Features that could be trimmed in next version

[John Lafitte]

I went with a Moto G5 Plus due to the OnePlus 5 being a little out of my price range.

Everyone talks about what features the OnePlus 5 is missing. I'm more interested in what features the next phone (OnePlus 6 I presume) could do without. I'd like to see it get back down in the $300 range.

First of all, it really only needs 4GB of RAM. I know plentiful RAM is one of their trademark features, but going past 4GB, I just don't think there is any return on that investment.

Next, I'm not sure the dual camera setup is doing that much for it. If you really require that last 3% of camera quality, you are probably going to buy an iPhone, GS8 or G6.

Last on my list, the chip. Wouldn't a snapdragon 630 or 660 satisfy most people?

Any other features that could be trimmed to make this phone more affordable?

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

No one would buy that phone, you may have misunderstood what Oneplus phones are about.

They're powerhouses.

I do expect they'll go back to a single camera... This dual camera thing is likely a fad.

Besides the powerhouse thing, the extra RAM doesn't add as much to the cost as you may think, and they haven't had a 4GB phone since the 2 in 2015... By the Oneplus 6 that would be a three year step backwards.

Basically, they'll never hit that low a price... Component prices are rising, and if they did what you want and turned it into a Moto G level budget phone they would lose a large portion of their customer base, me included.

 

[dpham00]

They tried to de content with the OnePlus 2, that didn't work out. I am not sure what they could trim and stay in line with their high end specs.

 

[GaboCaVi]

Yeah, the point pint here is that Oneplus defined its' flagships with the same specs as Samsung, LG, HTC and the other big brands but lower price tags. That's why they always had the hype going for it.

Otherwise they are OPPO devices with stock firmware and better supported

 

[ByteMyAscii]

What you describe is going against what OnePlus have actually done for the market, showing that you can get flagship performance without the price.
All you describe there is making it go back very much to a mid-range phone.

I do expect they'll go back to a single camera... This dual camera thing is likely a fad.

Dual Cameras aren't a fundamentally a fad, it is just the implementation can vary considerably.
Personally I would like less focus (pun unintended) on the Bokeh effect, and more about what the second camera can bring elsewhere.
Other phones are in some cases being praised for their dual cameras, just OnePlus less so.
Though OnePlus are fixing some stuff on the software side, such as one fix having been released to enable EIS for 4k video.

 

[cactuspete23]

Dual back cameras will go away when new sensors allow telefoto, and better quality. just a matter of time,

 

[dpham00]

Dual back cameras will go away when new sensors allow telefoto, and better quality. just a matter of time,

Things will always improve for sure. But dual cameras, when done right, can be a significant improvement over a single lens. Of course when not done right, it is kind of a waste

 

[Theo Donacik]

There are some things it should add like expandable storage and antenna band 13

 

[ByteMyAscii]

There are some things it should add like expandable storage and antenna band 13

Expandable storage on the Pixel for instance was more debateable, given the free storage google offered pixel users for full resolution photos.
Though it is far easier to argue I would agree for everything else.
Dual-Sim is not a reason to not have it, as at least one other phone has the option for substituting the second sim for a micro-sd card.
Though depending on the needs of the users, losing a second sim might not be acceptable either.

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

Expandable storage on the Pixel for instance was more debateable, given the free storage google offered pixel users for full resolution photos.
Though it is far easier to argue I would agree for everything else.
Dual-Sim is not a reason to not have it, as at least one other phone has the option for substituting the second sim for a micro-sd card.
Though depending on the needs of the users, losing a second sim might not be acceptable either.

The pixel and the Oneplus 5 both support expandable storage...

And I'd say it was arguably more necessary on the Pixel given the lacklustre 32GB on the base model.

And no, I don't think a micro SD slot should come at the sacrifice of the second SIM.

 

[ByteMyAscii]

The pixel and the Oneplus 5 both support expandable storage...

And I'd say it was arguably more necessary on the Pixel given the lacklustre 32GB on the base model.

And no, I don't think a micro SD slot should come at the sacrifice of the second SIM.

That sacrifice I would have thought was due to lack of physical space, in this sort of form factor.
Is there a dual-sim phone with separate expandable storage via Micro-SD ?
There seems to be one or the other rather than both, except for that hybrid method but at the mentioned cost.
Personally I am not the sort of user who could benefit from dual sims, and so for myself the expandable storage is more appealing initially.
Though I can't speak for the future, which could again swing it either way.

 

[AFM1204]

I don't get the sound slider switch. It's a big hardware addition that doesn't add much value. The get the physical buttons and switches, the better.

 

[dpham00]

The pixel and the Oneplus 5 both support expandable storage...

And I'd say it was arguably more necessary on the Pixel given the lacklustre 32GB on the base model.

And no, I don't think a micro SD slot should come at the sacrifice of the second SIM.

On some phones, you can modify the sd card and sim so that you can use dual sim and sd card.

 

[recDNA]

I can't use OP5 because I'm on VZW but I'm curious.... does it have an ir blaster?

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

On some phones, you can modify the sd card and sim so that you can use dual sim and sd card.

Performing micro surgery on an SD and SIM card hardly seems like a good option... Or idea.

Besides, i believe the reason SD support isn't included is because they're incredibly slow.

I can't use OP5 because I'm on VZW but I'm curious.... does it have an ir blaster?

No, it's 2017 lol.

 

[Ahmedthegeek]

What you are talking is completely useless why would they use 600 chipsets instead of 800 and use low end items on it to reduce the price like $300 Moto phones if they did this there phones wouldnt sell that much.I agree with ram instead of 8gb they could have 4gb but ram is not exoensive but imstead of dual cameras hey could have one great camera

 

[ByteMyAscii]

Performing micro surgery on an SD and SIM card hardly seems like a good option... Or idea.

Besides, i believe the reason SD support isn't included is because they're incredibly slow.



No, it's 2017 lol.

The remote for our virgin media tivo box decided to stop functioning in part for some reason.
We got a replacement sent out, after which the original decided to suddenly behave itself again.
I can't speak for others, but having two controls suddenly proves very convenient.
IR blaster offers for some users a lot of convenience, not least with the potential to control more than one device in a far more flexible way than a physical "all-in-one" remote can do.

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

The remote for our virgin media tivo box decided to stop functioning in part for some reason.
We got a replacement sent out, after which the original decided to suddenly behave itself again.
I can't speak for others, but having two controls suddenly proves very convenient.
IR blaster offers for some users a lot of convenience, not least with the potential to control more than one device in a far more flexible way than a physical "all-in-one" remote can do.

That might be true if Logitech Harmony remotes didn't exist.

Phones make pretty **** poor TV remotes, and IR blasters are a very niche feature that not even Samsung thinks is worth wasting space on anymore. Is there a single flagship that does?

 

[ByteMyAscii]

That might be true if Logitech Harmony remotes didn't exist.

Phones make pretty **** poor TV remotes, and IR blasters are a very niche feature that not even Samsung thinks is worth wasting space on anymore. Is there a single flagship that does?

What is deemed "a waste of space" isn't consistent.
Take the headphone jack for instance.
Some flagships are ditching that, some not.

And for reference, here is a list of the devices released in 2017 and 2016 with one.
(from Wikipedia)

2016 -
Huawei Honor 8
Huawei Mate 9[3]
Huawei Mate 9 Pro
LG G5
Ulefone Power
Ulefone Vienna
Xiaomi Mi 5
Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus
Xiaomi Mi 4s
Xiaomi Redmi 3s
Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (Snapdragon)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
Xiaomi Max
LeTV le 1s
Letv le Max
Huawei P9 Plus
LeEco Le 2
LeEco Le 2 Pro
LeEco Le Max 2
LeEco Le Pro 3
Lenovo tab
LG V20
ZTE NUBIA Z11
Samsung J1 Mini

2017 -
Xiaomi Redmi 4a
Xiaomi Redmi 4X
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X
Huawei P10 Plus
Wiko
Xiaomi Mi 6
Huawei Honor 8 Pro
Huawei Honor 9
ZTE nubia Z17
LeEco Le Pro 3 Elite

Arguable what you may or may not define as "flagship", but it isn't' by any means the niche feature you think it is.
And by the way there is one Samsung device in that list.

And why is a smartphone simply "bad" in your opinion.
Why are people texting on a smartphone when a physical keyboard is simply "superior".

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

What is deemed "a waste of space" isn't consistent.
Take the headphone jack for instance.
Some flagships are ditching that, some not.

And for reference, here is a list of the devices released in 2017 and 2016 with one.
(from Wikipedia)

2016 -
Huawei Honor 8
Huawei Mate 9[3]
Huawei Mate 9 Pro
LG G5
Ulefone Power
Ulefone Vienna
Xiaomi Mi 5
Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus
Xiaomi Mi 4s
Xiaomi Redmi 3s
Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (Snapdragon)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
Xiaomi Max
LeTV le 1s
Letv le Max
Huawei P9 Plus
LeEco Le 2
LeEco Le 2 Pro
LeEco Le Max 2
LeEco Le Pro 3
Lenovo tab
LG V20
ZTE NUBIA Z11
Samsung J1 Mini

2017 -
Xiaomi Redmi 4a
Xiaomi Redmi 4X
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X
Huawei P10 Plus
Xiaomi Mi 6
Huawei Honor 8 Pro
Huawei Honor 9
ZTE nubia Z17
LeEco Le Pro 3 Elite

Arguable what you may or may not define as "flagship", but it isn't' by any means the niche feature you think it is.
And by the way there is one Samsung device in that list.

And why is a smartphone simply "bad" in your opinion.
Why are people texting on a smartphone when a physical keyboard is simply "superior".

Haha, thanks for that man. You proved my point REALLY well!

Definitions of flagship DO differ, but I can tell you right now that J1 you mention fits NONE of them.

Mine (the correct one) is that it is a companies main top tier device that it wants to push to consumers... The only ones from this year in the list are maybe one of the Xiaomei and one of the Huawei... I don't know their lines well enough to pick out their flagships.

The G5 is... But that's from last year. Where's the G6 on the list? Where's the S8, the Moto Z2, the U11, the Xperia XZ? Is there one on the iPhone? You can't say it's not niche because it's included on a host of niche devices!

Given the amount of Huawei and Xiaomei phones, you could claim it's not niche within China... But that seems tenuous.

Again, thanks. You did a far better job of proving my point than I could have!

As for your last paragraph... What? Really, what are you talking about?