The OnePlus 3T is more like a juicy trailer or like a good appetizer that keeps you craving for more.
Why? Because we feel OnePlus, the Chinese handset-maker, has created the perfect 6GB monster before it pops out the OnePlus 4 out of its trunk sporting a 8GB RAM — which the world has been eagerly waiting for.
Although both the phones look exactly the same, there are incremental hardware upgrades, carefully planned, to let the consumer (in this case a power user) to be able to hold in his hand a phone which brings his/her dream into reality.
I mean, haven’t we all thought while holding the OnePlus 3 in our hands — what if the phone had a 821 processor, more memory or even an 8GB RAM?
Getting into specifics, the 3T, priced at has the same design as the 3 and the two phones can’t be differed from except that the 3T comes in a ‘GunMetal’ colour, which looks much better than the graphite finish on the 3.
The Chinese handset-maker hasn’t changed the size of the display from the 2 and the 3T also has a 5.5-inch display. However, the 3 came with Optic AMOLED displays for richer colours and inky blacks instead of the LCD display. The 3T is no aberration from the 3 and offers the same display, resolution and technology along with the same Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection.
In terms of hardware, the 3T comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, which is an enhanced version of the Snap 820. This means that the 3T is reliably faster and more efficient device that should be more capable, especially when it comes to virtual reality. It also comes with a bumped up battery — 3,400mAh. The battery adds nearly 12-17% more battery to the 3T when compared to the 3. The phone also supports dash charge which the company had introduced earlier.
The 3T also comes with a 128GB storage option which was not offered with the 3. It retains other features like the NFC, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
In terms of camera, the OnePlus 3T offers mostly the same camera specifications as the OnePlus 3, which means features such as Auto HDR and manual control, along with good results in varying light levels. However, the addition of EIS (electronic image stabilsation) improves the video recording on the phone.
The front camera has also been beefed up to 16-megapixel in order to aid better selfies. For low light selfies, it can bind pixels together, effectively creating fewer, bigger pixels to capture more light and colour.
But OnePlus surprised with the OS. The 3T was expected to come with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box but the company has chosen to run with an enhanced version of its proprietary Oxygen OS built on Marshmallow. The new version of OxygenOS comes with a tidied Shelf, uniform app icon sizes, new apps and enhanced doze mode for better battery performance.
While the 3 would have set you back by Rs 27,999, the 3T’s 128GB variant will set you back by Rs 34,999. It also has a 64GB variant priced at Rs 29,999.
It is difficult to justify the price as we don’t have the bill of materials but it is more likely that the 128GB version is slightly overpriced.
Verdict: OnePlus has been successful in creating three flagship killers now but the real question is if you should upgrade or not? If you have the OnePlus 2, then the 3T makes more sense. If you have a 3, sit tight fort the 4 to come in.
If you want a flagship-like experience, then the 3T will definitely tune up the band for you.
We also expect the company to cash in on different RAM and processor combinations to grab a larger share of the market in turn getting more profits. So, a Snap 821 and a 8GB RAM combo might be on the cards with an extended 128GB storage option - the entry level 4.
Specifications: 5.5-inch display with 401 pixel density | 1.66 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 821 processor | 16-megapixel rear and front camera | 64 GB/128 GB storage options | NFC | Bluetooth | Wi-Fi | dual SIM, dual standby | Oxygen OS built on Marshmallow
