OnePlus 6T Review

OnePlus has a simple motto, “Never Settle.” For smartphone users, it means that they focus on cutting-edge technology and software so you, the user, get the best phone experience. The latest phone in OnePlus’s lineup, the OnePlus 6T, goes on sale on November 1st, and it promises to continue the same tradition of high-end smartphones that work great for you.

OnePlus wants to be the phone manufacturer that pushes on the boundaries of what you think a smartphone can be. And they seem to do well at it, giving us great phones every year. The OnePlus 6T is no different. Let’s take a look at what sets the OnePlus 6T apart.

A Smartphone Evolution

The first thing you should know about the OnePlus 6T is that it’s an upgrade from the OnePlus 6. As such, it is a significant upgrade, but it doesn’t have anything revolutionary over the 6, which was launched only six months ago. OnePlus has tweaked a number of features, though.

OnePlus 6T Mirror Black

In-Display Fingerprint Sensor

Perhaps the most significant improvement from the 6 to the 6T is the in-display fingerprint sensor. While Chinese handsets have had this feature for a while, this is the first U.S. phone to include it.

When you want to unlock your phone, a stylized fingerprint will appear on the display. Simply press your thumb, or whatever finger you register, on the print and it should unlock. Compared to an iPhone, this frees up a ton of space for a screen instead of a giant button on the bottom.

If you’re an Android user, you’re probably used to a fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone. While it might take a bit of practice before you’re used to it, the in-display sensor has a huge advantage: you can unlock it while it’s sitting on a table. Some users suggest registering your pointer finger to make this even easier.

Display

OnePlus focused on improving the screen size and ratio for this evolution on the OnePlus 6. They begin by making the notch much smaller. The 6 had a trapezoid notch cut into the top of the screen that took up a bit of screen space. The 6T shrinks the notch down to a tiny teardrop shape, giving you even more screen while keeping a functional front camera for all your selfie needs.

The screen ratio is also better than the OnePlus 6, which had a 19:9 ratio. The 6T gives us a 19.5:9 screen ratio. It might seem like a small improvement, but you’ll notice the extra display. It shows on the screen size, too. The 6 had a 6.28-inch screen while the 6T sports a 6.41-inch screen. Another small improvement, but it seems larger in your hand. While the phone doesn’t feel huge in your hand, it still looks like a big screen.

Design

Like the OnePlus 6, the 6T looks great and feels great in your hand. The metal body and glass screen are well done. The 6T, however, is slightly heavier than the 6 by a total of 8 grams and thicker by .04mm. It might not seem like a lot, but people who are conscious of these design elements may notice.

 

One surprising drawback, however, is the lack of color options for the OnePlus 6T. While the 6 has Mirror Black, Midnight Black, Silk White, and Red, the 6T has only the black varieties. We’re not sure why they’d limit their selection this way (this writer loves bright-colored phones).

Type-C Headphones

Smartphone manufacturers seem split on how we should listen to our music. Many of them keep the 3.5mm headphone jack we’re used to, while others are trying to push our headphone technology by using only a USB type-c connection.

The OnePlus 6T goes with only the type-c headphone connection. If you use primarily Bluetooth headphones, this isn’t a big deal for you. If you love your 3.5mm, it might make you think twice about an upgrade. Still, as more and more phones make this choice, we may see the old standard disappear in the near future.

Oxygen OS

The OS also stands out amongst smartphones. OnePlus makes their Oxygen OS feel and act differently from the rest of the Android-based phones. It’s built on the latest Android system, Android Pie, but it cuts out anything extra from the user interface.

There are no animations. No extra frills. You might think that this would make the phone less interesting, but these extras eat up processing power. They slow down your phone when you’re navigating the system. The Oxygen OS seems zippy-fast in comparison, so your phone performance should be better than phones with similar specs that use the standard Android OS.

Camera

The OnePlus 6T has two rear cameras and a front camera. The main camera is 16 MP, and the secondary has 20 MP, both with a 1.7 aperture. While smartphone makers like Samsung and Huawei focus on more cameras for better functionality through hardware, OnePlus uses software to improve the photography experience.

They have the standard features everyone expects, like an automatic scene recognition to help you get great photos in every situation. OnePlus, however, highlights two software features in the 6T. Their new nightscape feature helps to catch even more detail from photos in low light, a problem that every smartphone maker wants to tackle. They also have a studio lighting feature that is supposed to have superior face-detection and edge detection software to help create great portraits.

Specs

With all the feature highlights mentioned above, it’s time to get down to the specs:

Dimensions 157.5 x 74.8 x 8.2 mm, 6.5 ounces (185 g)
Screen 6.53” AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16.7 M colors
Screen Resolution FHD+ 2244 x 1080, 381 PPI
Processor Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 845 (Octa-core, 10nm, up to 2.8 GHz), within AIE, GPU Adreno 630
RAM 6 GB / 8 GB
Internal Storage 128 GB / 256 GB
External Storage None
Connections Type C earjack, and USB-C port
Battery 3700 mAh (non-removable) Fast Charging (5V 4A)
Rear Cameras 16 MP Main Camera f/1.7

20 MP Sensor Camera f/1.7

Front Camera 16 MP, f/2.0 aperture
OS OxygenOS based on Android™ Pie
Carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless

 

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About the Author: James H.

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