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OnePlus shows why OnePlus 5 won't be an iPhone copycat

OnePlus releases a photo to prove that its new OnePlus 5 flagship draws on its own design heritage, not Apple's.
Written by Liam Tung, Contributing Writer
oneplus5.jpg

OnePlus 5: "A continuous hard edge, refined over three years."

Image: OnePlus

Just days after announcing a June 20 launch date, OnePlus has now also revealed a detailed image of what its new flagship OnePlus 5 smartphone actually looks like.

It's unusual to reveal so much about a device before a launch, but the company is likely to be responding to copycat criticisms after an official promotional image was leaked.

The leaked image in question unfortunately shows a phone that appears to resemble an iPhone, and the public was quick to point out similarities to the iPhone 7 Plus's dual-camera positioning and configuration.

In what is likely to have been a response to that criticism, OnePlus released the new image, which highlights a sharper, tapered edge than the iPhone's smooth, rounded edges. The tweet accompanying the image also stresses OnePlus's originality: "A continuous hard edge, refined over three years."

OnePlus co-founded Carl Pei also took to its forum pages to share details about the OnePlus 5's improved microphone, which has been engineered to capture clearer sound in noisy environments.

"We brought in some new hardware and assigned a group of engineers to optimize the audio system of the OnePlus 5 to capture much clearer sound. As a result, the OnePlus 5's improved microphone performs significantly better in loud environments. Whether you're an audiophile or not, we think you'll appreciate the difference," wrote Pei.

A short video comparing last year's OnePlus 3's audio recording quality with the OnePlus 5 does demonstrate an improvement.

Besides the dual camera and new microphone, the device is said to have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835.

OnePlus will be hosting launch events for the OnePlus 5 in New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Helsinki and Oulu.

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