O2 grab UK exclusive as OnePlus 5 goes on sale

It’s the China-made iPhone slayer that everyone has been waiting for, and you’ll only get it with O2: the OnePlus 5 is finally here.

The successor to the wildly popular OnePlus 3T hits the shelves in UK stores this week.

And O2 are celebrating as they’ll be the only network to carry the new OnePlus 5.

From 27 June the only other place to buy the OnePlus 5 in the UK, is online, direct from the OnePlus website.

This gorgeous and (relatively) cheap smartphone smashed expectations on its 20 June launch.

It features a Snapdragon 835 processor producing phenomenal performance, a HD 5.5in screen, the option of 8GB of RAM, and one of the highest resolution dual-camera systems you can get on a smartphone.

Its predecessor, the OnePlus 3T, was the SIMOnlyDeals 2016 model of choice for people sick of the Apple/Samsung duopoly, and sold in massive numbers due to its fast Snapdragon 821 processor, 6GB RAM, 16-megapixel front and rear cameras, and the promise of hugely extended battery life.

At £399 for a 64GB model or £429 for the 128GB version the 3T became a cult hit with smartphone addicts.

Now the OnePlus 5 is aiming to do the same, albeit at an inflated price of £449 for 64GB of storage with 6GB of RAM, or £499 for the top-end 128GB, 8GB RAM model.

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Suffice it to say that engineers working on the next flagship Samsung, Google and HTC phones ought to be seriously worried.

O2 will sell the OnePlus 5 on their Refresh tariffs, including the 64GB version for £49 a month and 128GB model at £51 a month, both with a 30GB data allowance. Both tariffs come with an upfront payment of £9.99.

O2 say OnePlus 3T owners on contract with O2 will also be able to upgrade to the OnePlus 5, or get £80 off the cost of a new phone with a trade-in.

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There’s a series of in-store events where rabid OnePlus fans can get their hands on early-release models; Birmingham’s Bullring shopping centre gets it first on Thursday 22 June, 5pm to 8pm, followed by O2’s flagship London store on Oxford Street the following day, then Mancunians get the final hands-on look on Saturday 24 June from 10am to 1pm at the Manchester Arndale.

For more on prices, deals, and to pre-order the OnePlus5, head to the O2 website.