OnePlus 8T long term Review: At Rs 42,999, a great value proposition

Price: Rs 42,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage

Colours: Lunar Silver, Aquamarine Green

Specs: 6.5-inch AMOLED screen, 2400 x 1080 pixels at 402 PPI, Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 8/12GB RAM, 128/256GB storage, 48MP primary sensor + 16MP ultra-wide angle + 5MP macro lens + 2MP monochrome, 16MP front camera, Oxygen OS based on Android 11, WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, 5G, 188 grams

What's in the box: OnePlus 8t, Warp Charge 65 Power Adapter, Warp Charge Type-C to Type-C Cable, Case, Screen Protector, SIM Tray Ejector

Started as the perfect flagship killer at half the price of the competition, OnePlus One was 'the' perfect smartphone. While living up to what it offered seems challenging, the 8T has just the right bunch of features at the right price.

Design

One Plus had some superb looking phones in the past. The 8T doesn't seem to be the finest from the company. It could just be me but the design and the aquamarine green colour looks just fine. The OnePlus 8T feels big but it can be operated with just one hand. Those upgrading from previous gen OnePlus Phone will feel at home - the silent slider is very much present. the silent slider is well-thought-of and is a great way to quickly turn off sound notifications instead of pressing down the volume button. Both Apple and OnePlus have continued with this nifty feature for years. There is a punch-hole camera at the top left that doesn't interfere with the experience but there isn't a 3.5mm port (or any connector in the box). It doesn't have the IP certification either. It means it's not water-resistant. The company claims this would bump up the cost by another $50.

Display

OnePlus popularised higher refresh rates in smartphones, making them ideal for mobile gamers. That said, the 8T has 120hz refresh rate set as default. Although it's ultrasmooth while gaming and navigating, it does hog a lot of battery too. Unlike some devices that automatically switch the refresh rate basis the apps, OnePlus doesn't do it.  The only other option is to switch to 60Hz refresh rate. For this big display, OnePlus allowed choosing between gestures and navigation buttons while setting up the device. It was about getting used to the size. And once I got comfortable, I filed articles, browsed the web, enjoyed reading books on the Kindle app, and even streamed my favourite shows over the OTT apps.

Camera

The quad-camera setup with multiple modes including Nightscape, Macro mode, Video portrait, Cine Aspect Ratio video recording, Video Focus Tracking, Video Nightscape, and more is a mixed bag. Just like most of the smartphones, the primary 48 MP sensor does a good job by capturing sharp images with good colour accuracy. It does a pretty decent job in low light too where the nightscape mode comes as a saviour. Just like others, OnePlus is also using binning tech and the default images are captured at 12MP resolution. However, there is an option to click at 48MP resolution too, which has more details when zoomed in. The camera is good at capturing portrait shots across subjects - humans, pets and objects. With my newfound love for gardening, I used the macro mode to get close up shots of my flowers. Although it captured the details, at times the colours were a little off. Also, the macro mode worked well only in a well-lit environment. What I loved the most was the UI of the camera app. I didn't have to dig into the camera settings to reach macro or to switch to 48MP resolution. Everything was right on the top. Moving on to the video, there is not much to complain about. Most of the videos looked stable, and the additional setting of focusing on the subject comes handy. Video portrait mode and video Nightscape features are something most users will love.

Performance

OnePlus' decision to go for the top-end processor is visible in its performance. Right from snipping the opponent in Call of Duty to speeding cars in Asphalt 9, streaming conferences on YouTube or Zoom to accessing large-sized PPTs, working on word and excel, the hardware supported it all. With no signs of lag while gaming, streaming videos, video conferencing or switching between multiple apps, the experience was rather satisfying. For me, this was topped with the rather neat Oxygen OS which comes very close to stock Android. Started with shipping CyanogenMod, which unfortunately OnePlus could not continue, the company has done a rather impressive job on working and enhancing the Oxygen OS from scratch - buggy to begin with to a well-groomed version today.

Battery

Gone are the days when we only had one phone to charge. With multiple gadgets - earbuds, smartwatch, laptop and in my case various testing devices too - the cycle seems to be never-ending. But the 65W charger bundled in the box was a delight. Zero to 100 per cent straight in less than 40 minutes was good enough to last anywhere between a day or two. Wireless charging isn't quick, and this does not support one either (increasingly becoming a standard in flagship phones).

Verdict: Right from the design to the performance, there is very little to complain about the OnePlus 8T. Going by the pricing, it's a great value proposition.

Also Read: OnePlus 9 series specs leaked; to feature wide, ultra-wide 48MP sensors, bigger screen

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