OnePlus 3T review: Digitally remastered

Introduction

OnePlus has always been one of those companies on the mobile scene, you just can't help but root for. At least to some degree, that is. A small company with big dreams, throwing around lofty titles, like "the flagship killer" and talking of a price revolution that is just around the corner.

The best part is that the tiny phone maker mostly delivered on its first viral-marketing promises. The OnePlus One kick-started a brand new and highly competitive niche market segment for value-driven devices with high-end specs. Even more impressively, it mostly managed to keep the dice rolling with the OnePlus 2 and OnePlus 3 as well.

The OnePlus 3T is still an amazing value device that embodies the original company spirit and the "never settle" attitude.

Key features

• 5.5" Optic AMOLED display of 1080p resolution; 401ppi; Corning Gorilla Glass 4; Metal back in Gunmetal or Soft Gold color
• Snapdragon 821 SoC (2x Kryo at 2.35GHz and 2x Kryo at 1.6GHz cores); Adreno 530 GPU, clocked at 653 MHz; 6GB RAM;
• 64/128 GB fast UFS 2.0 storage;
• 16MP f/2.0 main camera with OIS and phase detection autofocus, single LED flash; sapphire lens; 2160p video at 30fps; 1080p at 60fps;
• 16MP f/2.0 front-facing camera; 1080p video;
• 4G LTE; Dual-SIM support; Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; Bluetooth 4.2; NFC; GPS, GLONASS and BDS; Fingerprint reader; USB Type-C connector;
• Oxygen OS, based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow;
• 3,400mAh non-removable battery;
• Fast battery charging: 60% in 30 min (Dash Charge);

Main shortcomings

• No microSD card slot

We've been witnessing an increase in the base price for each generation of OnePlus phones. But the question whether this is due to rise in demand or due to the increased company expenses for development, sales, marketing, and after-sales support is open to interpretation.

If it's the latter reason, we can't find any fault with OnePlus readjusting for the increased scale of their business, but we hope that doesn't mean the end of the "Never settle" mentality.

Thankfully, despite the turbulent growth, OnePlus hasn't lost its touch. The OnePlus 3T is still a great device with fantastic value. We just have our doubts about whether the upgrades are worth the price premium over the no.

OnePlus 3T in official photos

This is where personal preferences and brand expectations kick in and star polarizing the crowd. For some, the new selfie camera, slightly faster chipset, bigger battery and a new color don't justify the extra €40, but for others - the price hike feels inevitable as OnePlus grows to the status of an established manufacturers and begins offering a higher quality service.

If you are okay with what the original OnePlus 3 offers, then make sure you get one now as this model will only be available while the current supplies last.

For the rest of you, who are tempted by the latest devices to come out of the innovative Chinese manufacturer, join us as we try and quantify the upgrades value of the new product from a practical perspective.