Following that legitimate-looking design sketch of the OnePlus 5 – which we confirmed as a prototype and not the final OnePlus 5 – our source has now provided us with a photo of another prototype. As I mentioned in the previous post, this is not what we’re expecting from the OnePlus 5 when it launches in June or July, but it does provide a nice insight into what OnePlus was thinking, and seemingly decided against, in the build up to its 2017 flagship. One thing you’re not going to want to hear is that it looks like we’re in for a significant price hike this year.

Back to the photo for a moment, the two most striking details are of course the oft-rumored dual camera setup and the seemingly re-used OnePlus 3/3T chassis in which it lies. Interestingly enough, it corroborates a dubious earlier image revealed by India Today – one that we took issue with as a fake. While we’re not saying that image was actually​ legit, it’s possible it was created by someone that saw this early prototype.

We have no dimensions to go on, so we won’t venture any guesses as to the screen size or resolution, so we’ll leave it up to you to decide if you think this device looks any bigger than the OnePlus 3T. We also note the larger spacing between the volume rocker and the alert slider.

We were unfortunately unable to procure a photo of the front of the device, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it revealed smaller bezels than any previous “flagship killer” based on other information we have received (dual front-facing cameras have also been rumored).

It goes without mentioning that we’re not seeing a fingerprint scanner relocated to the back of the device here, so the nature of the front-facing fingerprint scanner will also have to remain a mystery for now, whether it remains a solid state depression beneath the display or becomes an under-glass solution like that originally rumored for the Galaxy S8.

OnePlus 5 price hike

Our source also had a few things to say on pricing, revealing that the OnePlus 5 will use “more costly components” and that OnePlus is “looking at a significantly higher price point due to components and design”. Our source does note that pricing is not yet confirmed, but that it will definitely be higher than previous devices in order to “signal competitiveness with the biggest brands” and could be as high as $650.

This detail, if it pans out, will surely upset a lot of die hard OnePlus fans, but all things considered, is there anything about the OnePlus 3T that wouldn’t have made it worthy of that kind of price tag (barring OnePlus’ debatable track record where customer service is concerned)?

OnePlus has been steadily increasing the price of its flagships with each new iteration, so if the OnePlus 5 comes with a meaningful upgrade in both design and materials, then a concomitant price increase stands to reason. While it may very well be sad to lose the characteristic price-performance ratio that OnePlus has built its reputation on, the company has been signalling a move to the big league for quite some time. And no one can deny that, pound for pound, OnePlus delivers far more than any other OEM for the price.

No one can deny that, pound for pound, OnePlus delivers far more than any other OEM for the price.

With rumors circulating of dual cameras, a ceramic and metal build, 8 GB of RAM, the Snapdragon 835, 128 GB of storage and a QHD display, sooner or later OnePlus’ prices were always going to have to more closely resemble those of mainstream flagships. Just think about it for a second: if OnePlus delivers the same price-performance ratio as it always has, just imagine what $650 will get us. Of course, OnePlus has always managed on razor thin profit margins, so the price may very well be lower than $650. But it certainly won’t be cheaper than the OnePlus 3T.

As we said at the outset, this is not at all how we’re expecting the final OnePlus 5 to look. Its status as a prototype means we’re more likely to see an all new design in this year’s flagship. An all-new design that looks set to feature even more high-end internals than any previous OnePlus offering, with a price to match. Hit he comments and let us know what you think of the possibility and let us know what you want to see OnePlus do this year.