The OnePlus 6T: A Great Phone with a Few Caveats

Hey guys, this is Austin. One thing I love about the OnePlus brand is that they've been making some of my favorite phones for quite a while. Traditionally, you get a great combination of good specs and flagship-level features at a price that can be hundreds of dollars less than the competition.

That's where the OnePlus 6T comes in. It's definitely a good phone, but it doesn't revolutionize the formula. If you're familiar with the OnePlus 6, then you know the basics of the 6T. Inside, you'll find the same Snapdragon 845 processor that's been in almost every major flagship this year. You also get either six or eight gigs of RAM and 128 or 256 gigs of storage. This is as good as it gets right now, but it's no longer a unique selling point.

Previously, OnePlus was known for being one of the cheapest phones with high-end specs, such as the Snapdragon 835 or 845. However, nowadays you can pick up a Pocophone F1 that has similar specs to the OnePlus 6T for several hundred dollars less. It's good, it's great to have in a phone like this, but it's no longer a huge revolutionary feature.

One of the most noticeable changes is the notch. It's significantly smaller than pretty much anything else out right now and is right along side the Essential Phone, which still has one of the smallest notches that we've ever seen. I took a quick trip from "garbage town" up to "notch city" and found an interesting evolution of OnePlus phones over the last couple of years.

So, what changed? The OnePlus 5 was the last phone with full-size bezels, which were significantly shrunk down on the OnePlus 5T. Come to the OnePlus 6 and the notch is in full effect, but thankfully, it's a lot smaller on the OnePlus 6T. It's also a very slightly larger display at 6.4 inches compared to 6.3, and that applies to the entire OnePlus 6T. It's a little bit thicker, it's a little bit taller, and it's a little bit wider, and it is definitely on the larger side of smartphones.

The display itself is a nice-looking OLED, which is fairly bright and one of the most accurate OLED panels we've tried, right up there with the iPhone XS. You'll also find something pretty rare – an in-display fingerprint sensor. Gone are the days of having a fingerprint sensor on the back or on the home button. Instead, it's actually inside the glass, and properly works too.

The fingerprint sensor is not perfect, though. It does seem to be a little bit slower than a traditional fingerprint sensor, and I did notice that it's a little more prone to being slowed down or tripped up if you have any dirt or water on your fingers. However, this shouldn't be a major issue for most users.

The OnePlus 6T also finally drops the headphone jack, which isn't exactly a huge surprise but is still a downgrade over the OnePlus 6. To be fair, you do get a USB-C headphone dongle on the box, and the battery is slightly larger because of this. However, rest in peace, sweet jack.

Speaking of audio quality, I personally wouldn't mind a bigger notch if it meant getting those stereo speakers. Audio quality on a phone is really important to me. Unfortunately, the OnePlus 6T doesn't deliver here. It still completely omits any kind of wireless charging, which is a weird choice.

Usually when you go from metal to glass, one of the main reasons is to get an easier target for stuff like say, wireless charging. However, it's nowhere to be found on the OnePlus 6T. The phone is a terrific device, but it's not really much of an upgrade over the OnePlus 6.

In a world where the Google Pixel 3 is a true flagship, it's really hard to call this a flagship killer. It's a great mid-range phone, and that's okay.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Hey guys, this is Austin.OnePlus has been makingsome of my favorite phonesfor quite awhile.Traditionally, you get a great combinationof good specs and flagship level features,at a price that can be hundreds of dollarsless than the competition.That is where the OnePlus 6T comes in.It's definitely a good phone,but it does not revolutionize the formula.If you're familiar with the OnePlus 6,then you know the basics of the 6T.Inside you'll find thatsame Snapdragon 845,which has been in almost everymajor flagship of this year,and that is paired with either sixor eight gigs of ram, and128 or 256 gigs of storage.This is as good as it gets right now,but it is no longer aunique selling point.Previously, OnePlus's weresome of the cheapest phoneswith the high end specs, suchas the Snapdragon 835 or 845,but nowadays you canpick up a Pocophone F1that is going to be severalhundred dollars cheaperthan even the OnePlus andit has that same spec.It's good, it's great tohave in a phone like this,but it is no longer somehuge revolutionary feature.It's just kind of whateveryone expects at this point.One of the most noticeablechanges is the notch.It is significantly smallerthan not only pretty muchanything else out right now,but it is right alongsidethe Essential Phone,which over a year later actually still hasone of the smallest notchesthat we've ever seen.It we take a quick trip from garbage townup the road to notch city,we'll find an interestingevolution of OnePlus phonesover the last couple of years.So the OnePlus 5 was the last phonewith the full size bezels,which were significantlyshrunk down on the OnePlus 5T.Come to the OnePlus 6 andthe notch is in full effect,which thankfully is a lotsmaller on the OnePlus 6T.It's also a very slightly larger displayat 6.4 inches as opposed to 6.3.And that applies to the entire OnePlus 6T.It's a little bit thicker,it's a little bit taller,and it's a little bit wider,and it is definitely on thelarger side of smart phones.The display itself is a nice looking OLED,in fact not only is it fairly bright,but it is one of the mostaccurate OLED panels we've tried,right up there with the iPhone XS.You'll also find something pretty rare,an in-display fingerprint sensor.Now gone are the days ofhaving a fingerprint sensoron the back or on the home button.Instead, it's actually inside the glass.It properly works, too.So this little green icon right here,if I put my thumb on it,it will immediately scan my fingerprint.Now to be fair, thisis not a perfect setup.It does seems to be a little bit slowerthan a traditional fingerprint sensor.And I did notice that itis a little bit more proneto being slowed down or tripped up,if you have any kind ofdirt or dust on the screen.But generally speaking it does work,and it works well.There is a face unlock option,but it lacks something more sophisticatedlike the IR cameras on the iPhone,as well as the OPPO Find X.This will stabilize on thejust the front facing camera.It's quick, and it's reasonably accurate,but it is nowhere near secure.To me, it's just usingthat fingerprint sensor.Inside you will find an upgraded battery.Before we had a 3300 milliamp-hour cell,whereas this year we've goneup to 3700 milliamp-hours.Now I haven't spent enough timeto really give it a full run through,but based on at least early impressions,it is pretty easy to make it througha full day of use with a 6T.And surprisingly, OnePlus is stockedwith their very stocklooking OxygenOS software,which is based on the latestversion of Android 9 Pie.Now the good thing isyou have a lot of nice,small customizationsthat doesn't totally overhaul the look.For example, with the alertslider we all know and loveis still here to allow youto easily mute the phone.I really don't understand whylots and lots of other peoplehaven't just stolen this.It's just super useful.What you won't find is asignificantly improved camera.Now it is slightly better,so it's mostly in the processingand the software side,specifically with portrait mode,it's a little bit betterat cutting things out of the background.And there is a improved night shot mode,which will get you alittle bit of a betterlow light performance.But generally speaking,this is decent but nowhere near as goodas the Pixels and theGalaxies of the world.Hey guys, this is the storybehind the internet myth Polybius,The speaker sounds decent,but importantly, it's justthat, a single speaker.It's 2018, and basicallyall other flagshipshave switched over to a stereo setup,which not only sounds a lot better,but importantly isn't easily covered.I mean all you have to dois just put a singlefinger over the speaker,and it totally kills the volume.Personally I wouldn't mind a bigger notchif it meant that I didget those stereo speakers.Audio quality on a phoneis really important to me.Speaking of, the OnePlus 6Tfinally drops the headphone jack.Now this isn't exactly a huge surprise,but it is a downgrade over the OnePlus 6.To be fair, you do get a USB-Cheadphone dongle on the box,and the battery is slightlylarger because of this,but rest in peace, sweet jack.We also still don't have anyofficial water resistance.Now you would think that byremoving the headphone jackit would make it a little bit easierto water-seal this guy up, but nope,it's still completely not okayto put this near evena single drop of water,or else your warranty stickerswill go screaming in agony.Speaking of, while we dostill have a glass back,the 6T still completely omitsany kind of wireless charging.This is a really weird choice.Usually when you go from metal to glass,one of the main reasonsis to get you a little bitof an easier target for stuff like say,I don't know, wireless charging,something again is onalmost all 2018 flagships,and yet it is nowhere tobe found on the OnePlus 6T.The OnePlus 6T is a terrific phone,and yet it's not really much of an upgradeover the OnePlus 6.In a world where the GooglePixel 3 is a true flagship,it's really hard to callthis a flagship killer.It's a great mid-range phone,but that's okay.(smooth music)