OnePlus 6T Hands-On Review: This Is A Fast & Furious Powerhouse!

As the new, shiny OnePlus 6T smoothly slid into our hands, we felt the pulse and the vibes of this new offering from OnePlus; and it summarized into one word: Fast.

Amitabh Bachchan, the Bollywood superstar who endorses OnePlus has mentioned this keyword in the TV advertisements, and we realized it first hand why.

If nothing else, OnePlus 6T shall be remembered for this speed and its pace.

We played games such as PUBG, Asphalt 9 and more, and we were amazed by the swift transformations of the screens, without any hiccups. We opened dozens of apps, shot quick, dozens of videos, and shared dozens of images by OnePlus, and everytime, the pace of this smartphone made us satisfied.

And, we also did the litmus test: The much-hyped InDisplay Fingerprint Scanner, and we were not disappointed with it. The unlocking of phone is indeed fast, just as Amitabh Bachchan said. So is the blazing fast Face Unlock.

However, the aspect where OnePlus 6T lacks is innovation: Except some cool camera features (AI powered light sensor), the overall package is more or less a shinier, faster version of OnePlus. Wireless charging, water-resistent with IP rating etc are some of the features which are missing. 

Maybe this has been intentionally done, to pave the way for OnePlus 7, which is rumored to have 5G capability?

This, only time will tell.

OnePlus 6T: The Secret Of Its Speed

OnePlus had definitely planned this new version in and around speed. This is the reason their tagline for 6T has been “Unlock the Speed”.

Now, Snapdragon 845 coupled with 6GB and 8GB RAM definitely means serious business. Earlier, Geekbench had declared single-core score of 2,387 and a multi-core score of 8,925 for OnePlus 6T, which almost competes with the mighty Pixel 3 XL.

And this is definitely the secret of its amazing speed.

OnePlus 6T: Blazing Fast InDisplay Fingerprint Scanner

One of the biggest selling points of OnePlus 6T has been the much hyped, and advertised InDisplay FIngerprint Sensor, and to be very honest, OnePlus has nailed it.

The process to unlock this phone using InDisplay FIngerprint Sensor is fast, and ultra smooth. Others have tried it and made changes to make it work.

But OnePlus is probably the first smartphone to make it seamless, and smooth. The scanner reads your fingerprints quickly, and effortlessly.

It works!

OnePlus 6T: Display Is Cool, And Clear

The screen size has been pushed even further, and the bezel has been reduced even more. (compared to 6.28” of OnePlus 6, 6T has 6.4” of display)

The Optic AMOLED display gives us 86% screen to body ratio, which has again set a new benchmark. 2340*1080 pixel resolution makes the visuals super-clear, just like OnePlus did.

These are tiny innovations, and to be honest, we expected much more.

A nice little feature has been added: Night centric reading mode, which makes reading texts easier in nights. A nice little touch of ‘care’ for book readers, and we appreciate that.

OnePlus 6T: Camera Innovations

Now, 6T has this AI-powered light sensor, which recognizes the environment, and takes better pictures at night.

Except that, just like OnePlus 6, this new model 6T has 16 MP plus 20 MP dual cameras at rear, with f/1.7. And 16 MP selfie camera, with and f/2.0.

We need more testing, but the camera output on first impressions seems normal, just like its OnePlus 6. But yes, night mode photography is the big addition in 6T.

OnePlus 6T: Pricing

OnePlus 6T has been officially launched globally at an event in New York.

The prices announced are:

$549: 6GB + 128 GB Mirror Black,

$579: 8GB +128 GB Mirror Black or Midnight Black

$629: 8GB + 256GB Midnight Black edition

Indian-specific prices will be revealed tomorrow, when it will be launched at New Delhi.

Overall Verdict

Now, this is a tricky one.

OnePlus 6T is no doubt shiny, AI-powered, fast and super attractive. It is no doubt one-step ahead of OnePlus 6 in almost every department and carries along the legacy which it had created this year in May, when it was launched.

Now, here comes two scenarios, if you want to spend money on buying a new smartphone: a) If you need a smartphone urgently, and you haven’t yet experienced the true potential of OnePlus 6, then yes, go for 6T, and understand why OnePlus is challenging the dominance of Apple. 

b) If you already have OnePlus 6, or a premium smartphone from Pixel or Samsung, or Xiaomi, then wait for OnePlus 7, which will most probably launch in February next year, and will set a new precedent in the premium smartphone niche.