Competition is good for consumers, and nowhere is that truer than in the smartphone market. There are plenty of great phones out there right now, and given that all of them have variations in hardware and software, consumers might be overwhelmed by the choices. Which phones are truly more powerful than others? One of our favorite phones right now is the OnePlus 5, a svelte, Android-powered device that packs a ton of performance in its slender frame. We gave it an 8 out of 10 in our review, commending it for its powerful hardware and gorgeous — if derivative — appearance. But even knowing that, you may be wondering: How does the OnePlus 5 compare to other popular phones like the Galaxy S8 or iPhone 7?
As far as appearances go, the OnePlus 5 will seem familiar to iPhone fans. It has a design that is very similar to modern iPhones, with a sleek, black case, dual lens camera, and shiny logo near the top of the body. A curved display gives the phone an aerodynamic look, although it feels like it could slip out of your hand without warning.
Beneath the hood, however, the OnePlus 5 blazes its own trail. With a Snapdragon 835 processor and 8GB of RAM, this phone is a workhorse, opening apps quickly and smoothly. The experience is enhanced by the Oxygen user interface, which uses smooth animations and intuitive inputs to guide users.
Digital Trends contributor David Cogen decided to see just how quick the OnePlus 5 is relative to other powerful phone on the market. He ran the OnePlus, Galaxy S8 Plus, iPhone 7 Plus, and LG G6 through a series of tests to see which one comes out on top.
When testing the fingerprint scanners, the OnePlus 5 opened up first among the phones, a nice thing to note if you frequently whip out your phone. The OnePlus 5 also tended to open games, apps, and webpages more quickly than the others, although the Galaxy S8 performed the best in terms of battery life. The OnePlus 5 is a great choice for anyone looking for speed and power in their phone, especially those who like stock Android.
David Cogen, a regular contributor here at Digital Trends, runs TheUnlockr.com, a popular tech blog that focuses on tech news, tips and tricks, and the latest tech. You can also find him over at Twitter discussing the latest tech trends.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.