The OnePlus 8T could not have come at a greater time. When OnePlus launched the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro earlier this yr, they had been the corporate’s costliest telephones ever, and so they got here amidst a premium smartphone droop fueled by financial uncertainty and a world pandemic. In brief, folks wanted the Samsung Galaxy A71 however acquired the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.
With the 8T, OnePlus has returned to its roots. At $750 from OnePlus, not solely is it $50 cheaper than a comparably specced OnePlus 8, but it surely additionally brings the type of high-end options and improvements that followers count on with out reducing too many corners. You’re nonetheless not getting wi-fi charging, which is nearly a working gag for OnePlus at this level, however you might be getting stupendous 65W Warp charging out of the field.
While you’re lacking out on a couple of different “pro” options like a curved Quad HD show and the newer Snapdragon 865+ processor, nothing in regards to the OnePlus 8T feels inferior to telephones costing upward of $1,200. Stacked up towards the $700 Galaxy S20 FE and $799 iPhone 12, the OnePlus 8T is as soon as once more a real competitor.
Editor’s notice: We’re nonetheless testing the OnePlus 8T and can replace this overview accordingly.
This story is a part of our ongoing roundup of the best Android phones. Go there for data on competing merchandise and the way we examined them.
A wonderful design throughout
Like each different cellphone in 2020, the OnePlus 8T doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It has a 6.55-inch show with a hole-punch digital camera and rounded corners, and a glass again that isn’t too shiny or slippery. It feels good in my hand and pocket, and sure hits the candy spot for most individuals in search of a larger-screen cellphone.
The OnePlus 8T retains the superb alert slider.
OnePlus despatched me the Aquamarine Green colorway, and I used to be immediately smitten. Like a chameleon, it adjustments between inexperienced and blue primarily based on the lighting, and the color-matched sides create a pleasant distinction with the show. The digital camera array on the again is by-product of the flagship Galaxy telephones and thus loses a few of OnePlus uniqueness—significantly in comparison with the round array on the 7T—however the 8T positively ranks as one of many nicest telephones OnePlus has ever made.
The niceness continues to the entrance as effectively. While at first look the 8T has the identical general look because the 8 and 8 Pro, with a left-aligned hole-punch digital camera and slim bezels, a more in-depth inspection will reveal that the bezels are extra balanced. It’s a small factor, however OnePlus’s use of a bendable chip-on-panel OLED permits the highest and backside bezels to be symmetrical, which makes a refined however significant distinction.
It’s not fairly as uniform because the iPhone 11, but it surely’s very shut, and it’s an engineering feat that portends nice issues for the OnePlus 9. The OnePlus 8T is among the few Android telephones that feels prefer it was designed inside and outside with a goal, reasonably than assembled utilizing items that one way or the other needed to match.
Michael Simon/IDGThe bezels across the OnePlus 8T’s are extra uniform than they’ve ever been.
One factor you’re not getting with the OnePlus 8T is IP-rated water resistance, however you shouldn’t let that deter you. OnePlus gained’t assure water resistance within the 8T, but it surely’s repeatedly handled the difficulty with a wink and a nudge, even going as far as to dunk the OnePlus 7 in a bucket of water. So my guess is the 8T will stand up to its share of splashes and temporary dunks.
Fewer pixels and extra velocity
Nestled inside these bezels is OnePlus’s finest show so far. It’s not fairly as pixel-dense because the OnePlus 8 Pro’s Quad HD+ display, but it surely’s richer, brighter, and quicker than the 8’s display. Even in comparison with the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, which has probably the greatest shows I’ve ever laid eyes on, the OnePlus 8T greater than holds its personal, even with far fewer pixels.
Michael Simon/IDGThe bezels on the OnePlus 8T do not fairly make an ideal match, however they’re very shut.
The 8T’s Full HD 1080 show isn’t simply good to take a look at. OnePlus has upped the refresh price to 120Hz (from 90Hz on the 8), and the distinction is palpable. Scrolling is buttery-smooth, and animations fly by. It offers the cellphone a real high-end really feel. It’s an awesome compromise over a higher-resolution show, particularly when you think about Samsung forces customers to decrease the decision after they change to the 120Hz refresh price. It’s so good, once I switched again to 60Hz for battery testing functions, it felt like I used to be scrolling via thick mud.
There are different sensible compromises as effectively. While ‘T’ fashions normally go for the absolute best processor, the 8T makes use of the Snapdragon 865 chip reasonably than the newer 865+ one. This helps hold prices down with out giving up an excessive amount of in the best way of velocity. However, OnePlus compensates for the velocity loss by combining the chip with UFS 3.1 storage and 12GB of RAM, so apps launch and cargo extremely quick. And after all, the 8T helps 5G (although solely on T-Mobile’s community). Compared to the equally priced Pixel 5, the OnePlus 8T is an absolute screamer, and it doesn’t really feel any slower than the $1,300 Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
Equally spectacular is the OnePlus 8T’s battery life, regardless of a comparatively common 4,500mAh capability (technically twin 2,250mAh batteries). In benchmarks, I recorded a whopping 11 hours and 37 minutes with the 120Hz show turned on, and even longer with it off (although the app crashed earlier than I may get a recorded time). That’s a very good deal longer than different telephones I examined with greater batteries. You shouldn’t have any downside maintaining the 120Hz possibility on on a regular basis.
Michael Simon/IDGWhen you charger your OnePlus 8T utilizing the brand new 65W USB-C charger, you will get mind-blowing speeds.
Helping issues is that the OnePlus 8T costs an entire lot quicker too. Normally I’d knock a cellphone for not having wi-fi charging in late 2020—and it’s positively a detriment for the 8T—however the 65W Warp Charge is just mind-blowing. Not solely does it replenish a virtually empty cellphone in lower than a half-hour, with sustained cost speeds of 55 watts based on my testing, every thing you want is included within the field. Unlike Samsung, which sells its super-fast charger for $50, OnePlus provides a USB-C charging cable and a 65W adapter in each 8T field. What’s extra, you should use it as a 45W charger for different gadgets, together with laptops. The OnePlus 8T represents the type of charging breakthrough we’ve been ready for from Apple or Samsung.
An always-on show in the end
That lengthy battery life and quick charging additionally permit OnePlus to lastly add a long-overdue characteristic to the 8T: an always-on show. Previous OnePlus telephones have had an ambient show that will activate upon elevating or tapping, however the 8T has a real-deal always-on show like practically each different Android cellphone.
Michael Simon/IDGYou lastly get an always-on show with the OnePlus 8T.
And it’s a very good one. OnePlus has put its stamp on issues with three distinctive customization choices. I solely acquired to check out the Insight, which was designed at the side of The New School: It affords a wonderful visualization of your digital well-being stats, together with unlocks and general use. It’s an good twist on an previous commonplace. I’m wanting ahead to testing the Canvas (which creates line drawings of your pictures) and Bitmoji AODs after they arrive in a future software program replace.
The always-on show is a part of the overall revamping of OxygenOS, which tweaks simply sufficient to ascertain its personal id with out upsetting an excessive amount of in regards to the minimal expertise. It’s noticeably completely different than the Android 10-based model, however many of the adjustments are for the higher. Android purists will wail on the additional deviation from Google’s imaginative and prescient, however OnePlus’s continued refinement of OxygenOS is spectacular.
A digital camera that retains getting higher
OnePlus’s telephones have at all times had good cameras, however from what I’ve seen to date, the 8T’s is borderline nice. On the {hardware} aspect, you’re getting 4 lenses that rival what you get in Samsung’s Ultra telephones and Apple’s iPhone Pro:
Camera 1: 48MP, f/1.7, OIS
Camera 2: 16MP Ultra-wide, f/2.2, 123-degree FOV
Camera 3: 5MP Macro, 3cm focal size
Camera 4: 2MP Monochrome
You’ll discover the distinct lack of a telephoto lens, however in all honesty, that’s by no means been OnePlus’s robust go well with. I’m nonetheless unsure we really need a lens devoted to one thing a digital filter can do, however at the least this one shouldn’t be capable of see through people’s clothing.
Michael Simon/IDGThe OnePlus 8T’s new would possibly mode is able to snapping some really spectacular low-light pictures versus with it off (proper).
In my preliminary testing, the OnePlus 8T really shines with night time mode. Previous variations had been considerably spotty, with first rate brightness however blown-out particulars and shaky white stability, however the 8T really will get it proper. It’s nonetheless not fairly within the league of the iPhones and Pixels, but it surely greater than holds its personal towards the most recent Galaxy telephones. It’s a powerful leap for OnePlus’s computation images and bodes effectively for the subsequent era of OnePlus telephones.
Should you purchase the OnePlus 8T?
I’m nonetheless testing the OnePlus 8T and can replace this overview once I’m completed, however the outcomes to date depart a powerful impression. For $749, you’re getting the specs, design, and efficiency of a thousand-dollar flagship. It even stands as much as the $799 iPhone 12, at the least on paper.
Michael Simon/IDGThe OnePlus 8T has some new digital camera {hardware} and refined processing.
So for those who’re turned off by the prospect of paying 4 figures for a cellphone however nonetheless need top-of-the-line specs, an awesome Android expertise, and a incredible design, the OnePlus 8T is a incredible possibility for $750. For simply $50 greater than, say, the Galaxy S20 FE, you’re getting an entire lot extra, together with ridiculously quick charging, twice as a lot RAM, and Android 11 out of the field.
But OnePlus isn’t simply promoting an higher mid-range competitor. It needs to tackle the highest-end telephones, as evidenced by its thinly veiled tagline: “Ultra stops at nothing.” OnePlus has returned to its most profitable formulation with a cellphone that’s fairly highly effective and, effectively, simply plain fairly.