OnePlus has finally launched the most-awaited flagship killer of the year. There are notable differences in the OnePlus 6T, the new in-display fingerprint scanner, the smaller notch (call it as a dewdrop notch), and a bigger battery while the rest of the things are unchanged and carried from the OnePlus 6. Here’s our OnePlus 6T review below.
What’s in the box?
- OnePlus 6T with built-in battery
- USB Cable (Type-C)
- Dash Charger (5V, 4A)
- USB Type-C to 3.5 mm adapter
- Flexible Silicon Case
- SIM Tray Ejector Pin
- User Manuals and Warranty Card
Check out our unboxing and hands-on with OnePlus 6T.
OnePlus 6T Specifications
- Display: 6.41-inch Optic AMOLED display, Full HD+ resolution (2340 x 1080 pixels), 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 2.5D Gorilla Glass 6, DCI-P3 and sRGB support, Night Mode, Reading Mode
- Software: OxygenOS 9 based on Android 9.0 Pie
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, under the display
- CPU: Up to 2.8 GHz octa-core Kryo 385 processor, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 10nm LPP FinFET, 64-bit
- GPU: Adreno 630
- Memory: 6 GB OR 8 GB RAM, LPDDR4X
- Storage: 128 GB (with 6 and 8 GB RAM variants), 256 GB (with 8 GB RAM variant) UFS 2.1 2-Lane, Expandable up to 128 GB via microSD card
- Rear Camera: 16 MP (Sony IMX 519, f/1.7 aperture, 1.22 µm pixel size, EIS, OIS, PDAF) + 20 MP (Sony IMX 376K, f/1.7 aperture, 1.0 µm pixel size, PDAF) with AI Scene Detection, Portrait Mode, Pro Mode, RAW Image Support, Nightscape, Studio Lighting, HDR, 4K recording at 30/60 FPS, 1080p recording at 30/60 FPS, 720p recording at 30 FPS, Super Slow Motion recording (1080p at 240 FPS, 720p at 780 FPS) and dual-LED flash
- Selfie Camera: 16 MP (Sony IMX 371) with f/2.0 aperture, 1.0 µm pixel size, EIS, Portrait Mode, Studio Lighting, HDR and Screen Flash
- Cellular: 4G LTE, 2x nano SIM (GSM), dual-VoLTE enabled
- Connectivity: USB Type-C, 3.5 mm headphone jack, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
- Other: In-Display Fingerprint Scanner (Screen Unlock), Face Unlock, Water Resistant, Alert Slider, Dirac HD Sound, Dirac Power Sound, aptX, aptX HD, Smart Boost, Navigation Gestures 2.0
- Battery: 3,700 mAh with OnePlus Fast Charge (5V/4A)
- Price: Rs 37,999 (6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage, Mirror Black only), Rs 41,999 (8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage, Mirror Black and Midnight Black), Rs 45,999 (8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage, Midnight Black only)
- Availability: Goes on sale from November 1 exclusively on Amazon India. Will go on open sale on Amazon India from November 3. It will also be available for purchase through OnePlus India’s official website as well as through Reliance Digital and Croma stores across the country.
Design, Build & Ergonomics
Talking about the design, the OnePlus 6T shares the same design language from the OnePlus 6. When compared to the OnePlus 6, the changes are visible, there is a new notch, its smaller than what you see on the OnePlus 6. The display looks big and the bezels are slim, the build appears to be nice and tough, even though it has a glass body.
Another great addition on the phone is the in-display fingerprint scanner, the fingerprint scanner is removed from the back and added a new in-display fingerprint scanner. Aside from the Vivo phones with an in-display fingerprint scanner, this is the second smartphone (first from OnePlus) to utilize the in-display fingerprint scanner technology.
The rest is all the glass body, the back uses a dual camera setup and covered with glass. The OnePlus 6T is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 6. The 3.5 mm jack is removed and you have to rely on the USB Type C to 3.5mm adapter provided in the box.
Display
The OnePlus 6T now offers a 6.41-inch Optic AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels, 19.5:9 aspect ratio and a small notch at the top. The notch is significantly reduced, now it looks better than the OnePlus 6. A smaller notch will give you a better viewing experience.
While the Full HD+ is still sufficient for a flagship, but for high-end specs, a 2K display would do good. Phones like Samsung Galaxy S9+ offers higher resolution displays.
The display is bright and crisp, being an AMOLED you have the option to use the Ambient Display. The viewing angles are good, the screen is visible outdoors too, but the display reflects too much for use in direct sunlight. Other smartphones in the segment offer a higher maximum brightness.
The notch can be disabled on the phone if you don’t like and you have plenty of other customizations available on the phone. Head to the Settings -> Display -> Notch display and disable it from there.
Software & User Interface
Unlike the OnePlus 6, the OnePlus 6T runs on the newer OxygenOS 9 based on the Android 9.0 Pie with security patch dated 1st November 2018. The user interface is nearly stock, it looks very much similar to the OnePlus 6 software, there aren’t any significant differences in the interface.
The software is optimized for the new notch display and newer resolution. Also, the Android 9.0 Pie has a number of additions like the navigation gestures as well as the new material design. The UI is fast, smooth, and fun to navigate through the menus, you get numerous options in the ColorOS to change the look of the interface.
Also, check out these 32 tips, tricks, and hidden features on the OnePlus 6T that you can do on the new Oxygen OS 9.0.
You can refer to the software section of our OnePlus 6 review for more details on the OxygenOS.
About the fingerprint scanner, you will be able to use it on the screen. Similar to Vivo phones with an in-display fingerprint scanner, the OnePlus 6T works the same way. The sensor scans the fingerprints right from under the display. The scanner is fast, but not the fastest and when compared to the physical scanner, it’s slightly slower.
Here’s a comparison of the OnePlus 6T and the Vivo V11 Pro in-display fingerprint scanner comparison.
Hardware, Performance, & Gaming
You will find hardly any changes in the performance, the OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T shares the same internal chip, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 is currently the fastest Qualcomm SoC of the year 2018. So, don’t think the OnePlus 6T is anyhow faster in terms of performance, they both are one of a kind.
About the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, it packs an octa-core Kryo 385 processor clocked up to 2.8 GHz, it is based on 10nm LPP FinFET. The OnePlus 6T is further laced with up to 8 GB LPDDR4X RAM and 256 GB UFS 2.1 internal storage.
OnePlus 6T Key Specifications
- Display: 6.41-inch Optic AMOLED display, Full HD+ resolution (2340 x 1080 pixels), 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 2.5D Gorilla Glass 6, DCI-P3 and sRGB support, Night Mode, Reading Mode
- Software: OxygenOS 9 based on Android 9.0 Pie
- CPU: Up to 2.8 GHz octa-core Kryo 385 processor, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 10nm LPP FinFET, 64-bit
- GPU: Adreno 630
- Storage: Up to 256 GB UFS 2.1, no microSD support
- Battery: 3,700 mAh
Moving to the benchmarks, the OnePlus 6T achieves the very similar performance values as the OnePlus 6. The close competitors are ASUS ZenFone 5Z and the Xiaomi POCO F1. Take a look at the popular benchmark results below.
Gaming point of view, you will have one of the best gaming experiences since the display is now bigger. The new notch will allow you to give more screen space which makes the screen look bigger. Note the gaming performance is nearly the same as on the OnePlus 6.
We didn’t notice any lags in the games, the phone also doesn’t heat as much while playing games.
Games Tested on OnePlus 6T
- PUBG MOBILE
- Asphalt 9: Legends
Storage & Memory Performance
The OnePlus 6T uses the faster storage solution UFS 2.1, it comes in three storage and RAM variants starting with the 128 GB internal storage with 6 GB LPDDR4X RAM. Do note that you have to rely solely on the internal storage, there’s no microSD card support on the phone. The OnePlus 6T also comes in 256 GB storage variant with 8 GB RAM and another one with 128 GB storage with 8 GB RAM.
The storage performance is faster than most phones in this segment, take a look at the benchmarks below.
Cameras
The camera hardware has not been changed when compared to the OnePlus 6. You have the same 16 MP + 20 MP dual cameras on the back and the 16 MP front camera. But things might have changed in the camera software.
Both, the front and the back cameras utilize the Sony Exmor sensors, the camera also supports an optical image stabilizer, 480fps slow motion, 4K at 60fps slow motion, Portrait mode. While all these are available in the OnePlus 6, the new addition to the phone is the Night mode. Capturing with Night mode gives you better low-light shows, however, it requires you to keep the phone still until it captures.
The camera quality of the phone is, however, nothing significant here, if you own a OnePlus 6, you will achieve nearly the same results. If you are moving from the OnePlus 5T, the camera quality seems slightly better in the Portrait mode.
Talking about the Portrait mode, the ZenFone 5Z, and the POCO F1 offer better bokeh effect, OnePlus has screwed on the algorithms that compute the images, the Portrait mode has less blur in the background while the object in the focus is pretty good. You have the option to customize the bokeh in three types just like we saw on the OnePlus 6.
Selfies are great, under Portrait mode, the faces aren’t properly identified if it’s a group shot otherwise has a good selfie camera. The overall camera quality of the OnePlus 6T is quite similar to the OnePlus 6.
OnePlus 6T Camera Samples
Battery Runtime & Charging
The battery is grown larger, the OnePlus 6T packs a 3,700 mAh battery which is larger than that on the OnePlus 6. While the battery is grown bigger, the battery performance is slightly increased but isn’t noticeable in the real world.
We got a nice 6 hours screen-on-time with more than a day usage. This is good for a flagship, the battery performance is better than we saw on the Samsung Galaxy S9+. We also reviewed the Xiomi POCO F1 and it turns out that the POCO F1 is ahead in terms of battery life.
Just like the OnePlus 6, the OnePlus 6T uses the same Dash Charge technology, it can charge the battery to full in about 80 minutes. Having a glass body, it would be a great addition if the phone comes with a wireless charging.
OnePlus 6T Battery Test Results
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Verdict
OnePlus 6T is again a true flagship killer with a great performance, new notch seems impressive. Plus, there’s a nice addition of the in-display fingerprint scanner which sets it apart from the competition. If you are looking for a flagship level smartphone, the OnePlus 6T is clearly a winner in its own. There is no need to upgrade if you already own a OnePlus 6 unless you want the fancy in-display fingerprint scanner, smaller notch, and a bigger battery. If you can live without the 3.5 mm audio jack, go with the OnePlus 6T, note that you won’t get these features on the phone – wireless charging, microSD card support, and the water-resistant IP rating. If you have a lower budget, the ASUS ZenFone 5Z, and the Xiaomi POCO F1 are worth to check out.
Rivals
- Honor Play (128 GB) – Rs 19,999
- Xiaomi POCO F1 (64 GB) – Rs 20,999
- ASUS ZenFone 5Z (64 GB) – Rs 29,999
Strength
- Glass Design | Solid Build | Smaller Notch
- In-Display Fingerprint Scanner
- Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box | Stock Interface
- High-End Performance | 8 GB RAM | 256 GB Storage
- Dash Charging
- Decent Cameras
- Decent Battery Life
Weakness
- No 3.5mm Audio Jack
- No IP Rated
- No Wireless Charging
- No microSD Support
