around the same period (we're talking early to mid-2017), OnePlus decided,
“Nah, do you. We’ll do it differently”.

It comes loaded with a dual camera setup at the back of the phone.

Image Credit: Instagram.com/__uncle_paulie__

Image Credit: Instagram.com/__uncle_paulie__

One 20MP sensor and an accompanying 16MP sensor primarily to support 2X optical zoom with no loss of image fidelity. It also does pretty well for itself in low light shots.

It also has a very crisp 16MP front-facing camera for taking #Selfies

#PortraitMode uses some form of artificial intelligence algorithm to apply a blur effect on photos to make the subject stand out better and give it a more refined sense of depth-of-field in focus. It works automatically and all you need to do is just switch to that setting in camera mode and it does the rest for you.

Portrait Mode on the OnePlus5 really makes the subject standout

It does still need some work though as in some cases it tends to blur the edges of the primary subject as well or get confused by highly contrasting colours like black text on a light background. All-in-all, ‘Portrait Mode’ on the OnePlus5 does an amazing job most of the time.

Focus is sharper and Depth of field narrower in Portrait mode

SCREEN (Let's talk about Notch… baby)

So.This one doesn't have a notch (*phew*... the OnePlus 6 will though... pictured)

‘The notch’. Hate it or like it, is the next smartphone trend we’re seeing primarily in 2018. (I’ll blame Andy Rubin for even introducing the concept with the Essential phone in 2017. The iPhone X made this even more popular. A few other manufacturers have followed suite since… including OnePlus).

It’s that little dark portion at the top of some smart phone screens housing the front-facing camera and other sensors with phones where the manufacturers are beginning to push for less of a bezel at the top and the bottom.

It's the same reason why one key difference between the souped-up OnePlus5T and the OnePlus5, is that the fingerprint reader was moved to the back of the phone.

We all like the extra screen 'real estate’ this affords us. The notch, however is a very divisive issue. The good thing is, after some protests from the OnePlus faithful, Carl Pei and team decided to introduce a software option to hide the notch on the soon to be released OnePlus6. Effectively including bars of black pixels on either side of it to give the illusion of a flat-lined bezel.

So if you do not like the notch, rest easy. It isn't a problem on the OnePlus5. It won't be a problem on future OnePlus iterations.

Notch aside, You get a 5.5 inch amoled display on the OnePlus5. Generous for doing things like gaming, watching videos or even reading and editing documents on the go. It feels more natural than using a small screen and doesn't hurt the eyes having to strain excessively like you would on a smaller phone.

The OnePlus5 screen has a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution which ensures that you get a crisp, clear display at all times and in all conditions. Surprisingly, it's also very good in high-exposure to sunlight with minimal reflection (just remember to keep the auto-adjust setting on for screen brightness)

Video

Image stabilization is standard and works very well on the OnePlus5. You can also shoot crisp, clear 4K video easily. Just watch out for memory usage though if you will be shooting a lot of 4K video.

Split-Screen

Yup, it means what it says.

You can use two apps side-by-side (or one above the other depending on your phone orientation in portrait or landscape mode). Pretty cool feature. Although, haven't had many instances where this has been an absolute necessity. Feels to me in general like the sort of feature that you'd really find very useful on a much larger screen like on a tablet.

DASH CHARGE (A full days charge in 30 minutes!)

Shall I say more?
Okay.
I will.

If there's any good reason to get a OnePlus, it's for this reason. The OnePlus5 for instance in just a 30 minute charge, gives you enough power for a whole day!

Gone are the days of charging overnight. You can simply plug your phone in when you wake up, and by the time you're ready to leave for work, school, the school-run..(or whatever else gets you up daily), your device is charged up enough to get you through the day.

OnePlus proprietary Dash Charge technology means that it's still the best in the market in this area making it an easy decision to go for this device for that reason.

There are also no issues with heavy usage like calls and gaming while charging causing overheating. This is a known issue with most other smartphones. In the worst of cases, some even exploding and causing injury to the users.

This is another core difference between Dash Charge and other Fast Charge technologies as its energy use is way more efficient than others.

FINGERPRINT READER AND FACE UNLOCK

I will not elaborate. There is no need to. The fingerprint reader is quick. Very very quick. (Less than half a second). I have experienced absolutely no lag using it to unlock my phone.

Face Unlock seems even quicker. It has also been noted to easily be quicker than the iPhone X’s Face ID. It works, in fact, almost instantaneously!

It is worth noting also that from a security perspective, the iPhone X maps specific points on the face using LIDAR technology to create a 3D image.

The OnePlus Face Unlock on the other hand uses a flat 2D representation of your face. This doesn't mean it is easily fooled for instance by a photo for instance and in fact it is very difficult to trick it.

Try wearing dark glasses even and note that it doesn't unlock. There is a very detailed analysis of the facial biometrics that is done on every unlock attempt before access is granted.

Quick. Effective. Secure (Enough).

STORAGE, RAM & SPEED

I personally opted for and reviewed a 128GB onboard storage version with 8GB of RAM.

This phone has more processing power and memory than my work computer!

It is so ridiculously fast, and the OnePlus Oxygen OS so smooth to use, that I have genuinely forgotten what it's like to use a “laggy” phone.

There is a cheaper option as well with half the storage and memory, 64GB x 4GB RAM. For £50 extra, I think the extra memory and storage space is definitely worth it, especially for a super smartphone they costs you only £549.99.
Also, if you create a lot of media like pictures and videos you'll appreciate the extra storage even more.

ACCESSORIES

OnePlus, with every phone release, does a lot of work to ensure that there are good host of accessories available at launch. An added bonus is the very detailed styling and range of options made available (and designed) by OnePlus.

Over the years, the catchphrase “Designed by OnePlus” has come to be denoted with style, quality and elegance. Three words that are synonymous with the brand.
One of the all time favourites for OnePlus has been its carbon fibre case.

WARRANTY, REPAIRS & TECH SUPPORT

I had a slight issue with the volume rocker of my OnePlus5 getting stuck (sometimes) after just a few months use. Quite unusual.

Although support staff were very nice, unfortunately I was told that this was not covered in my warranty and I'd have to pay £100 to get this sorted. I found this a bit odd given than the volume rocker on any phone must be one of the most difficult things to actually damage, even if you were trying to.

All-in-all, not too fussed about it, however, this is one area in general (warranty and post sales support), that a few users have been known to complain about.

It wouldn't be fair of me not to give you the 'full picture” here.

I do know a fair few though who have had absolutely no issues with having repairs done with OnePlus.

FREE DELIVERY

As an added bonus, OnePlus delivers for all orders over £40 in the UK for free. A minor detail, but noteworthy.

WE TECHIES JUST LOVE ONEPLUS

OnePlus is a company that from day one has always striven to make themselves different. To be simply incomparable.

A good example of this ethos is in the innovative technology that is ‘Dash’ Charging.

As I write this review on a flight to Berlin, I am only able to do so on my OnePlus5 (with ample battery to spare), because I was able to juice up from 34% to just about 79% battery life in the 35 or so odd minutes it took me to wake up, freak out that I'd be late for my flight, get ready, pack my charger and bounce.

I work in a highly technology inclined environment. (So much so that the name of my team at work actually has the word 'Techology’ in it). I was one of the OnePlus pioneers in my team. (Myself and someone else I'll simply refer to as 'The Bearded One') 😉

I had a OnePlus2 at the time. The Bearded One stuck to a OnePlus1 - the first iterant of the device.

Over time, as more and more of my techie colleagues started to ask questions, handle our phones, play with them… we saw a shift.

In less than a year, almost all of my team, who would normally be iPhone or Core Android users have slowly come on board with OnePlus. We got to a point where there were even fewer people not using a OnePlus device.

This says a lot for the virtues of OnePlus devices in general for being very sturdy phones, but even more so, trusted by the tech community. (Another old friend of mine even went as far (and crazy) as configuring his OnePlus1 for cybersecurity penetration testing… (Yes. You can actually do that!).

I'm really looking forward to getting hands-on with the soon to be released OnePlus6. A killer device the OnePlus5 is and it's big brother the OnePlus 5T even more so. It's exciting and frankly mind-blowing to think how much more better the 6 will be considering how crazy-positive the OnePlus5 and 5T already are!

See you at the OnePlus6 launch event on May 16th!

https://www.oneplus.com/uk/launch-6

Paulie the Technophile

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The iWatch… Apple Watch… Watch Edition…

...you know, those really geeky Apple devices on people's wrists that are totally the rave right now

 by Paul Ekwere

___________________________

I've been away for quite a while. It's literally been a year since my first post and about seven months since my last.

To be fair, I have spent a lot of that time playing with the Apple Watch. I blame the Apple Watch for my irregular blogging schedule. 

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Jokes aside, it is a pretty good device. 

It’s  a very convenient device to have on you at the right time but to be fair, I do think it has its fair share of niggles.

The Apple Watch comes in a couple of sizes, 38mm for people with relatively smaller wrists and who do not like large watches, and the 42mm variant. 

I got a 42mm Gold version (it’s really just gold-plated Aluminium). I won’t say for how much but it did cost a pretty penny! (Note-to-self: blog more often to get free review units!)

There is also a limited edition apple watch which for the life of me I can’t tell why anyone would buy. Apple refers to it as the ‘Watch Edition’. Not sure why.

And for an £8,000 to £13,500 price tag, even with an 18 carat gold case, no thank you. Don’t care! (unless it’s a free review unit, thank you very much!)

The Watch Edition looks, smells and feels like a standard 38mm or 42mm Apple Watch!

Without further ado, let’s get right into it shall we!

Out the box, the apple watch comes shipped with all the standard accoutrements you’d expect to see. Magnetic inductive charger with an extra-long cable, portable charger head and an extra strap to allow for adjusting for wrist size.

Synchronisation and setup is also a fairly straightforward affair. It really is as simple as following the instructions. (Too bad for the many of us who do not ever read instructions!)

The good

The User Experience: The user interface is very beautifully designed it's very simple to use and the crown button on the side, though initially a source of contention among many technophiles, works perfectly! The apps tend to work quite well particularly with apps like Spotify and GoPro that are designed to work as a remote control.

Accessories - The straps: The Apple Watch comes with a fair number of accessories that can be used for different scenarios. Primarily, the straps are interchangeable for easy customization. I find this particularly useful as though I have the Sport version, there are times when I’d rather be wearing a more comfortable leather strap on my wrist. I’ve currently amassed as many as four straps for my Apple Watch. (I just can’t help myself!)

Fair play to Apple, allowing for such customization only makes the Apple Watch a more appealing device as it is less boring to wear a watch that always looks the same.

One thing I’ll give apple for their design is that the straps fit very comfortably. In fact, I dare say, better than any other watch I’ve worn. I should know… I do like my watches!

Accessories – Customisation: In addition to the straps, Apple has designed quite a few watch faces for the Apple Watch and quite a few of them as well you can customise even further to look very simple or give it a touch of class. From the old school skeuomorphism-inspired chronograph look, to the more fitting digital look, my personal favourite is Mickey tapping his foot in sync with the passing seconds. Gotta love ol' Mickey!

If  you’re one of the pedantic few worried about scratches on your Apple Watch, you can also purchase wrap-around protective cases to protect the watch face.

Battery life: The apple watch battery usually lasts a full day of regular use. I use it for all of my major activities including on average an hour to two of active sports. Regardless, I don't have to worry about charging until I get home and I put it back on my deskside charging stand. 

A lot of early entrants to the smart watch market seemed to have a significant problem with battery life.

Fitness tracking: The Apple Watch is arguably one of the best fitness trackers there is it right now. Yes, there are a few arguably comparable smart watches and pretty good fitness trackers out there that could attempt to rival the Apple Watch, but putting all other things together, and considering the full package of what the Apple Watch has to offer, it definitely beats the competition hands down!

Heart rate monitor: The apple watch comes equipped with a very capable heart rate monitor which to be fair is not a first for fitness tracking devices. It is a very useful add-on for fitness tracking and although may not work perfectly under all conditions, credit to Apple, it has reportedly been proven to be a literal life-saving feature.

Siri, Notifications and quick replies: Siri is nothing new, and using Siri on the Apple Watch isn’t a much different experience than using it on the iPhone.  A short press-and-hold of the ‘crown’ button on the side of the iWatch and Siri is at your beck and call.

Not having to take your phone out of your pocket for every single notification has easily proven to be a personal time-saver for me. It has personally kept me a lot more organized over the last couple of months. Be it for messages, news apps, navigation or phone calls, having an Apple Watch has definitely helped improve the level of interaction I have with my phone, particularly enabling me to quickly weed out the unnecessary.

I can very easily view notifications from my phone without having to remove my watch from my pocket. This is very convenient in very many instances. One of the really cool things I also discovered is that even though you don't have a physical keyboard you can use voice dictation which is actually exactly how I am writing this blog post.

Apple Pay: Apple Pay is Apples answer to Google’s Google pay. (I know, they even sound similar). It is Apple’s proprietary payment platform that enables you make contactless payments using your Apple Watch or your iPhone. 

This killer feature is one of the major wins for the Apple Watch. It is one of the most convenient features to use on the device. One double-tap of the side button and your apple watch instantly becomes a contactless payment device.

This is very convenient and has personally made all of my (numerous) London Underground trips a lot less of a hassle. Apple Pay of course only works if you have pre-registered your card details on the device.

It is worth noting also that not all banks support Apple Pay, so before you get all excited and purchase the iWatch solely for this feature, check that your bank actually supports Apple Pay first.

The bad

The User Experience – specifically, speed & random errors: The Apple Watch can be unusually slow sometimes. This has a lot to do with the operating system currently installed on it. The Apple Watch OS 3 release in June 2016 came with considerable speed improvements for the Apple Watch.

There are however, further improvements that could be made.

Synchronisation speed: iWatch apps are not stored directly on the watch. The watch merely acts as a conduit or smart controller of sorts. This is accomplished via a Bluetooth link between the iWatch and your iPhone. The Apple Watch Bluetooth connection to the iPhone tends to lead to a significant degree of latency when attempting to launch applications directly on the apple watch. In general, it frankly gets slow! & the majority of your time is spent watching this….

Errors: In my personal experience, every now and then when attempting to launch an application from the Apple Watch it simply falters and tends to return some truly confounding error messages. The Instagram app is a recurring culprit. It simply does not ever do what it should!

Battery life: The Apple Watch batteries are only really good for a day and when I say for a day as earlier mentioned I actually do mean for a day of regular use. For a very active person who does a lot of fitness tracking (say 4 hours and above per day), the heart rate monitor tracks continuously when using the ‘Workout’ app. This usually leads to significant battery drain.

Fitness tracking: Other than the obvious battery drain that I mentioned above when the heart rate monitor is continuously monitoring your heart rate, there is also an additional issue where the heart rate monitor does not work very well in cold weather. The detail on what causes this problem is elucidated on in this blog post.

GPS (or the absence thereof): Yup! The Apple Watch does not have GPS! That really sucks! I'm into fitness I like running and I don't like having to take my phone with me all the time. To be able to track the pace of your run properly, you currently need to have the iPhone your Apple Watch is paired to on you while you run.

Notifications and quick replies: The Apple Watch is great for notifications. Quick replies though are somewhat limited in range. The tend to be the standard messages you see on your iPhone when you attempt to ignore a call. Messages like “Can’t talk right now”, “In a meeting”, “Busy, will call you back”. Voice dictation and quick replies are good but not perfect and once you tap on one of them, there's no way to cancel. That message is pretty much sent. If you’re going to use either, expect hilarious results!

It's arguably the best approach not to attempt to use either in a professional setting.

Watch faces: we need more watch faces choice selection is very limited. Enough said!

Cell connectivity: The Apple Watch connects to your phone via Bluetooth and as such answering phone calls via the speaker on the Apple Watch is just the same as using a Bluetooth headset. As such one cannot wear the Apple Watch independently with say just an android phone on them and be able to receive calls on it. There are days when I want to put my work phone (the iPhone) down and go about my business with just my One Plus 2 and my Apple Watch. Unfortunately, that is currently not possible.

Apple Watch 2 - What’s new? (what to expect & what not to expect)

Cell connectivity: With the Apple Watch 2, don't hold your breath about cell connectivity. It is very likely that the Apple Watch 2 will still be dependent on the iPhone. This is unlikely to change any time soon given Apple’s design philosophy of working with an ecosystem design model which obviously keeps, you the consumer, tied-in and buying co-dependent Apple products. It has however been recently reported by the Wall Street Journal that Apple plans to include cell connectivity in the new Apple Watch design. A claim that other trusted reviewers in the know have very quickly refuted!

GPS: It's rumoured that next week's release of the Apple Watch 2 will give us the much needed GPS upgrade required to make the Apple Watch a decent standalone fitness device. Nike seems to have inadvertently leaked a hint towards this with their most recent Nike+ Run Club app update. It’s left for us to wait with baited breath and hope that they actually did include GPS in the Apple Watch 2.

New accessories: As with most new Apple device releases it is much expected that Apple will release new accessories for the Apple Watch some of them would be expected to be the standard watch straps which are interchangeable in new different designs and exciting colours. The really good thing about this is that now you will have more options for your existing Apple Watch as for those who do not upgrade the straps should still be able to fit either the Apple Watch one on the Apple Watch 2

Improved battery: Yes, there are rumours about a much improved Apple Watch battery in a certain leaked takedown seen this week that Apple has made the Apple Watch 2 screen considerably thinner to accommodate the bigger battery. This adds fuel to the fire with the rumour that the Apple Watch 2 will indeed have GPS. If the rumours are true, this would be a massive improvement, especially with regard to the battery drain when doing fitness tracking as well. 

For now, I guess we can only wait and keep our ears peeled for next week's announcement from Apple!

I'm really excited for the Apple Watch 2. Primarily for one thing, that long overdue addition of GPS! 


What are your thoughts on the Apple Watch and the Apple Watch 2? Let us know your thoughts, feel free to leave a comment below!

If you found this #TechforTheTechie review useful and want to learn more on general techie stuff and general gadgety wizardry, you can also find me on:

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