OnePlus has made a huge noise in Android flagship segment with the launch of OnePlus 3. Be it for the specs and features it offers or the price tag, it just has blown away its users. Now, the Chinese smartphone maker has come up with the successor OnePlus 3T, after 5 months.
The fact is that OnePlus mainly focus on serving what the customer need rather than overloading specs. Here we provide you OnePlus 3T review and details about what it has improved over the OnePlus3. And the latest OnePlus 3T gains a generation if we talk about the specs.
Before we get into the OnePlus 3T review, consider thinking about the best Android phones. However, the phone now offers a lot more than a regular Android experience. Discontinuing its predecessor, the smartphone maker has launched OnePlus 3T in India. Price for 128 GB variant is marked as Rs.34999, and OnePlus 3T 64GB price in India is Rs.29999. You can also get the phone for even less price on various e-commerce platforms.
Design:
OnePlus 3T borrows most of its design cues from its predecessor. However, you’ll surely like the design if you are a fan of big form factor phones. The slim design and tapered aluminum back ensure a great feel while using the phone. You don’t find any difficulties which you usually face while using a 5.5” phone. The aluminum built quality provides a great feel of holding a premium smartphone and does compete with its likes.
On the top, you get a physical home button which also incorporates fingerprint sensor below the screen. Two backlit captive keys are adjusted on the either side of it. Most of the button placement remained same as of its previous model. The volume rockers and a physical switch for toggling keys notifications are positioned on the left edge.
Bottom edge packs a USB type-C port with an audio out speaker grille and 3.5mm audio jack. Overall, you don’t find any significant change over from OnePlus 3 except the cosmetic looks. The device is available in gold and gunmetal colors, while you only get gun metal in 128GB variant.
Display:
OnePlus 3T sports a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with full-HD resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection. The display offers a screen resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels at 401 ppi pixel density. The pixel density is so good that it could mark even the slightest roughness around text and icons. The company has chosen AMOLED display which also did well in OnePlus 3 case and therefore, Images are sharp, and colors are bright. Viewing angles wide, you’ll observe a great readability in sunlight as well.
The display is bright, but you may encounter with touch latency issue which is a bit more annoying. Besides this, some swipe gestures will also misread at times. However, the company said that it would fix the issue in upcoming Nougat update. Till then, you need to wait and bear bothersome typing. The themes look good on panel, and Colour calibration settings allow you to set your color temperature on the cooler side.
Overall, the device display stand’s up to your expectations while picking a phone of this price. You’ll find the brightness level and color accuracy levels definitely above the Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S7.
Performance:
OnePlus 3T packs Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 821 chipset which comes as an improvement over OnePlus 3. The chipset promises better performance in power consumption and offers a great user experience. The device is powered by a Quad-core processor while 2 cores clocked at 2.35 GHz and 2 clocked at 1.6 GHz. A 6GB RAM and Adreno 530 GPU are coupled to the processing unit. OnePlus has provided a couple of storage options, and users can choose upon either 64GB or 128 GB.
Discussing the performance in our OnePlus 3T review, the phone is amazingly fast and performs tasks well. The smartphone will surely provide a much more read and write speeds compared to the older model. The 6GB RAM on board delivers the best of all things whatever you assign it for. You don’t find any lag in launching apps and in functioning, though.
Massive onboard storage ensures you never run out of space. You don’t complain about any sort of issues which you come across on a typical Android smartphone. Heating issue may come in mind for many extreme users, but no worries about it. Interestingly, you don’t find any overheat even in extended use. Gaming performance of the phone is quite impressive as well. You don’t find any frame drop or lag while gaming. The high-end specs package won’t encounter any stuck even if many apps are running.
Other connectivity options in OnePlus 3T include Wi-Fi 802.11ac, USB OTG, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC and GPS. Few other essential options like FM radio are found missing. You can use Reliance Jio in OnePlus 3T as it supports 4G VoLTE on Indian bands. Benchmark results witnessed a 15-20 percent better performance comparing with others in the segment. It scores 161620 in AnTuTu and 60fps in GFXbench.
Software:
Like regular OnePlus phones, OnePlus 3T ships with OxygenOS which runs on top of Android Marshmallow. The latest version of OxygenOS 3.5.1 treat the devices same in software support concern. The synchronization between the Android and OS is perfect thus the software is silky smooth. The highly customized UI is handy as well. Above all, you’ll find another level of Android experience similar to Nexus phone. Most of the apps have a different appearance in contrast to stock Android.
You observe a freely customize quick access icons in the status bar to improve navigation. App icons were resized for a cleaner and more consistent look. You can also make use of fingerprint scanner to secure your apps with app locker. OnePlus 3T also offers built-in themes, UI customizations and custom icon packs for a better outlook.
The UI Navigates your device with custom gesture controls and adjustable buttons. ‘Shelf’ can be obtained by just swiping right from your home screen. This Shelf provides you quick access to your favorite apps, contacts, photos with the improved shelf.
Camera:
OnePlus 3T features a 16-megapixel rear camera with a f/2.0 aperture and PDAF support. Images taken are highly detailed with good color reproduction. The sensor offers you a professional edge and can capture RAW images. Optical Image Stabilization helps you in getting a steady shot even when your hands are not. Macros and Landscapes are highly detailed with an excellent color reproduction. HQ mode reduces noise by combing few shots of the same frame, and Auto HDR mode works well on top.
Front camera in OnePlus 3T is another biggest change observed while comparing to OnePlus 3. The device packs a 16 MP sensor of Samsung’s with f/2.0 aperture and fixed focus. Snaps took from the front camera are in detail and does look good in low light conditions as well.
You may be disappointed a bit with the visibility but not the colors. However, it stands the best in the segment in producing selfies and video calls. Smile capture feature in another impressing factor which automatically starts counting down when it detects your smile.
OnePlus 3T don’t let you down even in video recording. It offers wide shooting modes like time-lapse, slow-motion video, manual, and panorama to capture you desired video. It can also capture 4K video and full-HD videos which work well and captures really good. While 1080p 60fps video mode suits the best to capture sports and action scenes.
Battery:
OnePlus 3T is backed by a 3400mAh battery, which does not put forward any better in performance. At the same time, OnePlus 3 of almost same specs and a lesser battery capacity of 3000mAh lasts the same. However, the duration is decent considering 6GB RAM which the smartphone offers.
Your mobile won’t run out of juice for a day and half if you are moderate user and not a heavy gamer. As the company claims the battery beats Samsung S7 and Google Pixel XL, it is a rear case where it is possible in real terms.
The battery squeezes the best up to 14 hours and 3 minutes in HD video loop. On standard usage, you don’t need to look further for a day. Dash charging is another brilliant option which the OnePlus offers adding to the specs. The battery achieves 45 percent from zero in a duration of just 35 minutes. Probably, it may take an hour to attain the full with its consistent charging speed.
Pros:
- Excellent Built-quality
- Great Display
- Amazing speedy Performance
- Excellent Cameras
Cons:
- Touch latency issue
- Battery could have been better
Verdict:
OnePlus 3T seems like a minor upgrade over the OnePlus 3 in term of specs. You get a better higher resolution front camera and the faster CPU over it. You’ll get a great display, which ensures you the fun of using a premium smartphone.
You don’t find any major complaining areas in the device except very few. With its high-end specs and all new software experience, OnePlus 3T essentially impress users.
Touch latency issue and lack of FM radio may annoy some of the people. The performance and cameras roar once again in the segment. We wish upcoming Nougat update may sort out the happening issue.
As the improvement took place, it also made a way to hike in the price of Rs. 2000 which is not much. But a better price would help the brand to get closer to maximum reach. Overall, OnePlus 3T is certainly the best Android phone in price point if you want the best Android experience.
