REVIEW: OnePlus 3T is an updated flagship killer model

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

What's better than OnePlus? Only the new OnePlus model! The company listened to users, fixed all the flaws and increased productivity. Lifehacker tested and found out - the flagship killer is the best of the best again!

The company is discontinuing production of the OnePlus 3 smartphone. Instead, it will be releasing an updated version called the OnePlus 3T.

The novelty has received a more capacious battery, a cool front camera and a convenient software shell. We have already written about the device, so we will not waste your time and will only tell you about the most important thing.

Specifications

Screen	Optic AMOLED, 5.5 '' (1,920 x 1,080)
CPU	Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821: 2x 2.35 GHz, 2x 1.6 GHz
Graphics	Adreno 530
RAM	6 GB LPDDR4
Built-in memory	64 GB (memory cards not supported)
Main camera	16 MP Sony IMX298 (flash, PDAF autofocus, f / 2.0 aperture)
Front-camera	16 MP Samsung 3P8SP
SIM	2 nanoSIM
Wireless connection	2G / 3G / 4G
Wireless interfaces	Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC
Navigation	GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Connector	USB-C (USB 2.0)
Sensors	accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, Hall sensor, optical stabilizer, digital compass
Operating system	OxygenOS based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
Battery	3 400 mAh
Dimensions (edit)	153 × 75 × 7.35 mm

Appearance and usability

In the six months since the release of the OnePlus 3, nothing has changed. The kit comes with a smartphone, papers, a paper clip, a branded cable and a charger, which is better not to lose. Fast charging will not work with others.

Remember how we raved about the OnePlus 3? Nothing changed. This is still the most convenient Chinese device. Only the flagship Meizu can compete with it. And nobody else.

The device is thin, comfortable and lightweight. If you've held the iPhone 7 Plus in your hand, you can imagine how the OnePlus 3T lies in your hand. Neat rounded edges allow you to fearlessly carry your smartphone in the pockets of any clothes.

The back surface may feel a little slippery. This is just a feeling - during operation, the smartphone does not try to fall out of hands or slide off the table.

Like the iPhone 7, the OnePlus 3T has a home button with an under-screen fingerprint reader. The button is touch-sensitive and requires a normal touch, which at first seems rather unusual.

The body is metal. There are plastic inserts for placing antennas, but the transition between materials is difficult to notice. The only protruding element was the camera - just like in the regular OnePlus 3. The build is perfect. It is not for nothing that the manufacturer has always named the iPhone as the closest competitor.

Like Apple smartphones, OnePlus is equipped with a three-phase switch, with which you can select one of three alert modes: silent, priority notifications only, or all notifications.

OnePlus 3T received a screen with a diagonal of 5.5 inches and FullHD resolution. The quality of the screen is not inferior to the flagships of other manufacturers: very high brightness, almost ideal viewing angles and excellent clarity.

But the main thing is that the screen occupies the maximum possible percentage of the size of the top panel. Plus, it has very thin bezels, giving the OnePlus 3T a size comparable to many 5-inch devices.

Performance

The updated version of OnePlus received a fresh Snapdragon 821 processor and a whopping 6 GB of RAM. The decision is rather controversial, because Qualcomm has already announced the Snapdragon 830. Why couldn't we wait for it?

OnePlus 3T does not show a noticeable performance gain in standard scenarios. You shouldn't be surprised - even the Snapdragon 820 has a colossal performance headroom. Moreover, OnePlus 3T uses the same top-end video accelerator Adreno 530.

This combination of processor and graphics is enough to run any modern game at maximum settings. If you want, you can even start broadcasting on TV and shoot enemy tanks on the big screen.

The version with 64 GB of internal memory of the UFS 2.0 standard turned out to be tested. This memory is now one of the fastest, apart from UFS 2.1 in the Huawei Mate 9 and the upcoming Samsung S8.

A little later, there will be a variant with 128 GB on the internal storage. If you actively use multimedia features, you should pay attention to it, because a slot for memory cards has not appeared.

The smartphone still heats up under load. But only an avid gamer will notice this - up to 45 degrees OnePlus heats up only when the processor is fully loaded. While this is possible only in laboratory conditions.

The operation of the wireless interfaces has not changed at all compared to its predecessor. Excellent support for LTE (unfortunately, VoLTE in Russia is still preparing to launch), Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac / ad. The navigation works flawlessly.

Battery life

Another changed parameter is the capacity of the battery built into the OnePlus 3T. It increased by 400 mAh, that is, by 15%.

Thanks to software fixes, the OnePlus 3T battery is able to provide about 6 hours of active work. About 40 minutes better than its predecessor. The synthetic test in PC Mark guarantees 5 hours and 48 minutes of operation.

With continuous video playback in airplane mode at medium brightness, the smartphone battery will be empty in 10-11 hours, with maximum brightness - in 8, 5. As you can see, there have been no fundamental changes.

A smartphone from scratch can be fully charged in just an hour with fast charging. But only when using a proprietary cable and adapter.

Interface

As an operating system, OnePlus 3T received an updated version of the proprietary Oxygen OS version 3.5.1, based on Android 6 Marshmallow.

The update introduced wide support for gestures for working with the system: double tapping, symbols for quickly launching applications, a screenshot of the screen using a slide with three fingers.

In addition, the system can now be diversified with third-party icons. To a greater extent, the update has affected the display settings. The night mode has been changed, the screen color palette settings have appeared.

Updated cameras

OnePlus 3T received the same main camera module as its predecessor. Let me remind you that this is one of the best cameras. Not only in terms of hardware characteristics. The software also did not disappoint. So what do we have? 16 MP resolution, f / 2.0 aperture, optical stabilization, dual-range flash.

For a mobile device, the photos are fantastic. Someone may complain about dynamic range, dropouts in shadows and highlights in the sky. But when using the advanced mode of the application and shooting in RAW, distortion can be avoided.

The advantages of all OnePlus 3 modifications are amazingly fast focus, excellent macro photography and almost perfect color reproduction. There is a slight bokeh in portrait and macro photography, so you can forget about the dual camera of other devices.

Moreover, the OnePlus 3T copes even with shooting in the dark and in difficult lighting.

The front camera has received an update. Instead of the usual 8MP module, the OnePlus 3T has an incredible 16MP sensor.

Almost a paradise for Instagram lovers. But they forgot to implement autofocus and stabilization for the front camera. Therefore, getting a good shot in a dynamic scene is difficult. But static shots are no worse than the main camera.

Outcomes

Special changes are almost imperceptible.

Should you buy? The OnePlus 3 is worth looking for at the discounted price. And do it immediately, since the shortage of smartphones of this type is still observed.

At the moment, the OnePlus 3 in the 6/64 GB variant costs $ 430. The improved OnePlus 3T is still available for $ 525 (or $ 440 with coupon ONEP3TS) as standard 6/64 GB.