The OnePlus 6T - Gunning for the Flagships Once Again

The OnePlus 6T was announced with a live unboxing by phone testing extraordinaire JerryRigEverything. The embargo has now been lifted and we have more information about the newest half-edition to the OnePlus range.

OnePlus have almost lost their notoriety over the last couple years, with its value proposition of "flagship-killer" being put to the test with ever increasing demands from the consumer and the cost of hardware largely dictated by external forces.

The limited availability of the OnePlus gave it a sense of exclusivity, but didn't help with mainstream adoption. The OnePlus team, is a little more ambitious...

Under-screen fingerprint sensor

Let's not beat around the bush, the OnePlus 6T is the first mainstream handset to have an under-screen fingerprint sensor. We have seen some other phones introduced from Chinese brands Oppo, Vivo and the slightly more available Huawei Mate 10 Pro. Samsung and Apple and to a lesser extent Sony and HTC, haven't yet released a phone with FOD technology, leaving the door wide open for OnePlus.

It looks easy, but in reality this is a technological feat. The first tests of the new system and boy are they selling it. When you are required to put your finger on the screen, you need to on quite a specific area, and an over the top animation full of swirling lights, letting you know exactly what you are doing.

Specifications - The Haves

• 6.41-inch AMOLED screen
• Snapdragon 845 CPU
• A mostly stock version of Android 9
• 6GB or 8GB RAM
• 128GB or 256GB
• 3700mAh
• 16MP + 20MP rear cameras
• 16MP Front Cam
• Beautiful "teardrop" notch design
• NFC, quick charging, in-screen fingerprint sensor, mute switch, dual SIM
• An official update policy of bi-monthly security updates.

Specifications - The Have Nots

• No headphone jack
• No wireless charging
• No always-on ambient display
• No customisation for the backs and instead a fragile, all-glass display.

Availability

In a first from OnePlus, the 6T will be available from most of the UK networks, with Vodafone, EE and O2 all confirmed to be having deals at launch. With Three following suit slightly later.

We'll be promoting the best deals we can find from here.

Price

The OnePlus 6T starts at a very reasonable £499 for the 6GB/128GB model. The mid-range 8GB/128GB will retail at £529 and is very likely to be their best seller, although the 8GB/256GB doubles the capacity for £579.

Considering the first OnePlus retailed at £300 less than the flagships at the time, the astronomical rise in prices for the latest iPhone and Samsung mean that even the OnePlus 6T largest option feels like a very competitive price point.

Conclusion

The OnePlus has once again hit that sweet spot of cutting-edge technology at a price well below the competitors. And whilst £500 is not exactly "budget", we can happily put them in box of one of the best value mobile phone manufacturers pound-for-pound.