The OnePlus Ace lineup has long served as the proving ground for future R-series and Nord models in global markets. But every once in a while, a new Ace phone launches that makes you stop and wonder: could this be OnePlus’s next global flagship killer? The OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra fits that bill precisely. With specs that include a cutting-edge Dimensity 9400+ chip, a vivid 144Hz AMOLED display, and a whopping 6,700 mAh battery, this device doesn’t just look ultra—it feels ultra too.
But specs on paper are only half the story. In an age of increasingly iterative smartphone upgrades, does the Ace 5 Ultra push the envelope far enough to be memorable? Is it just another China-only powerhouse, or does it genuinely deserve global attention? As we dive into the details, we’ll find out whether this is the kind of phone that should be repackaged for international markets—or left as an ambitious regional exclusive.
If you’ve followed OnePlus for long, you know that the Ace series often previews the direction the brand is taking. The Ace 5 Ultra could very well be the blueprint for the next OnePlus 13R or Nord 5 Ultra. So in this in-depth review, we’ll explore its design, display, performance, cameras, and everything in between to help you decide whether this Ultra deserves your attention.
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Design and Build Quality:
The OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra strikes a compelling balance between premium looks and practical design choices. Although it features a plastic frame, OnePlus has done well to give it a matte finish that both looks sleek and resists fingerprints. The phone’s back panel is smooth glass, but don’t be fooled—it has intricate, lightning-inspired patterns etched beneath the surface that reveal themselves under the right light.
Measuring just 8.1mm thick and weighing under 210 grams, the Ace 5 Ultra feels comfortable in hand despite housing a giant battery. The edges are nicely rounded, and the flat back and front glass give it a modern, symmetrical aesthetic. Gone is the familiar circular camera module—OnePlus has opted for a horizontal, pill-shaped camera layout that stands out, not just visually but tactically, due to its flat design.
An IP65 rating adds a layer of durability without compromising the sleek feel. While not as rugged as IP68 flagships, it offers enough protection for everyday dust and light splashes. The alert slider is gone, replaced by a programmable shortcut key that adds versatility and utility for power users.
There’s also an IR blaster at the top—a rarity in 2025 phones—which turns the Ace 5 Ultra into a handy universal remote. The fingerprint scanner is optical and accurate but positioned a bit too low for comfort. Still, the phone manages to feel solid and modern while prioritizing comfort, aesthetics, and a hint of nostalgia with that tactile back.
Display Specs And Biometrics:
The Ace 5 Ultra features a gorgeous 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel that is not only bright but also extremely fluid thanks to its 144Hz refresh rate. This is the first OnePlus phone to offer such a high refresh rate, and it pays off—everything from UI transitions to gaming animations feels buttery smooth. With symmetrical bezels and a centered punch-hole camera, the front is clean and immersive.
Brightness isn’t an issue here. The display holds up well even in direct sunlight, making it great for outdoor use. OnePlus has also implemented 3840Hz PWM dimming to reduce eye strain—a feature especially appreciated by users sensitive to OLED flicker. Whether you’re reading, browsing, or binge-watching, this panel keeps things comfortable and sharp.
Colors are vibrant without being oversaturated, and you get support for HDR10+ content, ensuring cinematic playback quality. Touch response is snappy too, helped by the additional gaming chips OnePlus has installed under the hood. The flat design means fewer accidental touches, which is great for gaming or note-taking.
An optical fingerprint scanner is embedded in the display. It works well but sits unusually low on the screen—those with smaller hands may need to stretch their thumbs a bit. Face unlock is also present and works reliably under most lighting conditions. Combined, these biometric options offer a secure and fast unlocking experience.
Software Updates And Apps:
The OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra runs ColorOS 14.1 in China, which is expected to translate to OxygenOS 14 for the global variant. The interface is clean, fast, and feature-rich. You get useful additions like Smart Sidebar, custom gesture controls, and performance tuning profiles baked right into the system settings.
OnePlus promises three years of major Android updates and four years of security patches—a respectable commitment for a premium mid-range phone. Bloatware is minimal, with most preinstalled apps removable. The UI is smooth, animations are polished, and multitasking feels seamless thanks to dynamic RAM allocation.
There are also special features like Zen Space for digital detox, enhanced privacy dashboards, and improved AI-based app predictions. Integration with the OnePlus ecosystem—like Buds, TVs, and tablets—is tighter than ever. Everything feels polished, stable, and cohesive.
Performance and Chipsets:
At the heart of the Ace 5 Ultra is MediaTek’s new Dimensity 9400+, a slightly overclocked version of the flagship 9400. It features the Cortex-X925 prime core clocked 100MHz higher, delivering subtle but real boosts in demanding apps. Paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1TB of blazing-fast UFS 4.0 storage, this phone is a multitasking beast.
Day-to-day performance is flawless, and apps open in a snap. Benchmarks are competitive, and in heavy tasks like video editing and AI image generation, the Ace 5 Ultra holds its own against Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 rivals. Even under load, thermal management is surprisingly efficient, keeping temps below 40°C.
Gaming Performance and Tests:
Gaming is a core strength of the Ace 5 Ultra. Thanks to the Dimensity 9400+ and dedicated gaming chips for Wi-Fi acceleration and touch input, you get an edge in responsiveness and stability. Titles like Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile, and COD Mobile run at high settings with little frame drop.
After 20 minutes of intense gaming, there’s noticeable throttling—but frame rates remain playable and temperatures stay manageable. OnePlus also includes features like HyperBoost for frame stability, game space for performance tuning, and support for frame interpolation and resolution upscaling in select titles.
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Battery Life and Charging Speed:
The Ace 5 Ultra packs a massive 6,700mAh battery yet somehow keeps its weight under control. In day-to-day use, you’re looking at close to two full days on a single charge with moderate use. Heavy users can still squeeze out a day and a half with ease.
Charging is handled by a 100W SuperVOOC adapter included in the box. A 50% top-up takes around 18 minutes, with a full charge completing in just over 42 minutes. There’s also support for bypass charging during gaming, helping keep thermals lower while plugged in.
Connectivity:
Connectivity is flagship-grade on the Ace 5 Ultra. You get dual-SIM 5G with carrier aggregation, Wi-Fi 7 support, and Bluetooth 5.4. NFC is onboard for contactless payments, and the IR blaster adds a quirky but useful remote-control option.
Navigation is accurate with dual-frequency GPS, and the phone supports USB 3.1 speeds for data transfer. Call quality is solid with support for VoLTE and VoWiFi, and the haptics engine is precise and strong—great for both typing and gaming.
Camera Specs and Performance:
Main Sensor Quality:
The OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra is not a camera-first smartphone, but it does pack competent optics. Its primary shooter is a 50MP Sony IMX906 sensor—1/1.56” in size—paired with an optically stabilized f/1.8 lens. In daylight conditions, this camera consistently produces high-quality shots. Dynamic range is impressive, colors are vivid but not oversaturated, and shadows retain detail. Even complex scenes with bright skies and shaded buildings are handled well, showing thoughtful HDR implementation.
Low Light and Night Shots:
In low light, the IMX906 holds up decently. Night mode kicks in automatically and helps lift shadows without going overboard on brightness or noise reduction. It doesn’t match the low-light prowess of ultra-premium flagships, but for its class, the performance is more than respectable. Details remain mostly intact, and color balance is accurate under artificial lighting.
Ultrawide Lens:
The secondary 8MP ultrawide lens is a step down. While it offers a wider perspective, the sensor’s dynamic range is limited and sharpness drops off toward the edges. Colors are generally consistent with the main shooter, but exposure often lags behind. There’s also no autofocus here, which rules out using this lens for close-up or macro shots. Still, it’s usable for landscape shots in decent lighting, just not remarkable.
Portrait Mode:
Portrait mode leverages the primary sensor and software to produce decent results. Edge detection is usually accurate, and the background blur looks natural. It handles challenging subjects like hair surprisingly well, though artifacts can appear in complex backgrounds. There’s also an AI mode that enhances contrast and facial features slightly without making subjects look unnatural.
Selfie Camera:
On the front, you get a 16MP selfie shooter. Selfies turn out well-lit and detailed in good lighting, with accurate skin tones and a soft background blur option. In dim settings, quality takes a hit with some visible grain and noise, but it remains usable for social media. The portrait mode here is software-driven and does a fair job, although edge detection isn’t perfect.
Video Recording:
The Ace 5 Ultra supports 4K video recording at up to 60fps on the main sensor. Footage is detailed, with good color reproduction. However, there’s noticeable EIS jitter, especially while walking or panning, which detracts from the overall polish. The ultrawide maxes out at 1080p 30fps, and quality is acceptable but soft. The selfie camera records at 1080p 30fps too, again limited by the sensor’s capabilities and the same EIS jitter.
Pro Mode and Extras:
Pro mode allows full control over ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and focus, making it great for enthusiasts. RAW support is present, giving photographers more flexibility in post-processing. Other features include AI scene detection, dual-view video (simultaneously using front and rear cameras), slow motion (up to 1080p @ 240fps), and time-lapse.
Summary of Camera Capabilities:
The Ace 5 Ultra’s camera setup is serviceable and versatile, though not groundbreaking. It’s clearly designed with performance, gaming, and display in mind rather than photography. That said, the IMX906 does enough to ensure users won’t feel shortchanged on casual photography, especially in daylight. Just don’t expect Pixel or Galaxy-tier results in night or ultrawide photography.
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Price and Availability:
The OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra is currently a China-exclusive device, starting at ¥2,499 (~$345). It comes in three storage variants: 12/256GB, 16/512GB, and a top-tier 16GB/1TB model. Although OnePlus has not officially confirmed global plans, past trends suggest a rebranded version—likely under the “13R” or “Nord Ultra” label—may launch globally in the coming months.
If it does, expect a price hike of 5–10% over the Chinese pricing to account for taxes, logistics, and regional adjustments. That would place it somewhere in the $399–$499 range globally—compelling for what it offers.
Conclusion:
The OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does a lot right. It boasts a sleek design with thoughtful touches, a standout 144Hz AMOLED display, and a powerful Dimensity 9400+ chipset—all packed into a body that’s surprisingly lightweight for its massive 6,700mAh battery. Add in fast 100W charging, flagship-grade connectivity, and a few gaming extras, and you’ve got a performance-focused all-rounder.
The cameras, while solid in good light, won’t blow you away. But for most users, they’re good enough. Its biggest hurdle remains availability—if OnePlus doesn’t bring this to global markets, it’ll be a missed opportunity. But if it does land under a 13R or Nord Ultra badge, it might just be the value flagship of the year. Buy the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra now!
Pros and Cons
Pros
- 144Hz AMOLED with PWM dimming
- Dimensity 9400+ delivers top-tier performance
- Huge 6,700mAh battery with 100W charging
- Versatile gaming features and software tuning
- IP65 rating and IR blaster
- Excellent value-for-specs ratio (China pricing)
Cons
- Ultrawide camera is underwhelming
- No alert slider
- EIS jitter affects video quality
- Buy the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra now!
Not Sure About the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra? Consider These 3 Alternatives:
1. Poco F7 Pro
- Why consider it: If you’re looking for similarly aggressive performance with better sustained thermals and a slightly cleaner MIUI-based experience, the Poco F7 Pro delivers with its Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip and 120W charging. It also features a flat AMOLED display and strong stereo speakers.
Ideal for: Power users who want flagship-grade performance on a midrange budget. Buy it on Amazon now!!
2. iQOO Neo 10
- Why consider it: The iQOO Neo 10 is priced close to the A5 Ultra and also features the Dimensity 9300-series chipset, but it comes with more refined gaming features, better heat dissipation, and a touch more camera tuning, especially in low light.
Ideal for: Gamers who want frame stability, performance tuning, and long-term durability. Buy it on Amazon now!!
3. Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
- Why consider it: While not as powerful on paper, the Galaxy S24 FE offers longer software support, better brand trust globally, and a more polished camera experience out of the box. It also includes wireless charging and IP68 protection.
Ideal for: Buyers who want a more globally supported, camera-focused device with premium brand value. - Buy it on Amazon now!!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Will the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra launch globally?
- While it’s currently China-exclusive, OnePlus typically rebrands Ace devices as R-series or Nord models for global markets. Expect a possible global version under a new name.
Is the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra good for gaming?
- Yes, thanks to the Dimensity 9400+, 144Hz AMOLED display, gaming-centric software optimizations, and additional touch/Wi-Fi chips, it offers an excellent gaming experience.
How is the camera performance on the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra?
- The main 50MP sensor performs well in daylight and decently in low light. The ultrawide camera is average, and video quality suffers from EIS jitter.
What’s the battery life like on the Ace 5 Ultra?
- With a massive 6,700mAh battery, the Ace 5 Ultra can easily last 1.5–2 days on moderate use. Fast 100W charging means minimal downtime.
Does the Ace 5 Ultra have wireless charging?
- No, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra does not support wireless charging—likely to keep the price and weight in check.
- Buy the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra now!
