Now that the OnePlus 5T has been launched, the company is now taking to marketing it. And this time, we think they are doing it right.
OnePlus hosted an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session, but it wasn't held on reddit, rather it was held on its own forums. I will admit I was sceptical about this change, but OnePlus was bold enough to answer some of the most challenging questions.
Here's some of our favourites: (We have reworded some of the questions, in layman terms to make them understandable and in context)
Q1. When asked about the possibility of a 1440p 2K display:
A1: Carl Pei, OnePlus co-founder, Tweeted a rather unusual reply. It shows that the company has no interest in moving from FullHD to QHD, and rightly so.
Q2. Will OnePlus add Dual speakers in future phones?
A2: Carl's reply was "When we feel it delivers enough user value (probably never)". Ouch, I think we will disagree with that one.
Q3: On (false) accussations of OnePlus 5 support being abandoned.
A3: Carl snapped with a "Who says OnePlus 5 software updates will be impacted?". The company did release the Android 8.0 Oreo Update for its 2016 phones, the OnePlus 3 and 3T, recently before major flagships have this year. So, it shows that the company is learning from its past mistakes.
Q4: Will Energy awareness scheduling(EAS) be added to the OnePlus 5/5T?
A4: "No, we have our own version of EAS that we feel is better suited for our devices."
Q5: Will the 3/3T and 5/5T get Treble?
A5: "No, we are not currently supporting treble and do not plan to for these devices." Not really surprising, since only devices which launched with Oreo, are actually compatible with Treble. The lack of the latest OS in the OnePlus 5T was criticized by some reviewers.
Q6: Will OnePlus 3/3T get Android 8.1?
A6: "Yes, later."
Q7: End of Open Beta for OnePlus 3/3T?
A7: "We will stop when we feel there are no more updates that are relevant for the Open Beta program." That's neither here nor there, I'm not sure what to take from this.
Q8: Will camera blobs for 3/3T and 5/5T be released, to help improve the camera quality in custom ROMs?
A8: "No, Camera software is proprietary. We do not have authorization to distribute this code to anyone." This is definitely an odd one, we think this may have something to do with BBK (parent company which also owns OPPO and VIVO).
Q9: Are you planning to launch a mid range smartphone in the future?
A9: "Maybe when we're one of the global leaders in the flagship segment. Focus is key." So, no OnePlus X2 then.
Q10: Why doesn't the OnePlus 5T have more PPI (pixels per inch) despite its larger screen size. 18:9 aspect ratio, and 2160 x 1080p Full HD+ resolution?.
A10: The pixel density remains the same.
Q11: Any trade-in offers for the 5T?
A11: "We do offer trade in, but to be fair the terms are not good. You're better off selling the phone yourself. We're trying to find better trade in partners who can offer better value to customers." This was an honest reply, kudos OnePlus.
Q12: Why didn't you include OIS (Optical image Stabilization) on the OnePlus 5T?
A12: "Including OIS would increase the physical size of our device, which would negatively impact the design and appearance of the phone." This sounds like we had to do some cost-cutting somewhere.
Q13: Does the 5T still have secret waterproofing like the 5 did?
A13: "Yes, it will survive day to day situations but not showering or swimming with it."
Q14: How long will the OnePlus 5T get OS updates?
A14: "Of course, your 5T will get continuous official updates for 2 years." We'll believe this when we see it.
Q15: Why don't OnePlus 5 and 5T have external memory card slots?
A15: “64 and 128 GB devices, that support cloud services, satisfy the needs of the vast majority of our users." Can't argue about this one.
You can read the AMA for more questions and answers.