Since its inception, the OnePlus Ace series has been specifically designed with gamers in mind. However, with numerous performance-focused flagships now emphasizing gaming experiences, how does the latest OnePlus Ace 5 Pro distinguish itself from the competition? Today, let's delve into the 2024 grand finale, the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro.

Flat-screen design for enhanced aesthetics

Indeed, the circular camera module on the top right corner of the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro has become more streamlined, complemented by a right-angle frame design and clean lines, enhancing its visual appeal.

Our review unit comes in Starry Sky Purple, unique in that the phone's back features concentric star trails emanating from the circular camera module, adding an exquisite design element.

To the right of the camera module, you'll find the text "ACE, PERFORMANCE," emphasizing the Ace series' commitment to performance.

The OnePlus Ace 5 Pro retains the three-position slider button, and the color of the metal frame matches the back cover for a cohesive look.

The front of the phone boasts a second-generation 1.5K Orient Display, utilizing X2 luminescent material and an 8T LTPO circuit design. The screen's impressive black border control, a global brightness of up to 1600 nits, and the world's first DisplayMate A++ certification highlight its excellence.

In terms of eye protection, the screen employs the same ClearView 2.0 technology as the OnePlus 13, supporting 3-Pulse DC-like dimming, 2160Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, and 1-Pulse DC-like dimming. Essentially, it integrates all available eye-care technologies, resulting in the screen receiving the TÜV Rheinland Smart Eye Care 4.0 certification.

With its flat-screen design and 8.14mm thickness, the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro offers a comfortable grip when held horizontally for gaming.

Both the front screen and back cover of the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro utilize OPPO's Crystal Shield Glass, enhancing the phone's durability against drops and scratches.

Top-tier performance for an unparalleled gaming experience

The OnePlus Ace 5 Pro truly earns its 'Pro' status with its hardware configuration. It is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen3 processor, up to 16GB of LPDDR5T RAM, and up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage. While hardware is crucial for a great gaming experience, thermal management and optimization are equally important for unleashing the full potential of these components.

For thermal management, the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro adopts the TianGong Cooling Elite solution, seemingly tailored for the Snapdragon 8 Gen3. This system provides a VC cooling area of 6004mm² and upgrades VC cooling efficiency with a new generation of high-performance thermal gel.

Furthermore, OnePlus has collaborated with PEL professional gamers for thermal sensing co-tuning, ensuring that heat sources are kept away from areas where hands typically contact the phone during gameplay, enhancing the thermal sensation experience.

The OnePlus Ace 5 Pro also employs the Fengchi Game Engine, a chip kernel scheduling technology specifically designed for gaming. This technology reconstructs the chip's underlying architecture, enhancing both performance and energy efficiency. So, what kind of gaming experience does such a flagship-level hardware configuration offer?

Let's start with a quick test on Arena of Valor, enabling the highest frame rate, resolution, and graphics quality for two consecutive games. The average frame rate remained stable at 120fps, with power consumption below 3W. After half an hour, the phone felt only slightly warm.

What about the more demanding Genshin Impact? Notably, many phone manufacturers use separate gaming chips to enhance resolution and frame interpolation for a better overall gaming experience. However, the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro achieves a native 120fps experience at 1080P resolution directly in Genshin Impact through the Fengchi Game Engine.

While many phones can achieve high resolution and frame rates, they often struggle to maintain performance as the phone heats up. With the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro set to super frame rate and resolution (1080P at 120fps), our half-hour test showed a stable frame rate averaging 119.9fps, with power consumption around 6.5W.

During our heat test, the phone's maximum temperature reached approximately 40°C. Notably, the heat was concentrated below the camera module, with significantly less heat around the camera and above, which are the areas typically touched when holding the phone horizontally.

While the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro has improved thermal management and optimized heat distribution, for prolonged gaming sessions without heat issues, using a cooling fan can further enhance the experience.

These tests clearly demonstrate the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro's powerful performance, maintaining a stable frame rate even under high load in Genshin Impact for half an hour, showcasing its excellent thermal management and optimization.

For college students sharing a WiFi network in dormitories, network congestion is common. So, how can one enhance connectivity and reduce latency in such scenarios?

The OnePlus Ace 5 Pro is the first to feature the G1 Gaming Wi-Fi chip, accompanied by a circular antenna design with 13 gaming antennas. This not only enhances connectivity in weak signal areas but also reduces interference when holding the phone horizontally for gaming.

As the designated device for the 2025 Peacekeeper Elite League, the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro also excels in screen touch response, supporting the latest Lingxi Touch technology and even glove touch! Using the phone with gloves is effortless, making it more convenient during winter.

Camera: IMX906 Gets the Job Done!

I didn't have high expectations for the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro's camera. After all, it's primarily a gaming phone, so performance takes precedence. As long as it can scan QR codes, it's good enough!

The OnePlus Ace 5 Pro's camera did surprise me in some ways. For instance, the rear main camera uses the Sony IMX906 sensor, known for its excellent color reproduction, exposure, and detail. It performs well in 2x lossless zoom, and even in some scenarios with high digital zoom, it retains good detail. This indicates that OnePlus has put considerable effort into its algorithms for the Ace 5 Pro.

However, it's worth noting that the ultra-wide camera's low-light performance is average, and it only supports up to 1080P/30fps video recording. Additionally, the 2MP macro lens offers mediocre image quality and macro effects, often outperformed by cropping high-resolution shots from the main camera.

Worth mentioning is the variety of watermark options available on the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro. Customizable frames include Master's Mark, Classic Camera, Film Series, and Brand Power. You can even customize text, background color, and more, adding a touch of elegance to your photos!

The OnePlus Ace 5 Pro also supports uploading Live Photos to multiple social platforms or saving them as videos or GIFs for easier sharing. After changing the cover of a Live Photo, the new cover still exhibits ProXDR high dynamic range effects.

Notably, the default cover features optimized image quality for a better visual experience. For photos taken with high zoom, I don't recommend changing the cover as the image quality may appear average.

In terms of AI photo editing, the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro supports AI Super Resolution, AI Object Removal, AI Motion Blur Reduction, and AI Reflection Removal, maximizing your ability to salvage less-than-perfect shots during post-processing!

While the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro's camera isn't exceptional, it does offer all the necessary software features. With the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro, you can still capture great photos for daily use.

Charging and Battery Life

Many flagship phones this year come with batteries approaching 6000mAh, but their charging power is limited to 80W due to the increased battery capacity. The OnePlus Ace 5 Pro, however, features a 6100mAh battery, utilizing a first-of-its-kind biomimetic spherical silicon-carbon material with a silicon content of 10% and an energy density of 859Wh/L, allowing for a larger battery capacity in a sleek body.

In terms of charging, the 100W wired fast charging indeed delivers an outstanding charging experience. Actual measurements show that starting from 1% battery, it can charge to 41% in 10 minutes, 69% in 20 minutes, and 92% in 30 minutes. Finally, at 42 minutes, the phone pops up a notification indicating that the battery is fully charged.

With a large 6100mAh battery and the excellent power consumption performance of the Snapdragon 8 Supreme Edition, using the phone normally throughout the day is effortless.

Even if you intend to use your phone for extended periods, the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro thoughtfully provides a bypass power supply feature. This allows for significant reduction in heat generation when charging and gaming simultaneously, prioritizing the gaming experience.

OnePlus Ace 5 Pro Summary:

The OnePlus Ace 5 Pro delivers professional-level performance with the Snapdragon 8 Supreme Edition, paired with the Tiangong Cooling Elite and Windrunner Game Engine, elevating overall smoothness to a new level. Additionally, its exceptional screen touch response and proprietary gaming Wi-Fi chip provide a leading experience in numerous details.

As the final performance flagship smartphone released in 2024, the OnePlus Ace 5 Pro truly lives up to its role as the grand finale.