Most of the OnePlus followers now know what to expect from a ’T’ model in a series. It is a slightly revamped version of the base model and around the same price mark as well. While it has been long since the OnePlus 8T came out, we have been using the device for a few weeks now to see how it actually performs in the real world. There are a lot of things which the OnePlus 8T gets right; Right from the design of the device and its stellar performance, everything’s been described in the review below. Keep reading to find out.
Starting with the design of the OnePlus 8T, I have to say; initially, when the pictures of the smartphone surfaced online, I wasn’t that impressed by the looks of it. It felt like any other mid-range device (more like the Realme 7 series of phones) from far in the pictures. But hands-on, the device looks completely different and feels completely different. Even though it is not as premium as the OnePlus 8 Pro, the OnePlus 8T is premium nonetheless.
There is no curve on the sides of the body, so the screen feels a little less striking or impactful when viewing content, but once you get used to it, it becomes normal. One thing that I noticed is that the OnePlus 8T feels a little heavier on the hands than the OnePlus 8. Using the device with one hand might get a little taxing on your wrist. The two colours are very different, while the Aquamarine Green is on the fancy end, the Lunar Silver feels very sober. There are almost no bezels on the front screen, and the punch-hole camera at the top left looks really good.
Talking about the display of the device, you get a 6.55-inch AMOLED screen. Not only can the device supports 120Hz refresh rate, but it can also support videos playing in HDR10. DisplayMate gave OnePlus 8T an ‘A+’ rating for the amazing screen that it dons. The video viewing experience is very good with the device. Even without the earphones, the stereo speakers are impressive enough to play a video or a song. The display of the OnePlus 8T has one of the best displays I have come across in a OnePlus device.
OnePlus 8T Review: Performance
What I expected when I saw the release date of OnePlus 8T was that it would become the first smartphone from OnePlus to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+. But unfortunately, that didn’t happen. So you get the same SoC on the OnePlus 8T which you get in the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro devices. Talking about the RAM of the device, the OnePlus 8T is equipped with LPDDR4X RAM which is behind the DDR5 RAM which OnePlus 8 Pro gets. Of course, the device supports 5G and other latest connectivity mediums and tools.
Even though the specs aren’t what I expected them to be, I can’t deny that the experience of using OnePlus 8T for all these weeks has been nothing short of amazing. The smartphone runs buttery smooth and those of you who care about the refresh rate, OnePlus 8T won’t disappoint you.
Like always, OnePlus has done a commendable job with the in-screen fingerprint scanner and face unlock of the device. They both are very accurate and work very smoothly and rapidly. The stereo speakers on the device are quite loud and clear at the same time.
OnePlus 8T Review: Software (OxygenOS)
A thing worth noting here is that OnePlus 8T is the first device from OnePlus which came out of the box with the OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11. Everyone knows how good OnePlus has been with the OxygenOS over the years. It is arguably one of the best-operating systems (OS) for Android out in the market. I don’t have many complaints with the OxygenOS 11 so far. There were a few bugs here and then, but OnePlus was very fast to roll out updates which fixed them.
One of the highlights of the OxygenOS 11 on the OnePlus 8T is the always-on-display (AOD). Adding to this, with the new insight AOD, you can check the number of times you are opening your smartphone in a day. The Zen Mode on OnePlus 8T comes with new refreshing themes and now you can also share Zen Mode with other OnePlus users as well.
OnePlus 8T Review: Cameras
The OnePlus 8T comes with a quad-camera setup at the rear. The primary sensor is a 48MP Sony IMX586 lens. It is a good sensor, but it has been already used in devices in the OnePlus 7 series and even on several mid-range phones. OnePlus could have equipped a 64MP sensor at least or even the 48MP Sony IMX689 sensor that was used on the OnePlus 8 Pro. Paired with the primary sensor is a 16MP ultra-wide angle sensor, a 5MP macro sensor and a 2MP monochrome sensor.
With the help of all these sensors and its camera software, the OnePlus 8T can shoot some nice pictures in daylight. The closeup images are also better than decent, and the portrait mode has been improved. Coming to the front camera, selfies taken in daylight come out really good. Video calls are also pretty decent, and there is nothing too much that can be demanded by the front camera of the OnePlus 8T.
OnePlus 8T Review: Battery and Charging
The OnePlus 8T comes with a 4500mAh battery. Initially, I thought that it wouldn’t be sufficient for me given the fact that there is a 120Hz refresh rate and the device can support HDR10. But with regular updates, OnePlus has ensured that the battery usage is optimised for the OnePlus 8T and it runs longer than before now.
Paired with the battery is a 65W fast-charging support. The OnePlus 8T is the first device from OnePlus, which can support such level of fast-charging. It didn’t even take 45 minutes for my device to from 0 to 100%. So even if the battery feels less to you, OnePlus makes up for it by giving you such a fast-charging technology.
OnePlus 8T: Price and Verdict
The OnePlus 8T has impressed me more than I thought that it would. The smartphone is a good option for users looking to buy in the Rs 45,000 price range. It looks good, and the performance has improved fairly with all the regular updates coming in from OnePlus. However, there are a lot of things OnePlus could have done differently with the OnePlus 8T. First of all, the SoC could have been the Snapdragon 865+, but that’s not a very big issue since Snapdragon 865 is fast as well. Rear camera system could have been focused on more by the company.
It is not like the camera, and images are disappointing; they are still one of the best you can get in this price range. But the thing is, I had more expectations from the OnePlus 8T looking at the OnePlus 8.
It is available for Rs 42,999 for its 8GB+128GB variant and Rs 45,999 for its 12GB+256GB variant. With these specs on board, the price doesn’t feel unfair from OnePlus. So you can definitely purchase it if you are looking at it as a long-term option.
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