The OnePlus One pretty much inspired the flagship killer moniker. It offered flagship level specs and hardware at a mid-range price. It basically showed us that top-notch smartphones need not be expensive.
This year's OnePlus 6T carries on with that flagship-busting tradition. Albeit, it does so with some reservations.
All the Innovations Are Up Front
Like its predecessor, the OnePlus 6, the new phone touts an all-glass construction. The back, however, doesn't have the smooth and glossy feel found on other similar devices. Instead, OnePlus decided to paint over the glass back with matte black giving it a more grippy feel. While this probably increases cell reception, it doesn't equip the phone wireless charging. For some people, this may be a deal breaker. For others, the Dash Charge technology is enough to compensate.
But OnePlus doesn't really give much attention to the phone's back as much as it gives the screen. Its gorgeous screen is where all the hardware innovation is at.
For one thing, the fingerprint sensor is now relocated from the back to underneath the screen. It's one of the first phones to implement this much-awaited feature. Although it's not as fast as the previous scanners, it's still a welcome development. Since it's a relatively new technology, there's still some room for improvement. So, it could go faster with some software updates or with further iterations.
Another screen innovation is the teardrop notch. It's one of the smallest in the smartphone market right now. It's not quite the first, but its implementation here is the most flawless.
Consuming content on the screen is as awesome as the best of them as the 6.4-inch display is almost bezel-less. The AMOLED panel, although it's not new, also helps immensely in enhancing the video watching and text reading experience.
Up-to-date Internals
It's been updated with the new Snapdragon 845 which is on par with flagship-level smartphones like the Galaxy Note 9. It's one of the most capable in the market which is beaten only by the latest iPhone's chips.
It also shines as a multitasking beast with a starting RAM of 6 GB. That's more than some entry-level laptops currently on the market. This means that apps can save in the temporary storage for longer so that you can switch between more apps at any given time. Go the top-of-the-line route and you'll be getting an 8 GB of RAM.
Storage options are also up to par with the rest of them with 128 GB and 256 GB options. These are both also laptop-level storage options on a smartphone much like other top-end smartphones.
Decent Cameras by 2018 Standards
When it comes to cameras, the Pixel 3 takes the cake. But, the OnePlus 6t shouldn't be too far behind. The dual camera sensors at the back are capable shooters with the main one having OIS and EIS.
What's really improved int he camera is the software. It brings with it the new Nightscape feature that's similar in function as the Google Pixel 3's Nightsight. With this features comes an improved HDR and some A.I. magic. This also allows for a new portrait mode feature. With it toggled on, the phone automatically adjusts settings to mimic studio lighting effects.
Great Android Pie Showcase
The new OnePlus is also going to be one the first non-Pixel phones to ship with the new Android Pie. The gestures, therefore, is going to come built into the device. The software paired with the gorgeous screen is an exciting prospect.
The better screen-to-body ratio makes the OnePlus 6t a great showcase of Android Pie's gesture controls. It seems more deliberate here because there are no chins where smartphone users are so used to seeing a home button.
Although there is still the Oxygen OS skin over the base OS of the Android Pie, it's pretty thin and unobtrusive. It still very much feels like a stock Android phone.
In the few cases that it deviates from stock Android, they're mostly thoughtful features such as re-programmable app shortcuts.
Simplifying the Smartphone
OnePlus seems to be shaving things off on this update. The most prominent of which is the disappearance of the headphone jack. The port, the smartphone gods seem to suggest, is irrelevant.
I've already mentioned that the fingerprint scanner on the back is also gone.
It also lacks stereo speakers. A feature that most flagships have.
What we are left with is a minimalist smartphone design that only has the essentials as determined by OnePlus' customers.
What's more important is what these omissions allowed the manufacturer to do. The single built-in speaker now has a bigger resonance chamber so even if there's just speaker, it still has great bass and excellent quality. There's also more room now for a bigger battery. All of this inside a frame similar in size to its predecessor.
Most of all, however, all of these omissions may be the reason why the company can still sell these new smartphones at the same price as its predecessor. In a world where smartphones are getting more expensive with each update, this is a welcome stagnation.
A Quiet Subversion
When Apple announced that they were holding an event on October 30th, the OnePlus 6t's launch, scheduled for the same day, was moved a day early. Such is the privilege of an industry giant. Smaller companies have to make way or suffer the consequences.
But, while it gave way to Apple when it came to the launch event, there's another way that the company is going against the entire smartphone market. OnePlus is sticking to their guns by still trying to kill flagships with their well-optimized devices. And they're doing so while also refusing to raise prices to the level of its competitors offering similar value.
Although it can no longer tout itself as the only flagship killer in the market, the 6t is still one of the best of them. It's a smartphone that has all of the useful flagship features and none of the fluff.
This year's OnePlus 6T carries on with that flagship-busting tradition. Albeit, it does so with some reservations.
All the Innovations Are Up Front
Like its predecessor, the OnePlus 6, the new phone touts an all-glass construction. The back, however, doesn't have the smooth and glossy feel found on other similar devices. Instead, OnePlus decided to paint over the glass back with matte black giving it a more grippy feel. While this probably increases cell reception, it doesn't equip the phone wireless charging. For some people, this may be a deal breaker. For others, the Dash Charge technology is enough to compensate.
But OnePlus doesn't really give much attention to the phone's back as much as it gives the screen. Its gorgeous screen is where all the hardware innovation is at.
For one thing, the fingerprint sensor is now relocated from the back to underneath the screen. It's one of the first phones to implement this much-awaited feature. Although it's not as fast as the previous scanners, it's still a welcome development. Since it's a relatively new technology, there's still some room for improvement. So, it could go faster with some software updates or with further iterations.
Another screen innovation is the teardrop notch. It's one of the smallest in the smartphone market right now. It's not quite the first, but its implementation here is the most flawless.
Consuming content on the screen is as awesome as the best of them as the 6.4-inch display is almost bezel-less. The AMOLED panel, although it's not new, also helps immensely in enhancing the video watching and text reading experience.
Up-to-date Internals
It's been updated with the new Snapdragon 845 which is on par with flagship-level smartphones like the Galaxy Note 9. It's one of the most capable in the market which is beaten only by the latest iPhone's chips.
It also shines as a multitasking beast with a starting RAM of 6 GB. That's more than some entry-level laptops currently on the market. This means that apps can save in the temporary storage for longer so that you can switch between more apps at any given time. Go the top-of-the-line route and you'll be getting an 8 GB of RAM.
Storage options are also up to par with the rest of them with 128 GB and 256 GB options. These are both also laptop-level storage options on a smartphone much like other top-end smartphones.
Decent Cameras by 2018 Standards
When it comes to cameras, the Pixel 3 takes the cake. But, the OnePlus 6t shouldn't be too far behind. The dual camera sensors at the back are capable shooters with the main one having OIS and EIS.
What's really improved int he camera is the software. It brings with it the new Nightscape feature that's similar in function as the Google Pixel 3's Nightsight. With this features comes an improved HDR and some A.I. magic. This also allows for a new portrait mode feature. With it toggled on, the phone automatically adjusts settings to mimic studio lighting effects.
Great Android Pie Showcase
The new OnePlus is also going to be one the first non-Pixel phones to ship with the new Android Pie. The gestures, therefore, is going to come built into the device. The software paired with the gorgeous screen is an exciting prospect.
The better screen-to-body ratio makes the OnePlus 6t a great showcase of Android Pie's gesture controls. It seems more deliberate here because there are no chins where smartphone users are so used to seeing a home button.
Although there is still the Oxygen OS skin over the base OS of the Android Pie, it's pretty thin and unobtrusive. It still very much feels like a stock Android phone.
In the few cases that it deviates from stock Android, they're mostly thoughtful features such as re-programmable app shortcuts.
Simplifying the Smartphone
OnePlus seems to be shaving things off on this update. The most prominent of which is the disappearance of the headphone jack. The port, the smartphone gods seem to suggest, is irrelevant.
I've already mentioned that the fingerprint scanner on the back is also gone.
It also lacks stereo speakers. A feature that most flagships have.
What we are left with is a minimalist smartphone design that only has the essentials as determined by OnePlus' customers.
What's more important is what these omissions allowed the manufacturer to do. The single built-in speaker now has a bigger resonance chamber so even if there's just speaker, it still has great bass and excellent quality. There's also more room now for a bigger battery. All of this inside a frame similar in size to its predecessor.
Most of all, however, all of these omissions may be the reason why the company can still sell these new smartphones at the same price as its predecessor. In a world where smartphones are getting more expensive with each update, this is a welcome stagnation.
A Quiet Subversion
When Apple announced that they were holding an event on October 30th, the OnePlus 6t's launch, scheduled for the same day, was moved a day early. Such is the privilege of an industry giant. Smaller companies have to make way or suffer the consequences.
But, while it gave way to Apple when it came to the launch event, there's another way that the company is going against the entire smartphone market. OnePlus is sticking to their guns by still trying to kill flagships with their well-optimized devices. And they're doing so while also refusing to raise prices to the level of its competitors offering similar value.
Although it can no longer tout itself as the only flagship killer in the market, the 6t is still one of the best of them. It's a smartphone that has all of the useful flagship features and none of the fluff.