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With the OnePlus 8T, OnePlus is maintaining its product launch pattern of the last few years, with a flagship phone in the first half of the year and a ‘T’ launch following in the second half. So in spring we had the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro, and now comes the OnePlus 8T. In the middle (in Europe) we have had OnePlus Nord, a mid-range model that led OnePlus to its roots of providing an attractive combination of high spec and low price. Let’s see how the OnePlus 8T fits in.
My review sample of the OnePlus 8T had a pale greenish-blue back. There is also a silver gray version, with different storage / RAM settings for each color in the UK – the Aquamarine Green model has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage, and costs £ 649 (VAT included), while the Lunar Silver model has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and costs £ 549 (VAT included). In the US, both colors have the same 12GB / 256GB configuration and cost $ 749.
The back of the Gorilla Glass 5 is slippery in the hand and prone to slipping off surfaces, while the protruding pad that frames the camera assembly is off-center (on the left), so the phone rocks when it is laid flat and the screen is punctured. None of this is unusual for a current phone, but it is a pleasant surprise to note that the rear looks completely resistant to fingerprints.
The 6.55-inch OnePlus 8T runs Android 11 on Qualcomm’s top-end Snapdragon 865 5G chipset with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, or 12GB RAM / 256GB of storage. There are four cameras on the back: 48MP wide-angle, 16MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro, and 2MP monochrome. It weighs 188 g.
Images: Sandra Vogel / ZDNet
The sides of the phone are aluminum, with the volume rocker on the left and the power button on the right, accompanied by OnePlus’ trademarked alert slider that is so handy for toggling between vibrate, mute modes. and sound on. The in-display fingerprint sensor worked quickly and efficiently for me.
Like the OnePlus 8, the OnePlus 8T lacks an IP rating for dust and water resistance. If you want the peace of mind of an IP68 rating (‘dustproof’ and capable of being submerged in 1.5m of water for up to 30 minutes), you’ll need to look at the OnePlus 8 Pro (from £ 799 including VAT / $ 799).
The OnePlus 8T has the same 6.55-inch screen size as the OnePlus 8 and very similar dimensions (74.1mm wide by 160.7mm deep by 8.4mm thick), but weighs 8g more at 188g.
The OnePlus 8T has a flat screen. While the company has been a champion of the curved screen, it returned to a flat screen for the Nord and has opted for the flat screen here too.
This may be a response to criticism of the curved screens of the OnePlus 8 and 8T, which were double: first, accidental touches can make the interaction annoying at times; And second, content that curves around the edge of the screen is more difficult to read. Curved screens can be eye-catching, but flat ones are easier to use.
The 6.55-inch AMOLED panel on the OnePlus 8T has a resolution of 2,400 by 1,080 pixels (402ppi) and is sharp and vibrant. Its 120Hz refresh rate (compared to 90Hz on the OnePlus 8) makes for quick transitions and there are virtually no lag when swiping and swiping. Although the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G offers a 144Hz refresh rate, 120Hz is still a premium specification. If you select the highest refresh rate in the system settings, the phone will dynamically decide when to go back to 60Hz depending on what it is doing at the time.
There is a small hole punched in the upper left of the screen for the 16MP front camera and a small full bezel. The screen / body ratio is 86.9%.
The OnePlus 8T is one of the first smartphones to ship with Android 11, and OnePlus has taken the opportunity to rework its Oxygen OS overlay, which is now also at version 11. The most surprising feature in this regard is a review. design that aims to make one-handed use easier. So for example in the setup screens there is a space towards the top of the screen with all the items that can be touched further down. It’s definitely easier to navigate with one hand, but the convention doesn’t follow all the settings – digging deeper and using apps in general still requires you to scroll the entire screen.
OnePlus’ Oxygen OS 11 overlay has been redesigned for easy one-handed operation.
Image: OnePlus
Reading mode on the OnePlus 8T.
Image: Sandra Vogel / ZDNet
Still, Oxygen OS is one of the best Android overlays – low-key, with some useful extras. I’m still a fan of the OnePlus reading mode, for example, which provides a monochrome display and a faded color effect display. Importantly, the read mode can be set to automatically activate when specific applications are started.
Like the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, the OnePlus 8T runs on Qualcomm’s high-end Snapdragon 865 chipset. CPU performance on Geekbench 5 was solid, with scores of 869 (single core) and 3144 (multi core). The OnePlus Nord, which runs on the mid-range Snapdragon 765G chipset, scored 620 (single core) and 1951 (multi-core) on Geekbench 5.
The OnePlus 8T supports 5G and can host two SIMs at the same time. There is no provision for storage expansion via MicroSD.
The 4,500 mAh battery lasted 13 hours and 45 minutes under the PCMark Battery Life Test for Android Work 2.0. When asked to play a video for three hours non-stop in full screen, it lost 11% of a 100% load. On this basis it will probably get you through a day, but if it doesn’t, you can always take advantage of the impressive 65W Warp Charge 65. You will need to use the provided cable and power adapter, but if it does, the charging capacity It is outstanding.
I tested Warp Charge 65 almost from the beginning, with the phone at 5% charge. In 10 minutes the battery was at 47%. After 20 minutes it had reached 76% and after half an hour it was 96%. This is quite consistent with OnePlus claims (1% to 58% in 15 minutes and full charge in 39 minutes) and is a huge step up from the 30W fast charge of the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro. a wireless charging (30W), you will have to look at the OnePlus 8 Pro.
There are four rear cameras, three of which are the same as the OnePlus 8: 48MP f / 1.7 wide-angle with OIS; 16MP f / 2.2 ultra wide angle (123 ° FoV); and 5MP f / 2.4 macro. I found that the main and ultra-wide cameras produced good shots, but the macro camera, which lacks autofocus, could be better.
The fourth camera is a 2MP f / 2.4 monochrome unit that comes into play as you go through the color filter options, but it’s not the same as having a independently functioning black and white camera. As with the OnePlus 8, there is no telephoto camera; For that, again, you’ll need the OnePlus 8 Pro. The 8T’s 16MP f / 2.4 selfie camera worked perfectly well.
Image: OnePlus
Conclusions
The OnePlus 8T is a solid 5G mid-range smartphone with two standout features: a superbly sharp and vibrant 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a fast 120Hz refresh rate; and 65W fast charging that can fully charge the 4500mAh battery in just under 40 minutes.
Adding these features adds £ 50 / $ 50 to the price of the otherwise very similar OnePlus 8 (with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage). If you don’t need them, the old phone from 2020 is still a great option.
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