Introduction

This is an exciting comparison involving the new Samsung Galaxy S5 and the even newer OnePlus One. OnePlus has finally made its debut and from we can see they have come to play…big time. These two devices are very similar in specifications, although their design is very different. Samsung decided to play it safe and made solid design changes to the Galaxy S5's predecessor, the Galaxy S4. The OnePlus One is new from the ground up, but then that is easy to do since it is the first model. Both devices use the exact same processor, the Snapdragon 801 quad-core clocked at 2.5GHz. Both devices start at 16GB of internal storage and the OnePlus One jumps to 64GB with no room for expansion, whereas the Galaxy S5 only jumps to 32GB, although it does have room for expansion via a microSD slot. Both devices are similar in width and thickness, although the OnePlus One does have tapered ends…length wise, the OnePlus One is 10.9mm taller. Take a look at the specifications below and then next we will look at each individual device and list the advantages and disadvantages before we choose a winner in this comparison.


Specifications

OnePlus One


Being new, the OnePlus One is a little hard to compare, but then these comparisons are primarily based on specifications, so let us take a look at what makes the OnePlus One tick. The display is slightly larger than the Galaxy S5 – 5.5-inch versus 5.1-inch, and the S5 uses Samsung's Super AMOLED display and the OnePlus One uses the IPS LCD technology. It also has 3GB of RAM, one more Gigabyte than the Galaxy S5. As far as internal memory there is a 16GB model – from there, the OnePlus One jumps to 64GB model with no expansion available. The OnePlus One has a 13MP Sony Exmor IMX214 main camera with a dual LED flash versus the 16MP of the Galaxy S5, however, the OnePlus One does have several upgrades such as six physical lenses. It also has a 5MP front facing camera for excellent video chatting and selfies. The OnePlus One has a 3100mAh battery over the 2800mAh battery on the Galaxy S5 – the S5 has excellent battery life so there may not be too much of a difference. One huge difference is the OnePlus One uses Android 4.4 with CyanogenMod 11S UI versus the TouchWiz of Samsung, and CyanogenMod is supposed to be an excellent interface. If there is a real downside, it is availability – only working on AT&T and most of T-Mobile's LTE networks…no Verizon or Sprint owners can purchase one.

Samsung Galaxy S5


By this time we know about all there is to know when it comes to the new Samsung Galaxy S5 – it is a solid device with a beautiful display and cutting edge specifications inside. The Galaxy S5 has a slightly smaller display, 5.1-inch versus 5.5-inch, and both are Full HD resolution. The Galaxy S5 only has 2GB of RAM versus the 3GB of RAM on the OnePlus One. The Galaxy S5 does have a microSD card slot that can add 128GB of internal storage. The main camera does have a slight advantage of only 3MP – 16MP versus 13MP, but not enough to make a difference. It only has a 2MP front facing camera versus the 5MP on the OnePlus One. The battery is also smaller at 2800mAh versus 3100mAh. It does have a replaceable battery, fingerprint scanner, Heart Rate Monitor, USB 3.0 and is available on all major U.S. networks, but is still running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz…which you either love or hate. The off-contract price of $600 is double what the OnePlus One costs.

…And the Winner is…


Summary

This was a real tough decision – we have the venerable Samsung Galaxy S5 and we know what we are getting…a good, solid and dependable device available on all U.S. networks. With the OnePlus One we are venturing into unknown territory – but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Based on the specifications, we have to choose the new OnePlus One. The Galaxy S5 does have a beautiful display, fingerprint scanner, Heart Rate Monitor, removable battery and USB 3.0, but except for the display, the rest of these items are not a deal breaker. The OnePlus One is beautifully designed with a slightly larger display, 3GB of RAM, a great camera combo that seems to outclass the Galaxy S5, stereo speakers on the bottom, and a larger battery. It is also sporting the new CyanogenMod UI that promises to be smooth, fast and include fast upgrades. The pricing is one-half the Galaxy S5, and while it does not have a microSD slot, that is just not enough to deter us…Based on these specs, we have to pick the exciting new OnePlus One.

Please contact us on our Google+ Page and let us know what you think about these two devices…as always, we would love to hear from you.