OnePlus 5 slated to hit SA next week, Nokia 8, Xperia XZ1 still cheaper

A OnePlus 5 release in South Africa has been a long time coming. We saw Takealot confirm that they were targeting a July release, but haven’t seen much movement in that regard.

Now, Stuff reports that Cernotech will be launching the smartphone on 15 November. The distributor is also responsible for CAT smartphones in South Africa.

As for pricing, the publication reports a R12 000 prepaid tag. Too much to handle? FNB is also launching the device for R599 a month on a two year contract.

The OnePlus 5 packs a Snapdragon 835 chipset, a massive 8GB of RAM, a 5.5-inch full HD OLED screen and a 3300mAh battery. But the phone also has an Apple-inspired dual camera setup, featuring a 16MP f/1.7 camera and a 16MP f/2.0 telephoto shooter.

The OnePlus 5 isn’t the cheapest flagship in SA, but it is the cheapest phone with 8GB of RAM, I guess

How does it stack up to other Snapdragon 835 smartphones? Well, the Nokia 8 (review) costs roughly R9500, packing the same chipset.

HMD’s phone has less RAM (4GB) and a slightly smaller battery, but it also packs a sharper screen (2560×1440, LCD), practically stock Android and a Huawei-style dual-camera layout (two 13MP shooters, with one being a monochrome camera).

Meanwhile, Sony’s Xperia XZ1 is available for R9999, offering the same chip but 4GB of RAM. Sony’s phone also offers a single-camera setup with 960fps super slow mo.

Still, those on the hunt for a powerful high-end smartphone can definitely do worse than the OnePlus 5. But the brand’s reputation for being an “affordable flagship” is arguably in the past now.