OnePlus 3T review: the flagship killer

OnePlus 3T release date and price

OnePlus just posted a "last call" on its official forum instructing readers to buy the OnePlus 3T "before stock runs out". Owners of the device can rest assured that the 3T, and the somewhat older OnePlus 3, will continue to get software updates and support. If you want to buy a OnePlus 3T, you'd be well advised to act fast, as the manufacturer confirmed to PhoneArena that the device will be out of stock in Europe and the UK starting June 1. At least for now, the OnePlus 3T is still available in the US for $439 and Canada for CA$599. There's no word yet on how much stock is left for the North American market.

The OnePlus 3T had its launch event on November 15. It's available in two colors and in two different variants – 64 GB or 128 GB. The 64 and 128 GB models are sold in the US for $439 and $479, respectively. The Gunmetal version was previously the only color available, but as of January 6 at 7 PM PST / 10 PM EST, Soft Gold can be purchased globally as well.

The #OnePlus3T is unlike any other. You can see it in the color. pic.twitter.com/goQunpeRvq

— OnePlus (@oneplus) December 31, 2016

The global pricing for the 64 GB/128 GB versions is £399/£439 for the UK, $599/$640 CAD in Canada, ₹29,999/₹34,999 for India, and in Australia where it's not officially available, the equivalent price is $580/$630 AUD.

It is more expensive than the OnePlus 3 was, which is a shame since there is nothing particularly creative about the 3T. With the OnePlus 3 now off the shelves, the brand probably has good expectations for the smartphone anyway. A phablet of this quality at this price point isn't exactly common.

OnePlus 3T design and build quality

My colleague Omar raved about the design of the OnePlus 3 during his test of the device. I find myself in the same situation with the OnePlus 3T today, with one key difference: the OnePlus 3 was the rightful heir to the OnePlus 2, while the OnePlus 3T is just a little brother to the OnePlus 3.

If you liked the design of the OnePlus 3, you'll like the OnePlus 3T. The design is basically the same. OnePlus kept the aluminum unibody, the elegant curved edges, the fingerprint scanner on the front, the sound setting Hotkeys...all the things which made us fall in love with the OnePlus 3. It's not particularly helpful to review all of these features, so I will just share the ones which really make the phone's strengths stand out.

OnePlus knows how to make use of space on their phones. Unlike Google, which puts an empty space under the screen of its Pixel phones, OnePlus takes advantage of the space to house its fingerprint reader. Above, we find the speaker and sensors. On the right side, we find the button to turn the display off and on, and trays for two nano SIM cards.

If there's one thing I find handy on an iPhone, it's the ability to switch from ringtone to silent mode with the easily distinguishable side buttons. OnePlus gave the 3T a similar setup, giving the ability to switch to silent mode without having to turn on the screen.

Another advantage is the USB (2.0) Type-C port found on the bottom of the device, between the speaker and the mini-jack (yes, there is a mini-jack!). Having the mini-jack port on the bottom of the device isn't necessarily bad; it just means you have to put your phone in your pocket upside down when you listen to music, so it's right-side-up and ready to use when you take it out that way.

With regard to handling, it is a treat. Of course, you must love screens which are a little bit big, and in certain circumstances it is necessary to use two hands. This device is subjectively large, with the following dimensions: 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.35 mm. That being said, it's certainly not too big, as you don't have to worry about it having difficulty sliding into your pocket.

If you want a phone with a premium look and feel, you will be well-served by the OnePlus 3T. The surface and build quality of the 3T is consistent with other metal body phones like the Google Pixel, giving it a truly chic appearance. Of the two colors, Soft Gold and Gunmetal, I really like the Gunmetal which recalls the lighter gray shade of the original OnePlus 3.

OnePlus 3T display

Once again, OnePlus opted for a 5.5-inch display. This is something that was successful on its predecessor, the OnePlus 3. The screen is an Optic AMOLED, which according to OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, is tweaked specifically for the handset, making contrast and color temperature truer to life and viewing better when outdoors. The OnePlus 3T comes with a Full-HD screen and this choice has advantages and disadvantages. One the one hand, the energy consumption is not too high, particularly with the AMOLED screen. But the downside is that the definition is not ideal for VR.

The screen is 5.5 inches, making it one of the smaller phablets. Like that of the OnePlus 3, the pixel density is 401 ppi. The screen is Full-HD (1920x1080), which at the advent of VR, is unfortunate. Some newer phones have Quad-HD (2560x1440) resolution instead. Nevertheless, the screen is quite good, the colors are vivid, and I have no problems with it. You can adjust the display settings yourself by calibrating the screen, setting the color temperature differently or by using the sRGB mode. It is pleasant to use this mode, since it makes it less tiring for the eyes, but the yellow hue may get on your nerves.

Unfortunately, I lack the special equipment to test the screen brightness objectively, but it seems to be pretty good. White on the screen sometimes tends toward yellow or blue hues depending on the angle you hold the device. I couldn't test it in strong sunlight, since the sun isn't strong in Berlin this time of year. The 3T's night mode adapts the colors of the screen so your eyes don't get tired when reading in low light conditions. This is one of the more interesting features of the device for me.

By default, the Gorilla Glass 4 screen comes with a 2.5D screen protector. The protector comes pre-installed since Gorilla Glass 4 is more easily scratched than Gorilla Glass 3.

OnePlus 3T software

Here is where I was really disappointed. On the 3T we find OxygenOS 3.5.1, which is based on...Android 6.0.1! Android Nougat was officially released months ago, and new phones are already being sold running the new version of the OS, but OnePlus opted for the tried and true Marshmallow version anyway. That being said, they already announced that the 3 and 3T would be able to update to Nougat in December.

In short, the user interface is a lot like stock Android and it isn't built upon the latest version of Android, which is a shame. That said, like with the OnePlus 3, the picture isn't totally black. Some of the the interface elements have changed, like the quick bar settings which look more like Nougat, and the more intuitive options, in addition to a weather app and voice recorder which also appeared.

On one hand, devotees of pure Android will find it agreeable, despite some tiny differences like smaller icons here and there. On the other hand, there is no bloatware. The software provides some useful functions, like accessibility help for the visually impaired (TalkBack, different font sizes, zoom gestures) and the App Locker function which locks certain apps with a code through the "Never Settle" banner on the top left of the home screen.

This mode allows you to quickly access your recent contacts, apps, and a status panel which gives you an idea of your remaining battery life, memory usage, and other widgets. Personally, I don't find this very useful, since I prefer to use Google Now to get weather and news updates, but I'm sure some will like it.

If you want to customize your menus, you have two options: light or dark. Plus, you can set a secondary color, like an all black menu with green text that will really stand out. More black on an AMOLED is always good for battery life. It's not necessarily useful, but some will like having the color options.

OnePlus 3T performance

Before we get too far, let's talk about the technical specs of this device. The processor is a 2.35 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 821. According to Qualcomm, it's 10 percent more powerful than its predecessor, the 820 with its 2.2 GHz. To complement this, we find the improved Adreno 530 graphics chip, which also boasts at least a 5 percent performance boost and low battery consumption. Along with all of this, we find 6 GB of RAM, plus 64 GB or 128 GB of storage, the latter of which is only available in the Gunmetal color.

On the 3T, we find UFS 2.0 (universal flash storage), which should allow for relatively quick loading of apps. In practice, I've found this to be true. For everyday use, the performance is good: the RAM and processor can handle multitasking and deliver a good experience consistently. I haven't encountered any crashes, slow downs, or bugs. Everything seems to be fluid. The phone seems to get warm after heavy use, but nothing abnormal. The fingerprint reader can unlock the device and take you to the home screen in 0.2 seconds.

You can use both nano SIM trays on the device, but OnePlus unfortunately didn't give us a MicroSD card slot.

A feature which will please many is the dual SIM. You can use both nano SIM trays on the device, but OnePlus unfortunately didn't give us a MicroSD card slot. The North American model sports WCDMA: Bands 1/2/4/5/8, FDD-LTE: Bands 1/2/4/5/7/8/12/17/30, and CDMA EVDO: BC0. The OnePlus 3 has a relatively low SAR.

As far as benchmarks go, the smartphone scores well, even against the OnePlus 3 which sets the bar. You can find the results of the test in the table below. The battery life test was carried out with the screen at maximum brightness, a topic which we will return to in the section on the battery. 

Benchmarks - OnePlus 3T

If you're a VR aficionado, I have bad news. I am very pessimistic about this phone's VR potential due to the low resolution of the screen.

The OnePlus 3T has slightly elevated SAR levels from the OnePlus 3, with the highest reported levels being 0.995W/kg (head) and  0.645W/kg (body).

OnePlus 3T audio

Here again, we find a single speaker located on the bottom of the phone, on the left side of the USB port, With regard to sound quality, the mono speaker isn't as good as a stereo speaker you could buy in a store, but the quality is satisfactory for what it is. The max volume is pretty high, but at high volumes, quality is degraded and sounds metallic.

Unfortunately, the phone doesn't come with headphones. Most manufacturers offer headphones, even if they're not the best quality ones. As you can imagine, the audio experience is better with headphones.

During calls, I haven't experienced any problems. I could hear and be heard clearly with no concerns about audio quality.

OnePlus 3T camera

On the back of the OnePlus 3T, we find the same configuration as that of the OnePlus 3: a Sony IMX 298 16 MP (back) lens with an f/2.0 aperture, and a pixel size of 1.12 microns. That said, the potential is different. Our expert photographer, Robert, has examined the issue and found some differences between the old model and the new one.

The most notable difference is the edge-to-edge sharpness of the OnePlus 3T. Lens quality is often prioritized for maximum sharpness in the center of the image area, since most people will ideally photograph their subjects in that space. The areas around the edge can often be softer due to manufacturing or other implementation issues in a lens. However, the OnePlus 3T is sharper edge-to-edge compared to it's predecessor. This will be most apparent in good shooting conditions, like on a bright sunny day, which is when shutter speeds are fast enough to not diminish image quality with blur.

The camera on the 3T is perhaps not the best on the market, but it does the job quickly with phase detection auto-focus (0.2 seconds) and generally provides good results. Its photos are good quality, even when conditions aren't very bright. Details show up well and there are no saturation issues. That said, if you zoom in a lot, you will see a sort of border or outline between black and white shapes (like branches and the sky).

On the front, we have another 16 MP camera, but it is not the same as the back one: it is a Samsung 3P8SP. The aperture is f/2.0. The quality is good, more than good enough for selfies. The front camera can also take videos in 1080p at 30 fps, 1080p at 60 fps, 720p, and 4K. You can see the difference in quality between the OnePlus 3 and the 3T: the colors are better and the details are crisper.

The image stabilization is equally good, both optically and electronically. The camera app is the same as the OnePlus 3, both in terms of the interface and its options. Save Location, Shutter Sound, and Save RAW Image are the only possible settings, but rest assured that you will find the manual mode, panorama mode, and the video options, including slow motion and accelerated. The slow motion videos can be shot in 720p. And you can also save your photos in .RAW format.

Hint: you can launch the camera app with a double-tap on the camera button, just like the OnePlus 3. It is a shame that there weren't any revolutionary changes to the rear camera, given that the competition doesn't hesitate to up their game with a f/1.7 aperture. For example, Samsung increases their potential during low light conditions and improved the Bokeh effect.

• View all pictures taken with the OnePlus 3T

OnePlus 3T battery

The OnePlus 3 has a batter capacity of 3000 mAh, but it decided to go a step beyond with the OnePlus 3T by offering 3,400 mAh. A larger battery in the same size device, without making design concessions, is very interesting.

In general, the battery life is good, but I must admit that I didn't use it too heavily: just instant messaging, news, a bit of video, some music...In short, a user like me will have the phone lasting a day and a half easily. I made time to test it in the shoes of a demanding user, and spent time on it watching videos and playing games, and the phone doesn't disappoint. Overall, it is longer lasting than its predecessor.

The Dash Charge system (5 volts 4 amps) allows for quick charging of the phone. The technology provides a stronger current while maintaining a low voltage, which can transfer energy and files quickly. Specifically, I charged the battery from 9 percent to 100 percent in about 75 minutes.

OnePlus has indicated that the system provides a whole day's worth of battery life in just 30 minutes of charging time. In practice, I went from 5 percent to 57 percent in half an hour, with WiFi and mobile data turned on. A heavy user would likely not last a whole day with just 57 percent, realistically.

I went from 5 percent to 57 percent in half an hour.

We hear that fast charging is extraordinary because it avoids heating up the device, and the user may therefore continue to use their phone while charging without any danger. This is maybe true, but we can't assume everything will be cool. The charger itself will heat up as well, and after a while, the phone starts to heat up too. Admittedly the situation is under control, at least according to OnePlus, but a hot charger would panic anyone.

With the PCMark 2.0 benchmark, the phone got a 4h 54m score with maximum brightness and the WiFi turned on. In comparison, the OnePlus 3 got 4h 52m with the same conditions (WiFi on, max brightness, and no SIM card).

OnePlus 3T technical specifications