Honor 8 Pro vs OnePlus 5 Phone Comparison: Which One Is The Ultimate Flagship Killer?

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Huawei sub-brand Honor has ventured into the flagship ‘battlefield’ in India, courtesy its latest release – the Honor 8 Pro. Yes, this is the same device that has seen a European release before, but in India, it will retail for a much more aggressive price.

In the country, the 8 Pro is expected to attract a sub-30K price tag, making it stand in direct competition with OnePlus’ latest flagship killer, the OnePlus 5, the company’s latest release that released to largely positive reviews but is still muddled in more than its fair share of controversies. (हिंदी में पढ़ें)

Also Read: OnePlus 5 Review – The New Value Phone King

What we did here is pit the two against each other to find out which one comes out on top, the question being: Will Honor be able to break through OnePlus’ cult status at churning out ‘flagship killers’?

We find out.

Let’s see how the two are stacked against one another on the specification front.

Honor 8 Pro vs OnePlus 5 Specifications Comparison

Model Huawei Honor 8 Pro OnePlus 5
Display 5.7-Inch, qHD, LTPS LCD 5.5-Inch, AMOLED Display, Full HD,supports DCI-P3 Color gamut
Processor 2.4GHz Octa-Core Kirin 960 Processor 2.45GHz octa-core Snapdragon 835, Adreno 540 GPU
RAM 6GB 6GB/ 8GB
Internal Storage 128GB, expandable up to 256GB 64GB/128GB (UFS 2.1)
Software Android Nougat-based EMUI 5.1 Android 7.1.1. Nougat-based Oxygen OS
Primary Camera 12MP (RGB) + 12MP (telephoto) rear camera, f/2.2 aperture, laser autofocus, dual-LED flash, 4K video recording 16MP (f/1.7) + 20MP (f/2.6), 2X Zoom, EIS
Secondary Camera 8MP selfie camera, f/2.0 aperture, 1080p video recording 16MP with f/2.0 aperture
Dimensions and Weight 157 x 77.5 x 7mm and 184Grams 154.2 x 74.1 x 7.3mm and 153Grams
Battery 4,000mAh 3300mAh with fast charging
Others 4G VoLTE, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, Fingerprint sensor, NFC, USB Type-C, Infrared, GLONASS, fast charging 4G VoLTE, dual-band WiFi, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Fingerprint sensor, 3.5 mm audio jack, NFC, USB Type-C, Dash charging
Price  Rs. 29,999 (expected) Rs. 32,999/ Rs. 37,999

Delving deeper, here’s our detailed report.

Design and Display

Both the phones sport a sleek metal unibody design and have the same order placement and position of the twin-camera unit and the flash(es). And, sadly, that’s a wrap on the similarities on the design front.

For the differences, we’d start off with the size of the two. While OnePlus has been priding on the fact that the OnePlus 5 is its slimmest smartphone yet, the 8 Pro is still (slightly) better off, standing slimmer with 6.9mm thickness, as compared to its counterpart’s 7.2mm waist.

The 8 Pro (5.7-inch screen) also comes out on top stature-wise, outing the OnePlus 5’s 5.5-inch display by the narrowest of margins (making it more of a phablet, essentially). The location of the fingerprint sensors is yet another difference here, with the Honor 8 featuring one on the back, and the OnePlus 5 having one on its front.

Now, for the display, the Honor 8 comes out with a 2K (1440 x 2560p) resolution. On the other hand, with the OnePlus 5, the company has insisted on the same Full HD resolution that was there in its predecessor (the OnePlus 3T), most likely to ease up on the battery life. However, it does compensate with an Optic AMOLED panel to brighten things up.

For security purposes, Honor’s latest outing relies on a Corning Gorilla Glass sheet on the top, while the OnePlus 5 employs a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 one.

Software and Performance

Skins aside, there is Android Nougat in both the phones. The Honor 8 Pro has the EMUI lain on top of Nougat, although it tends to be heavy (read: bloated and prone to lags). But, the OnePlus 5’s Oxygen OS offers a near stock Android experience, also having a few nifty customizations in tow.

Also Read: Reasons Why You Should or Shouldn’t buy OnePlus 5

Another thing that works in the OnePlus 5’s favor here is the rapidness of the updates (our review unit was updated twice in a single week).

Well, you cannot afford to have lags if you’ve billed your device as a ‘flagship killer’, and the duo does not disappoint when it comes to offering top of the line performance.

Both make use of the latest processors – the Honor 8 has Huawei’s very own Kirin 960 chipset, while the OnePlus 5 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 one. Both the processor’s clock in the same frequency (2.4GHz), and have the same 6GB RAM (the OnePlus 5 is also available in an 8GB RAM variant too, though).

Rest assured, both the phones offer top-notch performance, but if we were to single out a winner in this round, the OnePlus 5 (thanks largely to a clutter free OS) takes the cake.

Camera and Battery

Complying with their ‘numero uno’ status in their respective companies, the duo comes loaded in the optics department as well, making the most of their dual rear camera units.

The OnePlus 5’s 16MP + 20MP (which is a telephoto lens) combination is akin to what Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus sports, and has been garnering a good response as of now (our analysis was also positive on the review unit).

While on the other hand, the 8 Pro boasts of twin 12MP snappers on its back, out of which one is an RGB sensor, and the other one is a monochrome one. That makes it a formidable combination indeed.

This, in all essentiality, means that we are talking about two very different (but equally adept, nonetheless) camera setups here. So, it is tie according to us.

Also Read: OnePlus 5 VS OnePlus 3T – What Has Changed?

As far as the battery is concerned, the Honor has the edge, having a 4,000mAh battery over the OnePlus 5’s 3,300mAh-rated one (and still being relatively slimmer out of the two). The 8 Pro can be refilled pretty fast with 9V/2A charger but that’s nothing as fancy as OnePlus Dash charging.

Who should buy the Honor 8 Pro?

All those who are looking for a big display device that offers high-end flagship-like features without burning a hole in their pocket. Honor 8 Pro’s ace feature is the camera performance, particularly in low light, and that’s where it has a distinct advantage over the OnePlus 5

Who should buy the OnePlus 5?

The OnePlus 5 is meant for people who prefer clean OS and prioritize performance speed over all else. It’s also more ergonomic and compact in comparison and benefits from a well calibrated AMOLED screen.

Anurag SharmaAnurag Sharma
Passionate Storyteller, Occasional Writer. \m/ Journalism Undergrad. Trying to win at life one sentence at a time. Why so serious? Let's put a smile on that face. 8)

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