[5] OnePlus confirmed that the handset would feature a Snapdragon 835 processor prior to launch.

[6] OnePlus also noted its work with the image processing firm DxO to improve the camera on the device.

[10] It has a 3,300 mAh battery with OnePlus' proprietary Dash Charge technology and a 1080p AMOLED display[2] with DCI-P3 wide colour gamut.

[11] Following criticism of prior models' camera quality,[7] OnePlus implemented an electronically stabilized 16 MP Sony Exmor IMX398 camera module along with a 20 MP Sony Exmor IMX350 telephoto lens, capable of producing a bokeh effect.

[14] The company released the device tree and kernel sources a few days prior to the phone's launch.

[10] Wired noted that despite the phone's camera specifications, the photo quality was mediocre; however, it commended the smoothness and battery life of the device.

[23] XDA Developers noted that the phone was locking the CPU and GPU at their maximum clock speeds while in certain games and benchmarks in order to inflate their benchmark scores, resulting in the phone reaching external temperatures as high as 50 °C.

[25] Users noted that the handset had a "jelly scrolling effect" due to an inverted display.

[33] OnePlus later said that the problem was "related to a modem memory usage issue", and that it was only a "random occurrence" for some users on VoLTE networks.

[35] During the week leading up to the device being revealed, a television advertisement was shown in the final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy between Pakistan and India, starring OnePlus brand ambassador and Indian film star Amitabh Bachchan.