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OnePlus 6T review: Hello in-display fingerprint scanner, goodbye headphone jack

By James Lu - 5 Dec 2018
Launch SRP: S$988

Benchmark Performance, Imaging, Battery life, and Conclusion

Benchmark Performance

The OnePlus 6T is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor with either 6GB or 8GB RAM as the 6. The 6GB RAM version comes with 128GB internal storage, while the 8GB RAM version has either 128 or 256GB storage. My review unit is the 8GB/128GB version.

N.B. The OnePlus 6 reviewed earlier this year was the 6GB/64GB model.

  OnePlus 6T (8GB/128GB) OnePlus 6 (8GB/128GB) Huawei Mate 20 Pro Apple iPhone XS Max (256GB) Google Pixel 3 XL (64GB) Samsung Galaxy Note9 (128GB) Oppo Find X (128GB)
  OnePlus 6T (8GB/128GB) OnePlus 6 (8GB/128GB) Huawei Mate 20 Pro Apple iPhone XS Max (256GB) Google Pixel 3 XL (64GB) Samsung Galaxy Note9 (128GB) Oppo Find X (128GB)
Launch SRP
  • From S$988
  • From S$988
  • From S$1348
  • From S$2039
  • From S$1399
  • From S$1398
  • From S$1199
Operating system
  • Android 9.0 with Oxygen OS
  • Android 8.1 Oreo with Oxygen OS
  • Android 9.0 with EMUI 9.0
  • iOS 12
  • Android 9.0 Pie
  • Android 8.1 Oreo with Samsung Experience
  • Android 8.1 Oreo
Processor
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Octa-core (4 x 2.8GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4 x 1.7GHz Kryo 385 Silver)
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Octa-core (4 x 2.8GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4 x 1.7GHz Kryo 385 Silver)
  • Hisilicon Kirin 980 octa-core (2 x 2.6GHz Cortex-A76 & 2 x 1.92GHz Cortex-A76 & 4 x 1.8GHz Cortex-A55)
  • Apple A12 Bionic hexa-core
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
  • Samsung Exynos 9810 octa-core (4x2.8 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4x1.7 GHz Cortex-A55)
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver)
Built-in Memory
  • 8GB RAM
  • 8GB RAM
  • 6GB RAM
  • 4GB RAM
  • 4GB RAM
  • 6GB RAM
  • 8GB RAM
Display
  • 6.41-inch / 2,340 x 1,080 pixels (402ppi) / 19.5:9 ratio / Optic AMOLED
  • Always-on Display
  • 6.28-inch / 2,280 x 1,080 pixels (402ppi) / 19:9 ratio / Optic AMOLED
  • Always-on Display
  • 6.39-inches 3,120 x 1,440 pixels (538 ppi) AMOLED 19.5:9 ratio
  • Always-On Display
  • 6.5-inch Super Retina HD / 2,688 x 1,242 pixels (458ppi) / OLED
  • 6.3-inch / 2,960 x 1,440 pixels (523 ppi) / flexible OLED Display
  • Always-On Display
  • 6.4-inch / 2,960 x 1,440 pixels (516 ppi) / 18.5:9 ratio / Super AMOLED Infinity Display
  • Always-On Display
  • 6.42-inch / 2,340 x 1,080 pixels (401 ppi) / 19.5:9 ratio / AMOLED Display
Camera
  • Rear: Dual: 16-megapixel (f/1.7, 27mm, 1/2.6", 1.22µm, OIS) + 20-megapixel (f/1.7, 1/2.8", 1.0µm),
  • Front: 16-megapixel (f/2.0, 25mm, 1/3", 1.0µm)
  • Rear: Dual: 16-megapixel (f/1.7, 27mm, 1/2.6", 1.22µm, OIS) + 20-megapixel (f/1.7, 1/2.8", 1.0µm),
  • Front: 16-megapixel (f/2.0, 25mm, 1/3", 1.0µm)
  • Rear: Triple 40-megapixel f/1.8 wide + 20-megapixel f/2.2 ultrawide + 8-megapixel f/2.4 telephoto, OIS, Leica optics, 3x optical zoom,5x hybrid zoom, phase detection and laser autofocus, dual-LED dual-tone flash
  • Front: 24-megapixel, f/2.0
  • Rear: Dual 12-megapixel, (f/1.8, 28mm & f/2.4, 56mm) with phase detection autofocus, OIS, and quad LED (dual-tone) flash
  • Front: 7-megapixel, f/2.2 FaceTime HD camera
  • Rear: 12.2-megapixel, f/1.8, OIS, phase detection & laser autofocus, dual-LED flash
  • Front: 8-megapixel, f/1.8; 8-megapixel wide-angle, f/2.2
  • Rear: Dual 12-megapixel, dual f/1.5 and 2.4, 26mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS, LED flash and 12-megapixel f/2.4, 52mm telephoto, 2x optical zoom
  • Front: 8-megapixel, f/1.7
  • Rear: Dual 16-megapixel, f/2.0 + 20-megapixel, f/2.0
  • Front: 25-megapixel, f/2.0
Connectivity
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, DLNA, WiFi Direct, Bluetooth v5, NFC, 4G LTE Cat 16 (up to 1024Mbps)
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, DLNA, WiFi Direct, Bluetooth v5, NFC, 4G LTE Cat 16 (up to 1024Mbps)
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 4G+ LTE-A (3CA) Cat 21 (up to 1400Mbps), dual-band, hotspot, DLNA, Bluetooth v5, A2DP, LE, GPS, GLONASS, USB 3.1 Type-C
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 4G+ LTE Cat 16 (up to 1024Mbps), dual-band, hotspot, Bluetooth v5.0, A2DP, LE, GPS, GLONASS, Lightning connector
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 + 5GHz), 4G+ LTE Cat 15 (up to 800Mbps), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, GLONASS, NFC
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 + 5GHz), 4G+ LTE Cat 18 (up to 1200Mbps), Bluetooth 5.0, VHT80, MIMO (2x2), GPS, GLONASS, NFC, Screen Mirroring
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 + 5GHz), 4G+ LTE Cat 16 (up to 1024Mbps), Bluetooth 5.0, VHT80, MIMO (2x2), GPS, GLONASS, NFC, Screen Mirroring
Storage Type
  • 128GB
  • 128GB
  • 128GB internal storage
  • Huawei Nano Memory expansion (up to 256GB)
  • 256GB internal storage
  • 64GB internal storage
  • 128GB internal storage
  • 512GB (MicroSD)
  • 128GB internal storage
Battery
  • 3,700mAh
  • Dash Charge
  • 3,300mAh
  • Dash Charge
  • 4,200mAh
  • 40W Huawei SuperCharge
  • 15W Huawei Wireless Quick Charge (Qi wireless charging)
  • Reverse wireless charging
  • 3,174mAh
  • 3,430mAh
  • Fast Charging
  • 4,000mAh
  • Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging
  • Wireless charging
  • 3,730mAh
  • VOOC Flash Charge
Dimensions
  • 157.5 x 74.8 x 8.2 mm
  • 155.7 x 75.4 x 7.8 mm
  • 157.8 x 72.3 x 8.6 mm
  • 157.5 x 77.4 x 7.7 mm
  • 158 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm
  • 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm
  • 156.7 x 74.2 x 9.4 mm
Weight
  • 185g
  • 177g
  • 189g
  • 208g
  • 184g
  • 201g
  • 186g

SunSpider Javascript

SunSpider JavaScript measures the browsing performance of a device when processing JavaScript. It not only takes into consideration the underlying hardware performance, but also assesses how optimized a particular platform is in delivering a high-speed web browsing experience. 

The 6T is about on par with other Snapdragon 845 phones and was marginally faster than the 6. In terms of actual web browsing, it provides a smooth and lag-free experience.

 

Antutu

AnTuTu is an all-in-one benchmark that tests CPU, GPU, memory, and storage. The CPU benchmark evaluates both integer and floating-point performance, the GPU tests assess 2D and 3D performance, the memory test measures available memory bandwidth and latency, and the storage tests gauge the read and write speeds of a device's flash memory. 

On this benchmark the 6T was again about equal with the other Snapdragon 845 smartphones. Additionally, the extra 2GB RAM didn't seem to make much of a difference compared to the OnePlus 6. Apple's A12 Bionic continues to dominate this benchmark.

 

Geekbench CPU

Geekbench CPU is a cross-platform processor benchmark that tests both single-core and multi-core performance with workloads that simulate real-world usage. Geekbench 4 scores are calibrated against a baseline score of 4000 (which is the score of an Intel Core i7-6600U CPU processor).

Surprisingly, the 6T scored slightly lower than the 6 in this benchmark, although the difference was not significant. Unfortunately, Geekbench continues to be the Snapdragon 845's worst benchmark, and Apple, Huawei and Samsung's processors all outperformed it.

 

3DMark Sling Shot

3DMark Sling Shot is an advanced 3D graphics benchmark that tests the full range of OpenGL ES 3.1 and ES 3.0 API features including multiple render targets, instanced rendering, uniform buffers and transform feedback. The test also includes impressive volumetric lighting and post-processing effects. We're running this benchmark in Unlimited mode, which ignores screen resolutions.

In this benchmark, the OnePlus 6T was again on a par with the other 845-powered smartphones. Apple's A12 Bionic is once again way ahead of the pack.

 

 

Imaging

The 6T uses the exact same rear camera setup as the 6. You get a 16-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization paired with a 20-megapixel depth sensor secondary camera. It's a bit of a pity to have such a high resolution secondary camera that's only used for Portrait Mode depth information and I would like to see OnePlus return to the more useful telephoto optical zoom lens we last saw on the OnePlus 5.

Image quality from the 6T is identical to the 6. Images are generally sharp with good detail retention, and colors and exposure are both generally accurate, but images tend to be slightly grainy and there is some noticeable over-processing.

Click for full-size image.

 

Battery Life

Our standard battery test for mobile phones has the following parameters:

  • Looping a 720p video with screen brightness and volume at 100%
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity turned on
  • Constant data streaming through email and Twitter

The 6T has a larger 3,700mAh battery than its predecessor, which led to slightly better battery life, with the 6T lasting 11 hours and 37 minutes in our video looping benchmark, 45 minutes longer than the 6. Having said that, overall battery life is still shorter than many other similar-sized phones.

The OnePlus 6T isn't compatible with Qualcomm's QuickCharge technology, and instead uses OnePlus' own Dash Charge technology. Dash Charge is just as fast as QuickCharge (if not faster) and also has built-in measures to protect from overheating. It will charge the phone from 0 to 60% in about 35 minutes, and from 60 to 100% takes another 45 minutes or so. The disadvantage to Dash Charge is that it requires both a proprietary Dash Charge wall plug and a proprietary Dash Charge USB-C cable.

Despite the glass back, there's still no wireless charging on the 6T.

 

Conclusion

Overall the OnePlus 6T isn't that different from its predecessor. It has a larger display with a smaller notch, a new in-display fingerprint scanner, and it loses the headphone jack - but basically everything else is the same.

You're still getting the same attractive, if somewhat generic metal and glass sandwich design, and a flagship Snapdragon 845 processor, all at a lower price than most other flagships.

But buying a OnePlus phone also means that you're willing to accept a long list of missing features: no IP rating, no wireless charging, no stereo speakers, no expandable storage, a not particularly useful secondary lens, a display that isn't HDR compatible, and you can now add to that list, no headphone port or bundled earphones.

Price-wise the 6T costs about the same as the 6 when it first came out. The cheapest model is now the 6GB/128GB option, which costs S$898, while the 8GB/128GB model costs S$988, which is actually S$10 cheaper than the launch price for the 6's 8GB/128GB model. The most expensive 8GB/256GB model costs S$1,088, the first time a OnePlus phone has broken the S$1k barrier.

The gradual upward trend in OnePlus' pricing makes its phones a little less attractive than they used to be, but the 6T still offers good value. Having said that, if you miss the days when OnePlus phones were less than S$700, the OnePlus 6 in its 8GB/128GB configuration is now available in all colors for just S$699 from OnePlus' official shop on Lazada. Considering how similar the two phones are, this is actually the better buy - at least until the 6T also inevitably comes down in price.

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8.0
  • Design 8
  • Features 7
  • User-Friendliness 8
  • Performance 8
  • Value 8
The Good
Attractive metal and glass design
Bigger display with a smaller notch
Fast and reliable in-display fingerprint scanner
Clean UI
128GB base storage capacity
The Bad
Not different enough from the OnePlus 6
Secondary camera is only a depth sensor
No unique or exciting features
No stereo speakers
No headphone jack
No expandable storage
No bundled earphones
No wireless charging
No IP rating
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