After a flurry of rumors, OnePlus 3T has already hit the market. Now, does it live up to the hype?
The tech world is already testing, scrutinizing and possibly tearing the device down or subjecting it to some cruel torture — all to bring the public the most revealing insights about this new piece of technology. Reviews are coming out of the press as we speak and we now have an inkling how OnePlus 3T is faring, at least based on initial hands-on impressions.
OnePlus 3T Performance
One should really give OnePlus credit in this area. VentureBeat minced no words and immediately pounced on the handset's improved internals. Its review cited that the brand has packed 128 GB storage for the first time, which has been a perpetual gripe among fans, who have been aggravated by the fact that there is no room for expandable storage. VentureBeat ticked all the highlights including the Snapdragon 821 processor and the 3,400 mAh battery.
The Verge found that there is no water resistance and no support for CDMA networks but that these are very minimal compromises, considering the quality of the technology under its hood. Its review also confirmed real-world performance improvements when compared to the OnePlus 3 and most flagship phones in the market.
Device Design
OnePlus 3T is sporting a darker color, which OnePlus is calling as gunmetal-gray aluminum body. The consensus is that it stayed largely similar to its predecessor in terms of design.
"That's not really a bad thing, because with symmetrical antenna lines and a centered rear camera, the 3T remains as handsome as ever," Tom's Guide stated.
The upgraded technology under the hood also made some reviewers more comfortable calling it a premium device (OnePlus 3 is largely labeled as mid-range phone), worthy of getting lumped and compared with top-of-the-line devices. Business Insider's Antonio Villas-Boas even called it a much better looking device than the Google Pixel.
Other Value Propositions
In this area, the $439 price is hands down the leading contender. All reviewers agree that, for the price, the device is a steal. None of them obsessed about the increase in pricing compared to the OnePlus 3. Most focused on how it is about $200 less than other flagship handsets.
CNET also noted that the 3T got a better selfie camera as well as some nifty software tweaks that are currently only exclusive to the device.
OnePlus 3T Weaknesses
In terms of flaws, reviewers found a smidgen. Aside from the previously cited missing specs, The Verge is unhappy about the camera. Its position is that while it is slightly better than OnePlus 3's, its output pales in comparison with those captured by the Pixel phones, Samsung Galaxy S7 and the iPhone 7.
Overall, the reviewers generally had no more beefs except for what Ars Technica called as slow monthly and major Android updates, but that is the company's flaw and the 3T should not be made to suffer for that.
Conclusion
The bulk of the reviewers cited in this roundup have asked, why release 3T when OnePlus already has an excellent device in its hands, one that has been released a few months ago to boot? There is an opportunity to do so, OnePlus has said. This outlook underpins why the 3T is a really excellent phone and the glowing reviews demonstrated that.
