I 'upgraded' to the OnePlus 6T and realised I didn't need to After 27 months, I finally switched from the Oneplus3 to the OnePlus6T and I'm kind of miffed at the fact that I'm not particularly excited about it! In this piece, I detail the 'upgrade' & tell you what to expect if you're making a similar decision.
Frankly, the OnePlus6T is too little of an upgrade considering that I am switching from a device close to three years old. This is not to say that it isn’t a great phone. It has its pros which I will delve into from time to time, but first let us address the cons. Build Quality and Weight
The first thing I noticed was an increase in weight. The OnePlus6T is substantially heavier than the OnePlus 3 as it weighs in at 185 grams as opposed to 158 on the OnePlus3. I loved how light the OnePlus 3 felt when picked up and can’t say the same for the 6T.
In terms of build quality, the OnePlus 3’s aluminum built easily dealt with whatever I threw at it. For the last year, I have used it without a case, and it continues to look great, despite a few falls. The OnePlus6T obviously looks better, but I’m sure I can’t be as careless with it. The glass back, despite using the latest in gorilla glass tech can’t match the strength of aluminum. #Unlock the Speed(?)
On unboxing, I was quite excited by the on-screen fingerprint scanner, but over the last few days, I've concluded that it is, in fact, slower than the one on my OnePlus 3. Not just that, it isn't always active as the one on the OnePlus 3. Often, I end up using face - unlock, which is equally quick on both phones. Do note that the OnePlus 6T does not come with 3D facial recognition, or an Iris scanner so it isn’t more secure either.
In terms of speed, both phones feel equally fast and can hold many running applications. It is only when gaming that you can notice a substantial difference in performance. I play rarely, and if you fall in this category, you’re not going to notice the benefit brought about by the Snapdragon 845. Display
The quality of the screen is not substantially better. They’re both great screens, but I can’t say that the 6T blows my mind in terms of quality. Where there is a substantial difference is in the screen to body ratio. The two phones have very similar dimensions, but the 6T packs a massive 6.41-inch screen. This makes the 5.5-inch screen on the 3 look quite pale. Camera
The cameras are significantly better, but this is evident more when there’s low light. I use the Google Camera port from the pixel on my OnePlus 3 and find that it manages decent portraits as well as long as there’s sufficient light. When there isn’t, the onePlus3 is no match at all. Pictures come out grainy and dull. The OnePlus6T also includes a night mode which prolongs exposure times, but I can’t say it works brilliantly all the time. The selfie camera on the OnePlus3 was always average, and in comparison, the OnePlus6T manages great shots. Audio
The headphone jack is missing on the OnePlus6T, although a dongle is included. I don’t mind this too much, but I also don't sense a difference in audio output between the phones. OnePlus argues that removing the jack freed up space for a bigger battery, and I have to say that the battery is a massive improvement. I’ll get to this point in the next paragraph. Both phones have a single speaker which has led to criticism since dual firing speakers were expected. Personally, I don’t use phone speakers very often, however, I must add that the OnePlus6T sounds considerably better. It has a lot more punch when compared to the tinny sound on the 3T. It is louder and cleaner. Battery
The battery life on the OnePlus 3 was always average, and 27 months in, I could barely get through a day. In comparison, the OnePlus6T has excellent battery life through a larger battery pack and some software tweaks. Even with extremely heavy use, the phone easily gets through the day, and with moderate use, I can touch close to two days.
Both the OnePlus 3 and the OnePlus 6T utilise dash charging. The feature, however, is no longer the novelty it was back in 2016 and it would have been nice if OnePlus had provided faster charging, if not wireless charging. Conclusion
Perhaps mobile technology has reached a stage where there isn’t enough innovation to offer year on year. Oddly, a different way to look at it would be to say that OnePlus remains one of those companies that allow you to utilise your phone for close to three years. The extended software cycle is a clear indication – the fact that the OnePlus 3 is due for an Android Pie update makes this clear. In addition, unlike most other companies, OnePlus does continue to introduce newer features to its older models. The OnePlus 6, for example is getting nightscape as well as studio lighting. The OnePlus 3 received Face Unlock almost a year and a half after being introduced.
So. Would I make this upgrade again? No. The OnePlus6T is a great phone, but it is not the value for money proposition that some of the earlier models were. I cannot say that I was forced to upgrade (I could have just replaced my battery with a new one) – there’s nothing that the older OnePlus 3 misses out on. If you still have the 3, or the 3T, hang on to it! |