OnePlus 5T review: 18:9 screen adds 1+ to capable mid-range flagship device

China-based smartphone manufacturer OnePlus, after coming up with a few affordable flagship devices, has now set a new benchmark by launching two flagships in a year. The company recently launched the OnePlus 5T, a flagship smartphone that breaks away from OnePlus’ 5.5-inch display culture in favour of an ultra-wide 6-inch 18:9 aspect ratio screen.

In a way, OnePlus has indeed repeated itself in its upgrade experiement – the company had last year launched the upgraded flagship OnePlus 3T soon after coming up with the OnePlus 3. This time, the OnePlus 5T has come within five months of the OnePlus 5 launch.

But how worthy was the OnePlus 5 for an upgrade? And is the OnePlus 5T even a worthy upgrade of the predecessor? Business Standard reviewed the OnePlus 5T and compared its features with the OnePlus 5 to assess the upgrade quotient. Here are our observations:

Display
OnePlus’ choice of the future-ready ultra-wide 18:9 aspect ratio screen in the OnePlus 5T is a welcome move. However, continuing with a fullHD resolution seems to limit the otherwise perfect display. Competitors have long been offering quadHD screens in their flagships. With the new ultra-wide format screen in the OnePlus 5T, the quadHD screen resolution might have been a real upgrade.

The OnePlus 5T display offers good sunlight legibility, contrast ratio and saturation. It covers almost the entire front with minimal top and bottom bezels. Also, the screen is no more prone to ‘Jelly effect’, which had been seen in some OnePlus 5 units.

Camera
Camera is another area where the OnePlus 5T carries some tweaks from the previous version. The OnePlus 5T still sports a dual camera set-up – 16+20 megapixel. But, the 20-megapixel telephoto lens is now replaced by a new 20 MP camera of 27mm focal length and f/1.7 aperture – similar to the primary 16 MP camera.

READ MORE

OnePlus 5T launch today: Know all about specs, features & how to watch live

OnePlus is set to unveil the next iteration of its flagship OnePlus 5T today, November 16, in New York. The smartphone will go on early-access sale on November 21 at 4.30 PM on Amazon India – for Prime member only -- and OnePlus online store. The device will also be available through all sales channels starting November 28.

Talking about the design, the OnePlus 5T is reported to sport a 6-inch Optic AMOLED screen in the 18:9 aspect ratio, with FHD+ resolution. The phone is also reported to have a fingerprint scanner on the back to allow the phone accommodate a big screen on the front with small bezels. The device is also reported to have a software-based face unlock feature.

In terms of specifications, the OnePlus 5T is reported to boast the same innards as the OnePlus 5. The smartphone would use Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, coupled with 64 GB and 128 GB storage options. It would come in 6 GB and 8 GB RAM variants. Built on the same chassis of OnePlus 5, the upcoming flagship would feature 3.5mm audio jack at the bottom, along with a USB type-C charging and data transfer port and mono speaker.

The smartphone is touted to come with new camera sensors on the back. Unlike the OnePlus 5T, which sports a dual-camera set-up of a 16-megapixel primary camera and a 20 MP telephoto lens, the OnePlus 5T is reported to sport a 16 MP primary sensor mated with 20 MP camera sensor sans telephoto lens. The new 20 MP camera sensor, however, is expected to come bigger aperture of f/1.7 for better low-light pictures.

OnePlus 5T leak hints slim bezels, 18:9 screen: Here's speculations roundup

TECHNOLOGY NEWS - China-based smartphone maker OnePlus is reportedly working on the next iteration of its current year flagship OnePlus 5. Dubbed as ‘OnePlus 5T’, the upcoming smartphone’s image render has been leaked by Evan Blass on Twitter.
In a photo post uploaded on Twitter by Evan Blass, a famous tipster known for sharing inside information in the technology space, the upper front side of the still unconfirmed OnePlus 5T is revealed. Based on the image, it can be assumed that the phone will sport super slim bezels on sides and marginally slim bezels on top compared to its predecessor.
Based on earlier reports, the OnePlus 5T is also believed to sport a big 6-inch Optic AMOLED screen in 18:9 aspect ratio format with FHD+ resolution. Just like other smartphones with ultra-wide screens, the OnePlus 5T is reported to sport a fingerprint scanner on the back that will allow the phone to accommodate a big screen on the front with small bezels.
Recently, an online technology information portal, Android Authority, released OnePlus 5T’s purported picture render that showed the phone from an angle revealing the almost similar build but with a new widescreen and no fingerprint scanner on the front.