OnePlus 6T Review: It’s Almost Perfect
OnePlus 6T Review: It’s Almost Perfect
Following the massive success that was the OnePlus 6, OnePlus has now brought the the OnePlus 6T worldwide. Much like other T-series devices from the company, the OnePlus 6T is a minor upgrade over its predecessor, bringing just a couple of new features in almost the same chassis as before.
Starting at Rs. 37,999 here in India, the OnePlus 6T is, once again, a little bit more expensive than the last smartphone from the company, but is it worth the upgrade? Well, I had the chance to use the device as my daily driver a week ahead of the launch and I’m here to answer just that.
OnePlus 6T Specifications
As I mentioned earlier, the OnePlus 6T is just a minor upgrade over the OnePlus 6 and it pretty much has the same hardware as its predecessor, except for a few minor changes here and there. So, lets take a look at the complete specifications of the OnePlus 6T before we dive further into the review:
| Dimensions and Weight | 157.5 x 74.8 x 8.2mm, 185g |
| Display | 6.41-inch Optic AMOLED 2340x1080p, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 |
| RAM | 6/8GB LPDDR4X |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB |
| Rear Cameras | 16MP+20MP f/1.7 with OIS and EIS |
| Front Camera | 16MP f/2.0 with EIS |
| Battery | 3,700mAh with fast charge (5V/4A) |
| Software | OxygenOS based on Android 9 Pie |
| Connectivity | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2x2MIMO dual band Wifi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, USB 2.0 Type-C |
| Sensors | In-display fingerprint, Hall, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Ambient Light, Electronic Compass |
| Colors | Mirror Black and Midnight Black |
What’s In the Box
The OnePlus 6T comes in a standard looking white box from OnePlus, however, this time around the company has added a subtle marbled texture on the box. Inside, you’ll get the usual bunch of accessories that you’d expect from a device of this caliber, along with a few thoughtful additions, like a translucent case and aUSB Type-C to 3.5 mm headphone jack dongle.
Here’s everything you’ll get within the retail packaging of the OnePlus 6T:
- OnePlus 6T
- 5V/4A charging brick
- USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable
- USB Type-C to 3.5 mm headphone jack dongle
- Translucent protective case
- SIM ejector tool
- OnePlus stickers
- Paperwork
Design and Build Quality
In terms of design and build quality, OnePlus hasn’t changed a whole lot in the OnePlus 6T. Measuring in at 157.5 x 74.8 x 8.2 mm and weighing 185 g, the new smartphone is just a tad bit bigger and heavier than the OnePlus 6, which gave OnePlus the room to include a larger battery this time around. Up front, the device has a larger 6.41-inch Optic AMOLED display with a smaller waterdrop style notch, with minimal bezels on the sides and a thinner chin at the bottom.
The single front-facing camera is neatly hidden within the small notch, along with the three-in-one ambient/distance/RGB sensor, and the earpiece has been moved a little up north and now it resides within the thin top bezel. The back of the device remains pretty much the same as the OnePlus 6, with a glossy Mirror Black finish (the device will also be available in a Midnight Black finish) that is an absolute fingerprint magnet and the same vertically oriented dual camera setup with a dual tone flash underneath.
The fingerprint scanner, however, has now been moved from the back and resides underneath the display up front, but I’ll get to that in a bit. The device has the same curved glass back, which feels really comfortable to hold and the button placement also remains unchanged. The power button, along with the alert slider, are still located on the right edge of the device, while the volume rocker, along with the SIM card tray, are housed on the left edge.
The top of the device is devoid of any ports and just houses the secondary noise canceling microphone, while the bottom is dominated by the USB Type-C port and two sets of speaker grills on either side, one of which is just there to add symmetry and hides the primary microphone within. There’s no 3.5mm headphone jackon the OnePlus 6T and the company claims that it has been removed to make room for the in-display fingerprint scanner on the device (despite fans clearly wanting it the other way round). Build quality remains top-notch and the device feels really premium in the hand, which is expected from any smartphone in this price range.
All in all, the OnePlus 6T hasn’t strayed too far away from its predecessor in terms of design and build quality, and if you liked the look and feel of the OnePlus 6, you’ll definitely like the OnePlus 6T as well. The missing headphone jack will surely disappoint a number of prospective buyers, but considering that the Bluetooth and USB Type-C accessories market is quite ripe this late in 2018, not many users will be turned away from the OnePlus 6T just because of the lack of a headphone jack. Oh and despite removing another port from the device, OnePlus hasn’t included any IP rating this time around either and it still remains just “daily water-resistant”.
Display
The smaller waterdrop style notch on the OnePlus 6T leaves more room for display on the device and therefore, the smartphone packs a larger 6.41-inch displaythis time around. It’s the same Optic AMOLED panel that the company used in the previous device, which has a resolution of 2340 x 1080p, a pixel density of 402ppi and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio.
The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 6, which means that it won’t scratch easily, but I’d still advice you to use a screen protector to be on the safer side. Quality wise, the display remains unchanged – the color reproduction is still as good, the viewing angles are on point and the display gets fairly bright. On top of that, OnePlus’ software still gives you the freedom to adjust the color calibration of the display to match your specific taste. The company has also included Night Mode and Reading Mode settings for the display, which is definitely a handy addition.
I liked the display on the OnePlus 6, so it’s quite natural that I’d like the display on the OnePlus 6T as much. Add to that the smaller notch and consequently, more room to play with, I’m definitely a fan. Granted, the display on the OnePlus 6T isn’t a great as the ones you’d find on Samsung’s own flagship devices, but then again, there’s a considerable price difference between the two and for the price, so the OnePlus 6T is just killing it.
Audio
The OnePlus 6T features a single bottom firing speaker which sounds pretty much the same as the one on the OnePlus 6. It’s loud, clear and punchy, but it suffers from the same problem that plagues all bottom firing speakers – it gets muffled quite easily. The audio quality is pretty decent and I have absolutely no qualms about its performance.
Audio from the newly relocated earpiece is definitely a bit different however. Since the earpiece is located within a slight recess in the top bezel, it doesn’t quite rest on the ear like the earpiece on the OnePlus 6, which meant that I had to place the phone at a slight angle to hear the audio clearly. The audio quality from the earpiece is pretty decent in any case and I got used to the new position within just a couple of hours of use.
Cameras
Camera hardware on the OnePlus 6T remains unchanged and it still packs in the same 16MP f/1.7 + 20MP f/1.7 dual camera setup on the back and a 16MP f/2.0 selfie shooter up front. The rear camera setup is stabilized by both OIS and EIS, while the front camera just has EIS. Enough about the specifications though, lets take a look at some of the camera samples:
Stills
While the OnePlus 6T features the same camera sensors as its predecessors, OnePlus claims that it has enhanced camera performance this time around using a new algorithm that automatically adjusts both the front and rear cameras to capture better images of commonly photographed scenes and objects. In my testing, however, the results were kind of a mixed bag.
- Performance in Artificial/Good Light
In good lighting conditions, the OnePlus 6T is capable of taking some great shots with a good amount of detail, great color reproduction and decent dynamic range, but its performance is quite inconsistent. Images clicked in the same spot with the same lighting conditions just a few seconds apart look quite different, with one featuring a good amount of detail, while the other looking rather soft. Just check out these sample images and see for yourself:
- Performance in Low Light
Performance in low light conditions is rather unremarkable and equally inconsistent. While at times, the device manages to capture enough light and details, on other occasions it just doesn’t manage to capture enough. The dynamic range in low-light shots isn’t all that great either and even while using the new Nightscape feature, the images barely look any different (more on that in the dedicated camera review). Just take a look at some sample shots taken in low light conditions:
- Portrait Mode Performance
Portrait mode performance of the OnePlus 6T is yet again a mixed bag. While some images look really great and have good subject separation, other don’t look quite as good, with significantly less detail. The edge detection is better than the OnePlus 6, but because of its inconsistent performance, I can’t really be sure if 6T is actually any better overall. Here are some sample portrait shots Selfie Performance
front 16MP shooter is pretty capable and takes some really great selfies in both good and low light conditions. There’s an ample amount of detail, good dynamic range and decent color reproduction – perfect for social media use. The OnePlus 6T’s selfie shooter also features a software enabled portrait mode which will allow you to click some decent portrait selfies. While the subject separation isn’t as good as with the rear cameras, the images produced are totally usable for social media. Just take a look at these sample shot
OnePlus 6T vs OnePlus 6 vs Pixel 2 XL vs Poco F1: Camera Performance
When it comes to pricing and comparison, the OnePlus 6T is in a league of its own and there aren’t any devices in this price range. So we were forced to compare it with the older OnePlus 6, the Pixel 2 XL (which somewhat falls in this price bracket during sales), and the Poco F1 (which offers the best value for money in this performance segment).
As you’d expect, the Pixel 2 XL easily beats all the other devices when it comes to the camera performance. The OnePlus 6 and the OnePlus 6T go neck and neck, with the older phone managing to click better images in some scenarios. The Poco F1 unsurprisingly takes the last spot, but it still manages to deliver some decent images, which is quite commendable considering its price.
To begin with, lets take a look at some sample images I took using the aforementioned devices in good natural light:
As you can probably tell, the Pixel 2 XL delivers the best images with great color accuracy, a stunning amount of detail and good dynamic range each and every time. The OnePlus 6T and the OnePlus 6 also manage to capture decent shots, but both the devices tend to turn up the saturation quite a bit. The OnePlus 6T is also a tad bit inconsistent when it comes to camera performance, which means that while some images are really detailed, others are out of focus and blurry.
Next up, lets take a look at some low light shots captured by the four devices, outdoors and indoors:
Once again, the Pixel 2 XL shines in the low light test, delivering exceptional images with little to no noise. Both the OnePlus 6T and the OnePlus 6 are kinda inconsistent, so the resulting shots are either pretty great or just plain bad. The low light images clicked by the Poco F1 are consistent, but they’re consistently average, which is why it takes the last spot, once again.
Now lets take a look at some portrait mode shots captured by the devices:
Even though the Pixel 2 XL has a single rear facing camera, it manages to click better images than both the OnePlus devices. The images clicked with the Pixel 2 XL have great subject separation, a decent background blur and consistent edge detection. Portrait mode shots captured by the OnePlus devices are usable, but they’re not as good as the ones captured by the Pixel 2. On top of that, the OnePlus devices also tend to smooth out the details in some images, which isn’t all that great. The Poco F1, well, is still clicking the worst images out of the bunch, but they’re still quite usable.
All the four devices manage to click some decent selfies, with the Pixel 2 XL, unsurprisingly, delivering the best results. The OnePlus 6 and the OnePlus 6T have similar results, but I kinda prefer the images clicked by the OnePlus 6T. The Poco F1’s selfie shooter isn’t able to keep up with the other three devices and comes in last, yet again.
Performance
OnePlus devices are known for their exceptional performance and the new OnePlus 6T is no different. The device packs in a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, coupled with up to 8GB RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage. I received the 8GB/128GB variant for the purpose of this review and performance wise, I didn’t notice any issue with the device.
The OnePlus 6T can handle everything you can possibly throw at it and it even manages to deliver decent results in synthetic benchmarks. In my testing, the device managed to score 2415 and 9015 in Geekbench 4’s single-core and multi-core tests, 4726 in 3DMark’s Sling Shot Extreme OpenGL test, 3850 in 3DMark’s Sling Shot Extreme Vulkan test, and an impressive 294156 in AnTuTu.
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