OnePlus 6T - Settled

The OnePlus 6T smartphone is a small upgrade compared to its predecessor, the OnePlus 6, which came out last spring. Still, it's a big step for OnePlus, which is changing course. A misstep or a logical course?

OnePlus 6T

Colors glossy black, matte black

OS Android 9.0 (Pie)

Screen 6.4 inch amoled (2340x1080)

Processor 2.8GHz octa-core (Snapdragon 845)

RAM 6 or 8 GB

Storage 64, 128 or 256 GB

Battery 3,700 mAh

Camera 16 and 20 megapixel dualcam (rear), 16 megapixel (front)

Connectivity 4G (LTE), Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, GPS

Format 15.8 x 7.5 x 0.8 cm

Weight 185 grams

Other fingerprint scanner, usb-c, dualsim

Website www.oneplus.com 6 Score 60

• Pros
• Oxygen OS
• Build quality
• Specs
• Battery life

• Negatives
• No headphone port
• Not better than predecessor

The question I asked in the intro is actually more or less already answered in the specification block above. The OnePlus 6T is a side step rather than a step forward. Financially, the OnePlus 6T will benefit the company: thanks to a deal with T-Mobile in the US, OnePlus will undoubtedly achieve great sales successes in a (for them) relatively new market: the US.

The sale of (wireless) headsets will undoubtedly take off thanks to the decision to omit the headphone port. Also: when you take the OnePlus 6T out of the box, you will see a sticker that warns against the use of screen protectors from other brands, which could affect the functioning of the fingerprint scanner (which is located under the screen). Although that makes sense, you would almost think that the OnePlus 6T has been developed more according to the wishes of the financial department, than of the users and enthusiastic community that OnePlus likes to brag about. The conflict between dubious choices and keeping loyal fans happy is already visible before you switch on the device. In addition to the warning sticker, in the box you will find a letter from CEO Carl Pei, who welcomes you to the 'OnePlus Community'.

OnePlus has embarked on a different course. Until now, OnePlus was a smartphone maker that took the best of other top smartphones and merged them into a smartphone that was half the price, living up to the slogan 'Never Settle' and nickname 'Flagship Killer'. The OnePlus 6T drops that course. Not only with choices made, the prices can no longer justify this: the OnePlus 6T costs 559 euros, which is more expensive than another, better 'flagship': the Galaxy S9 from Samsung, whose price has fallen considerably in recent weeks. LG's G7 Thinq even 460, and although this as a smartphone is no better than the OnePlus 6T, it saves a hundred euros.

The course of OnePlus has also been adjusted in a different way, instead of following, the smartphone maker wants to innovate itself. This is reflected in the 6T in a fingerprint scanner under the screen. This makes OnePlus (together with Huawei's Mate 20 Pro) the first in the Netherlands to offer this. We can see how good the innovations of OnePlus are in this 6T.

The 'unboxing' of the OnePlus 6T is a cringe-inducing experience.

OnePlus 6 vs 6T

The OnePlus 6T differs little on paper from the OnePlus 6, which came out excellent in the review. In fact, in between reviewing, the OnePlus 6 is invariably the smartphone I personally use. Especially thanks to the fine Android shell Oxygen OS, I always come back to OnePlus. The specifications are the same: the Snapdragon 845 processor, with (depending on the version you choose) 6 or 8GB of RAM. Ideally, you can call up an app that you last used a week ago from the recent apps view to pick up where you left off. The version with 64GB of storage is no longer there, you can choose 128GB or 256GB, which is spacious enough to accept the lack of memory card slot. At the back is the same dualcam.

It is somewhat strange that the OnePlus 6T offers the same specs as its predecessor. I know there is no new Snapdragon processor available yet, but why release a new smartphone?

Not everything is the same. The battery capacity has been significantly increased to 3,700 mAh instead of the 3,300 mAh that the OnePlus 6 has. In a housing of approximately the same size, there is another amoled screen panel, which shows few qualitative differences with the OnePlus 6: a full-HD resolution and slightly better contrast. In short, excellent image quality. The difference is that OnePlus has managed to use an even larger part of the front for the screen. OnePlus has managed that by making the screen edge at the bottom slightly smaller and developing a drop-shaped screen notch. The compromise to make this notch possible is that the notification light has had to clear the field. Sad, but understandable. The aspect ratio of this 6.4-inch (16.3 cm) large screen is now 19.5 by 9. It is particularly impressive that OnePlus has succeeded in placing an even larger screen without the smartphone size being larger.

Fingerprint Scanner

In addition to the size, the high build quality has also largely remained the same, with the glass back being mirror or matte black. Unfortunately, the mirror variant is still a magnet for dirty fingerprints... and speaking of fingerprints, the fingerprint scanner has disappeared from the back, because it is now processed under the screen at the front. It is nice that the fingerprint scanner is placed on the front again. The back always remains a bit awkward 'search' for the scanner, although the ideal location is of course very personal. That fingerprint scanner under the screen, that is a nice piece of technology. The sensor is not capacitive, as is the case with other smartphones, but a camera under the screen. The fingerprint is read by the light coming from the screen. Tests by OnePlus have shown that the fingerprint can best be read with a green light. That is why the part of the screen under which the sensor is located lights up green when you unlock your OnePlus.

This means that the screen must be on before you can unlock the device, otherwise the sensor will not 'see' that a finger is on the screen. That is a bit inconvenient if your device is on your desk, for example. In the settings, the setting is activated that the smartphone screen switches on when device movement is detected. You can also double tap on the screen to turn it on. Very practical, but those settings eat up part of the extra battery capacity of the OnePlus 6T. Unfortunately, the technology of a fingerprint scanner under the screen is not quite there for me yet, the scanner is in practice not as fast as the old one on the back of the OnePlus 6. The scanner is also less accurate, I often needed several attempts to unlock the device. That's why I don't think the fingerprint scanner under the screen is an improvement compared to the scanner at the rear. I also noticed that the facial recognition is a more practical and faster way of unlocking. It is also striking that OnePlus is so committed to this scanner under the screen, while other manufacturers such as Apple completely omit the fingerprint scanner in favor of facial recognition.

Battery

Part of the battery capacity is therefore eaten away to make optimal use of the fingerprint scanner. Nevertheless, you notice the difference of the larger battery. Because the battery life is really worth it. When I go to bed at night, I often have more than half the battery capacity left. A full second day is therefore just about feasible. Quite impressive. Moreover, as you are used to, you simply get a fast charger with your OnePlus, which, incidentally, may no longer be called Dash Charge due to name rights, but is now simply called Fast Charge. Furthermore, the charger is the same: within a few minutes you have enough battery charge to get through half a day. Ideal. The charger needs a little more time to fully charge the battery, which is because the battery capacity is naturally higher.

Of course, a larger battery provides a better battery life, but a good software adjustment also contributes to this. This is the part where OnePlus still scores a lot of points. The Oxygen OS skin that has been rolled out over Android is an advantage for other manufacturers and in addition OnePlus ensures a decent support period and a fairly fast rollout of updates. The OnePlus 6, for example, was one of the first smartphones to receive an update from Android 8 to Android 9 last September. This Android version is already installed by default on the OnePlus 6T. Oxygen OS has no bloatware like deceptive virus scanners, which is a relief. The frutselaars can also indulge themselves with all kinds of adjustment options.

Camera

Software has also been updated: the camera has been given a night mode. This night mode uses a slightly slower shutter speed and multiple photos to still shoot a picture in the dark. This night mode is not as impressive as that of the Huawei P20 Pro, but still a useful addition. Photo results are visibly better: much more detail can be seen and noise is kept to a minimum. The disadvantage, however, is that the photos look a bit 'plastic', for the parts that are better lit by artificial light.

Furthermore, the camera is the same as that of the OnePlus 6. A very solid camera, which has started to perform much better thanks to an update last summer. The photos are fine in all lighting situations, and the color reproduction is especially beautiful. When you zoom in, and therefore use the other lens, you notice a considerable difference. These photos are a lot less detailed, more noisy and have more trouble with difficult lighting conditions.

Despite the fact that there is little to criticize about the dualcam of the OnePlus 6T, it is a pity that better camera sensors or improved camera functions have not been chosen. The competition is not standing still, especially in the field of camera: developments are going fast. From advanced object and scene recognition, which automatically takes the right settings and applies post-processing itself, to sensors that see more in the dark than you see yourself. Developments are going very fast, and the OnePlus 6 could actually barely keep up with them. With few improvements in the 6T, OnePlus is starting to fall behind compared to the other flagships from Samsung, Huawei and Apple.

Alternatives

As I already hinted at at the beginning of this article: actually Samsung's top device, the Galaxy S9, is a better choice than the OnePlus 6T. The prices are about the same, while the top device from Samsung has more to offer: a nicer design, much better camera, better screen and headphone connection. In terms of speed and battery life, the performance is about the same, only the OnePlus variant is a better choice in the software. In all other areas, Samsung's S9 offers more. However, the best alternative to the OnePlus 6T is the OnePlus 6 itself. The T version is not a better, but also no worse smartphone than its predecessor. You can rather see it as a step sideways: the specifications have remained the same. Only the screen has changed minimally and the battery life has improved noticeably. On the other hand, the fingerprint scanner under the screen is not a practical improvement, and choices about the headphone port, notification light and the same camera are a compromise that is at odds with the 'Never Settle' principle. That is why the OnePlus 6 is actually the best alternative to the 6T. It is unfortunate that it is unclear whether OnePlus will continue to offer the 6. Other webshops still sell the OnePlus 6, and if you come across an interesting offer. Then the OnePlus 6 might be a better choice.

Conclusion

Interestingly, OnePlus is trying to take on the role of innovator, but the OnePlus 6T fails to be an improvement over its predecessor. The fingerprint scanner under the screen is impressive, but no progress. The screen and the notch are slightly more pleasant, but especially the battery life is positive. On the other hand, OnePlus should have invested more in innovation and the company cannot sufficiently substantiate dubious choices, which alienates the enthusiastic community.

A continuation of a good smartphone, does not make the 6T a bad device or a recommendation, certainly not! But it does go back to the final verdict of this review, there are simply better choices and I don't really understand why the 6T was developed in the first place. Therefore, if you are in the market for a new OnePlus device, it may be a better idea to look for a nice offer for the OnePlus 6, which is still sold at various web shops. Or to wait half a year for the OnePlus 7, which hopefully has a bit more to offer. The Samsung Galaxy S9 has also been reduced in price to such an extent that it is on par with the OnePlus 6T. The S9 is a better choice in almost every way.