“The OnePlus 3T is hands down the best high-performance Android phone you can buy on a budget.”
- Blazing speed from Snapdragon 821 chip
- Impressive cameras
- Beautiful metal body
- Smooth Android experience with regular updates
- Very fast charging battery
- Not water-resistant
- Some software issues need fixing
The OnePlus 3T is a relatively light, internal-only revision of the impressive OnePlus 3. It brings the phone right up to date, putting it head-to-head with the Google Pixel.
A Google Pixel will cost you $650, but the OnePlus 3T is $440. That’s a massive savings, and although OnePlus bumped the price of the 3T up by $40 over the OnePlus 3’s $400 price tag, it’s still way cheaper than the Galaxy S8, the LG G6, or any other big-brand flagship Android phone on sale today. The insanely low price is low enough to make you wonder: Why is it so cheap?
The OnePlus 3 was the best phone OnePlus had made, and one we highly recommended. Can a revision that adds newer hardware to a winning package do anything other than improve on the original? We’ve been finding out, and have revisited the OnePlus 3T on release of the midnight black model.
Stunning minimalistic design
Put the OnePlus 3 next to the OnePlus 3T and unless you are familiar with the colors — the OnePlus 3T ditches silver for a stylish gunmetal finish, and also comes in a stunning, limited edition black finish — it’s absolutely impossible to tell them apart. There was no sense in changing the OnePlus 3’s design after just six months, because it was solid to start with.
The OnePlus 3T replaces the sandpaper-like body of the old OnePlus 2 for smooth metal, with a sleek, minimal design. There’s a solitary OnePlus logo stamped on the back, bookended by iPhone and HTC-like antenna breaks, and a slightly raised camera lens. That’s it. It’s a real beauty.
Pick it up, and the sides are subtly curved and completely smooth. It fits in your palm extremely well. We hold our phones many times during the day, and comfort is very important. However, since the OnePlus 3 made its debut, in-hand comfort has been taken to the next level by phones such as the ZTE Axon 7 and the Huawei Nova. The OnePlus 3T can’t quite match the thought and effort that went into shaping the Axon 7’s body in particular. It’s not like it’s covered in thorns, but the game has definitely moved on from the somewhat sharp edges of the 3T. It’s slippery too.
If you swooned at the sight of the OnePlus 3, then the 3T will make you weak at the knees, too.
The OnePlus 3T is very compact, with a body that’s very slim and weighs just 158 grams. The bezels around the screen are slim, but it doesn’t have the bezel-less display that’s now a feature on premium phones like the Galaxy S8 and LG G6. Choose the midnight black model, and the dark colors do a great job of disguising the size of the phone in general, and because the antenna lines are also black, the rear of the device is even more minimally styled.
If you swooned at the sight of the OnePlus 3, then the 3T will make you weak at the knees, too.
A pane of curved 2.5D Gorilla Glass 4 covers the screen, completing the slick modern design. It’s punctuated only by the fingerprint sensor, which doubles as the home button. On the side of the body, the notification alert slider makes a welcome return. The two-stage switch lets you selectively mute alerts, based on importance. It’s a time-saver, and the switch itself has a cool knurled pattern for grip. Its placement at the top left of the device is a little odd, but only if you’re right handed.
The fingerprint sensor always recognized my print with astonishing speed, and there’s NFC in the OnePlus 3T, so the phone supports Android Pay. Mobile payments are hit or miss, but Android Pay’s problems are hardly unique to the 3T.
The OnePlus 3T has a 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED screen with a 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution. What’s Optic AMOLED? According to OnePlus CEO Carl Pei, the Samsung-supplied screens feature a dual-polarizing layer that’s tuned for improved color temperature and contrast. On the OnePlus 3, it was always a pain to “tune” using the basic controls, but that’s changed on the OnePlus 3T. Out of the box, it looks amazing, and the true whites really shine through in a way that was difficult to achieve on the 3. If it’s too stark, under a Screen Calibration setting, there’s an eye-pleasing sRGB option, and a custom setting with a warm-to-cool slider.
Don’t for one second think the 1080p resolution holds the OnePlus 3T back. It’s stunning, and further proof a 2,560 x 1,440 pixel resolution isn’t really essential on a smartphone of this size. If there is one slight downside, it’s the outdoor performance in sunlight. The screen is highly reflective, and the brightness never elevates itself to a high enough level for super visibility.
Rocketship-level performance
The primary change between the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T is the replacement of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 with the newer and more powerful Snapdragon 821 processor. Yes it has since been superseded by Qualcomm with the Snapdragon 835, but that’s only available in a handful of very expensive phones at the moment. The RAM remains the same at 6GB, and although there are a few other alterations, the chip swap is undoubtedly the main reason why the 3T is more expensive. Therefore, you’ll want to see a noticeable performance bump, right?
It’s difficult to tell the difference. It’s not like the OnePlus 3 performed like it was wading through six feet of sludge. Putting the two alongside each other and seeing if there was any visible difference seemed like a good place to start. A few searches in Chrome, scrolling through lists on Twitter, and playing side-by-side games revealed … no discernible difference whatsoever.
This is simply one of the highest performing smartphones you can buy.
Time to turn to benchmarks. Putting the OnePlus 3T up against the OnePlus 3 this way is perhaps the easiest way to find any differences. AnTuTu 3D on the OnePlus 3 scores 144,131, and the same test on the OnePlus 3T comes back with 166,912. Both were run in the same environment, with no other apps running, and on the most up-to-date public release version of OxygenOS.
That’s a big difference, and not only does it crush just about every other phone out there, but the spankings continued through other tests as well. Geekbench 4 returned 4,133 multi-core on the OnePlus 3 and 4,390 multi-core on the OnePlus 3T. We ran 3DMark’s Slingshot ES3.1 gaming benchmarking test on both, too. The OnePlus 3 scored 2,561, while the OnePlus 3T came back with 2,700.
However, many will be asking that if you can’t see the differences going about your day-to-day business, is there really any point? If you already own the OnePlus 3, then no, probably not. However, by selecting the 3T you’re getting a newer phone that will still keep pace with high-end phones for longer, and longevity is very important in the smartphone world. It also makes the phone even more cost-effective.
There are some other changes that won’t be instantly noticeable, either, but are definite benefits. The OnePlus 3T runs cooler when under pressure than the 3, and the increased power efficiency offered by the Snapdragon 821 means the larger capacity 3,400mAh battery will last even longer.
There wasn’t a moment when the OnePlus 3T felt like anything other than a rocket ship, and there was no point where more power would have been helpful. This is simply one of the highest performing smartphones you can buy, and one of the fastest smartphones we’ve ever tried.
Camera software gets a boost
The OnePlus 3T has the same 16-megapixel camera as the OnePlus 3. It has an f/2.0 aperture, optical image stabilization, HDR, and a 1.28-inch sensor. However, OnePlus has tweaked the software. The ultra-high contrast images taken with the OnePlus 3 have been toned down ever-so slightly, so the OnePlus 3T takes pictures that are more natural, but still pleasingly vivid.
Close-up photos blur the background very nicely, and on a sunny day, blue skies shine beautifully. With HDR activated, shadowy areas lit up sufficiently without sacrificing detail. In low light, plenty of detail is revealed, and although it can’t quite keep pace with the iPhone 7 Plus or Google Pixel, you won’t be disappointed. Shots of lit buildings in the dark saw the 3T create fantastic, inky blacks, but the OIS couldn’t quite keep things steady enough to maintain detail.
Around the front, the OnePlus 3T has a 16-megapixel selfie camera. The reason for this massive sensor is not just for selfie-lovers, but for live-streamers who demand a high-definition image. It’s great, and even in low-light — when the camera combines pixels to artificially boost the light — it does well. There’s a simple beauty mode, and a feature where it’s supposed to recognize smiles and activate the shutter, but it never worked for us.
Swipe to the right to access a manual mode, where ISO, focus, shutter speed, and brightness can be adjusted. A tripod is necessary to get the best from the manual mode, but the OnePlus 3T takes great photos without messing around with the settings. The software is fast and easy to use, but when shooting video, it oddly shows a far larger image in the viewfinder, meaning objects you think fill the frame are actually far too close. Annoyingly, this issue still hasn’t been cured on our newly delivered, and up-to-date midnight black 3T.
Software and updates
The OnePlus 3T runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat in the OxygenOS 4.1.3 user interface, modifying the operating system slightly from Google’s vision. It’s not a drastic alteration, and it’s closer to how Motorola deals with Android than a more heavy UI favored by Samsung. Purists will be pleased to note the app drawer is present and the notification shade is as Google intended. Our midnight black version has the March 1 Android security patch installed, bringing it almost up to date. April and May security updates are out from Google, though, so we hope OnePlus will quickly follow through.
There are a few modifications included in OxygenOS. The most noticeable is Shelf, which slides in from the left of the home screen, where you can find shortcuts to frequently used apps, space for Android widgets, the weather, and a space to write memos. It’s easy to turn off OnePlus’ Shelf option if you don’t like it.
OnePlus installs its own gallery app, file manager app, music player, voice recorder, and a new Community app. This last one is an odd addition, but in line with OnePlus’ commitment to interacting with its loyal users. It gives direct access to the company’s busy online forums, and it’s a bit like looking at a self-diagnosis website when you’re sick. The forums have plenty of complaints and moans, most of which are isolated incidents, but it can make you go looking for problems when none really exist.
OxygenOS was unshakable and we haven’t had any stability issues, or any unwillingness to run any app we threw at it. SwiftKey’s keyboard is an option, but due to personal preference, we chose Google’s Android keyboard, which performs brilliantly, and we love the subtle haptic feedback.
Depending on which model you buy, you can get either 64GB or 128GB of internal memory, but sadly there’s no MicroSD card slot to increase your storage. OnePlus decided not to go for one of the new dual-SIM trays that have the option of using one of the slots for a memory card, so the 3T is a strictly dual-SIM device. For this reason, we suggest opting for the 128GB OnePlus 3T, especially as the phone’s performance will see it last for several years before it needs replacing.
The last major update for the OnePlus 3T is Android O, according to the head of product at OnePlus, who disclosed the information on the firm’s official forum. The company will continue to provide security updates in the future — particularly OxygenOS v4.5 within the upcoming months.
Battery life and charging
Even though the OnePlus 3T has the same dimensions as the OnePlus 3, it contains a larger capacity 3,400mAh battery, which we found to last about a day with moderately heavy use. You can elongate battery life even further, using the battery saver, which turns off location, background data, and the vibrate feature. You know when it’s active, because the notification bar turns bright orange. One thing we do like is the chance to display the battery icon as a circle and not a bar. It’s much easier to visualise the remaining time, if you choose not to show the percentage figure.
The Dash Charge fast-charging system is back, and OnePlus claims it will charge the battery to 60 percent capacity in just 30 minutes. Our tests showed this to be accurate, and a timed run saw 60 percent arrive in 31 minutes. A full charge was completed in an hour and 20 minutes. The same as we achieved with the OnePlus 3.
Warranty, price, and availability
The much-hated invitation system is a thing of the past, and you can buy a OnePlus 3T through OnePlus’ own online store right now. If you’re in the U.K., OnePlus has secured its first network deal, and the phone can be purchased through O2 with a two-year plan.
However, we always recommend buying a phone without a contract, if possible, and it’s definitely the way to buy the OnePlus 3T; but it’s more expensive that the OnePlus 3 It’s $440 for the 64GB model, which is $40 more than the equivalent — and now discontinued — OnePlus 3. The 128GB model is $480, and you have to choose that configuration if you want the midnight black model. In the U.K., the price has increased to 400 British pounds, up from the 330 British pounds the OnePlus 3 cost during the summer, and a whopping 80 British pounds more than the 310 British pounds it started out costing.
OnePlus has a one-year warranty on its devices in the United States, where device defects will be repaired or a replacement device will be provided for free, including the shipping and handling costs. It doesn’t cover wear and tear, or water damage. Alternatively, OnePlus offers an extended warranty plan though Assurant Solutions called On-Guard. Plans can be for a year, 18 months, or two years, and see devices repaired or replaced in the U.S., rather than China. This means the turnaround should be quicker. Costs range from $20 to $110 extra.
Our Take
The OnePlus 3T has enough power to birth small galaxies, and more style than the pages of a glossy fashion magazine, yet still manages to leave hundreds of dollars in your pocket when you choose it over the competition. One or two software problems did show up — video recorder, and the smile shutter for example — but we hope these will be fixed in the near future, and they aren’t enough to put us off.
Is there a better alternative?
The OnePlus 3T is by far the best value smartphone on sale today, particularly in light of rising prices for flagship phones like the $720-plus Samsung Galaxy S8 and the $650-plus LG G6. The chance to save between $200 and $300 on a highly competent new smartphone simply can’t be ignored. Even though the processor is now a little dated, it’s still technically “fresh,” and the phone potentially won’t need replacing for several years to come. That’s important. Yes, the OnePlus 3T will be superseded, but its current ability and performance mean you probably won’t care.
If money isn’t the main driver, then the Google Pixel is likely the only Android phone that comes close to the OnePlus 3T in terms of our own recommendation. Its camera is superb and it has Android 7.0 Nougat with Google Assistant installed; but it costs $650, and is almost always out of stock.
If you want to keep the price on your new smartphone low, the ZTE Axon 7 has been our most recommended smartphone for $400, just edging out the OnePlus 3 in many circumstances. The OnePlus 3T costs a little more, but it’s worth it. However, the OnePlus 3T now costs more than the magic $400, and if that’s all you want to spend, the Axon 7 is the choice to make. Buyers in the U.K. may want to investigate the Honor 8 Pro, which combines a great camera with good software and other strong features, for 480 British pounds.
However, all this applies to someone wanting to buy a new smartphone right this minute. The OnePlus 3T is nearly six months into its lifespan, and rumors are flying about a sequel in the near future. If you buy one, be prepared to see it replaced before the end of the summer.
How long will it last?
The OnePlus 3T isn’t a rugged phone, and misses out on any water resistance, so you’ll have to be careful with it if you want it to last. It should be worth it, though, because the processor is still one of the fastest out there, which enables OnePlus 3T owners to keep up with gaming and app trends, ensuring their phone will handle the best software for some time to come.
Our midnight black OnePlus 3T has Android 7.1.1 Nougat installed with the March 1 Android Security Patch, so it’s nearly up to date. OnePlus has shaken up its software department recently, and promised more timely software updates in the future. The updates come to an end with Android O, but the device will continue to receive security updates.
Should you buy it?
Yes. The OnePlus 3T is a ridiculously good value smartphone, without any of the drawbacks you’d expect from anything labeled as “good value.” It’s beautiful to look at, great to use, takes impressive pictures, and is technically capable enough to give years of service. All for $440? Just buy one.
Update: Android O will be the last major update for OnePlus 3 and 3T
