Technology
October 15, 2020
OnePlus 8T Review
OnePlus 8T 5G
HIGHLIGHTS
- The OnePlus 8T has an AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate
- It supports 65W fast charging and comes with the charger in the box
- It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC
OnePlus 8T design
The OnePlus 8T continues to feature an aluminium frame with a glass back, but the design is very different compared to the OnePlus 8. The sides of the display aren't curved anymore, which makes the front look less striking, but it's definitely more practical. It's easier to see and interact with content at the edges of the display. Plus, there's no vignetting effect which is typically seen on curved-edge displays. The second thing I noticed is that the OnePlus 8T is heavier (188g vs 180g) and thicker (8.4mm vs 8mm) compared to the 8. The exact reasons are unclear but this new model feels top-heavy even without a case. Prolonged one-handed use can get fatiguing quickly.
The new Aquamarine Green colorway looks great, and despite it having a glossy finish, fingerprints aren't a big problem. The OnePlus 8T also comes in a Lunar Silver colorway, which is said to have a matte-frosted finish. The camera module is shifted to the left instead of being in the middle, and its rounded corners match the softer contours of the rest of the phone.
OnePlus has made some subtle improvements to the display too. It's the same size and resolution as that of the OnePlus 8, at 6.55 inches and full-HD+, but it now supports a 120Hz refresh rate just like the 8 Pro. OnePlus claims the touch sampling rate has also been bumped up to 240Hz (from 180Hz on the 8), for better touch response. The display is also HDR10+ certified, and has a JNCD colour accuracy rating of under 0.55 as well as a maximum brightness of 1,100nits. OnePlus says the 8T has a slimmer chin since the display connector now bends behind the panel. I don't see much of a difference (if any) when comparing the 8T and the 8 side by side. Finally, there's a cutout in the upper-left corner for the single selfie camera.
The button layout will be familiar to OnePlus users. The power and volume buttons sit on opposite sides of the frame, there's an alert slider for switching between ringer profiles, a USB 3.1 Type-C port on the bottom, and no headphone jack. The OnePlus 8T has a dual-SIM tray, but no option to increase storage.
The OnePlus 8T ships with the usual set of accessories — a data cable, charger, SIM eject tool, sticklers, silicone case, and user guides. One big change this time is the type of charger you get. It's a 65W charger which OnePlus calls Warp Charge 65, which we'll talk about later.
The new design of the body and display make the OnePlus 8T look good, and a 120Hz refresh rate is always welcome, but that's the extent of this model's physical upgrades. It still doesn't have an IP rating or support wireless charging, which is disappointing.
OxygenOS 11 features a new “bold” design, taking a cue from Samsung's One UI. Most of the stock OnePlus apps now show their names in big, bold letters when you open them, and this shrinks to a regular size as you scroll down. You can see this across most of OnePlus' stock apps such as Clock, Settings, Notes, Recorder, Gallery, etc, but not the File Manager app for some reason.
A quick swipe down on the home screen brings up the OnePlus Shelf, which shows recently launched apps and some contextual information from apps. This gesture can easily be changed to pull down the notification shade instead. There's a proper Dark Mode setting now, which can be scheduled and can work independent of the theme you've set. OnePlus has also finally added a proper Always-On-Display (AOD) feature too. The new Insight AOD is interesting as it shows you how many times you've unlocked your phone. OnePlus says it will be adding more features to its stock apps and the AOD through a software update in November.
OnePlus 8T performance
OnePlus usually uses Qualcomm's slightly speedier ‘+' SoC variants for its refreshes but sadly, we have no such luck with the OnePlus 8T. It continues to sport the standard Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC. It will be available in two configurations at the time of launch — 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for Rs. 42,999, and 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for Rs. 45,999. I have the higher-end variant with me.
The OnePlus 8T uses UFS 3.1 flash storage, compared to UFS 3.0 in the OnePlus 8. According to the Androbench test, though, there doesn't seem to be a big difference in read/write speeds. However, the OnePlus 8T still uses LPDDR4X RAM and not DDR5 RAM like in the OnePlus 8 Pro.
Other features include an in-display fingerprint sensor, stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, face recognition, 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, and NFC. The OnePlus 8T also supports multiple satellite navigation systems and the expected suite of sensors, plus a flicker detection sensor in the camera module.
