Justin Formentin
I just want to preface this review by saying the OnePlus 5T is not a “bargain” phone in the sense that it belongs in in bargain bin at your local dollar store. What I mean is that the OnePlus 5T is a more polished version of the OnePlus 5, packing a lot of high-end features into one phone, all for only $499.
The OnePlus 5 earlier this year was definitely a solid smartphone, but by the time it was released, it was already looking a little bit dated compared to phones like the Galaxy S8 and the LG G6 with their 18:9 gorgeous amoled displays. But the OnePlus 5T caught up quickly. And for a significantly lower price tag with the 64GB of storage and 6GB of RAM version selling for $499 and the 128GB and 8GB of RAM for $559.
Design
Just check out that screen. Taking a hint from the wildly popular S7 Edge and S8, the OnePlus 5T has a visually stunning amoled display without any side bezels. The 5T’s screen is 6 inches, larger than the 5’s 5.5 inch screen, but it has a higher screen to body ratio – 80 percent, up from 73. This makes it just about the same size as the OnePlus 5, and considering its nicely rounded aluminum frame, it’s very comfortable to hold.
Since the screen takes up just about the entire face of the phone, the fingerprint scanner is on the back, but in an intuitive location. It also has kept the 3.5mm headphone to jack to just about everyone’s delight. Also on the bottom are the USB-C port and a single speaker. No, it doesn’t have stereo sound, but we’re hoping these companies get the hint for their next product. It doesn’t even have to be super hi-fi – the earphone speaker is just sitting there, why not use it?
Display
I’m glad we’re seeing AMOLED displays being used more and more. The OnePlus 5 had a beautiful 1080p AMOLED, and the 5T’s is just as good. The only difference is that it’s 0.5 inches larger, making for a more immersive experience. And it’s just a high quality screen. Its 402ppi display might not be as sharp as competitors such as the Pixel 2 XL’s 537ppi or the Galaxy S8 570ppi, but it has great viewing angles and brilliant colors.
If you haven’t heard how amazing AMOLED displays are, let me explain why they’re great. Instead of having a backlight controlling the color and brightness of the pixels like most LCD displays, each pixel can be turned on or off. While some people say that because of this, AMOLEDs aren’t as bright as traditional screens, we’ve found this never to be a problem with any phone we’ve tested. Another cool aspect of the “on or off” pixels is that they have great contrast. Blacks are actual true black since the pixels just don’t turn on, saving you battery life in the process.
Camera
The camera on the OnePlus 5T is just great. With a 16MP front camera and dual 16MP and 20MP rear camera, both with a f/1.7 aperture. With something called “Intelligent Pixel Technology”, the phone combines pixels from both 16 and 20MP camera, helping brighten dark scenes without adding noise or suffering quality.
The high megapixel count combined with the low aperture and impressive software makes for pictures that are bright, sharp, well exposed, and just all around better than any picture you can take with any other smart phone. It’s that good.
Performance
The OnePlus 5 was incredibly fast, and coming out so soon after, the OnePlus 5T hasn’t changed much. The Snapdragon 835 processor and a whopping 6 or 8GB of RAM made the OnePlus 5T one the of the fastest android phones tested. Processor benchmarks aside, the OnePlus 5T even beat the iPhone X in a real world speed tests that you can see here.
Also the battery comes in at 3300mAh, which will allow you to use your phone for way longer than even other flagships. Included in the box is a charger that utilizes “Dash Charge” technology, and going from zero, you can charge your OnePlus 5T to above 90% in exactly an hour. That’s pretty fast, even compared to other “fast charge” technologies we see in other flagships.
Final Thoughts
The OnePlus 5T is just a great phone. While it doesn’t have expandable storage, water resistance, or wireless charging, it makes up for it in incredible performance, and just about the best camera out there. The OnePlus 5T definitely one ups it’s predecessor, and at the low price of $499, this phone is pretty hard to beat.
