OnePlus isn’t exactly the most famous smartphone brand from China. Still, they have found their own niche and it seems that they are successful at it. Their smartphones are not only well priced but also incredibly good. They have now released their newest model, the OnePlus 6, and I can already say that there aren’t any major surprises.
In The Box:
The OnePlus 6 package includes not only the smartphone but also a bunch of accessories. You also get a screen protector, a transparent case, USB-C cable, a fast charge power adapter, and a SIM tray ejector.
Design:
I remember when I got the first OnePlus model. What struck me the most was the phone’s case, which had a sandpaper texture to it. It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t practical, it made the phone stand out. The models after that have been more standard. And the same can also be said about the OnePlus 6 as it looks like most of its competitors. The front and the back side are both covered with glass. It’s comfortable to hold onto and surprisingly it’s not slippery.
But is that full glass design really a good idea? I mean it’s not really practical. The back side of the phone needs to be able to absorb all the drops and vibrations that occur when we place the phone onto a desk. Not to mention random drops that just happen occasionally. I wouldn’t risk that even if it does come with the Gorilla Glass. Which is also why OnePlus has probably included a rubber case with the phone. But all that beautiful glass aesthetics is lost when you put on the case, so really what was the point of it.
Screen:
The new OnePlus 6 is now bigger than the previous versions. It has a large 6.28 inch screen that has an interesting 19:9 ratio. It even has a little notch at the top. I don’t really have any complaints about it. I also really like that there is a 3 position switch on the side for setting the mode: rings, vibrates, completely silent.
Performance:
The OnePlus 6 runs on the Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 chipset. I have to say that the phone itself is quite fast. At least I haven’t noticed any moments where it felt slow or laggy. The phone comes with two internal memory (RAM) versions as well. The 128 GB version has 8 GB of RAM and the smaller, 64 GB version, has 6 GB of RAM. Either way, these should be enough to run all of the latest apps and even games.
Software:
The phone comes with the OxygenOS, which is pretty much as close to the raw Android as you can get. Unless you have used a Google Pixel of course. Unfortunately, the phone doesn’t come with the brand new Android P. However you can update it if you wish to as it already has plenty of the next generation features.
Let’s take navigation for example. If you want to get back to the home screen from being in an app, then all you have to do is swipe up with your thumb. If you want to check your latest apps then again swipe up with your thumb, but this time keep it on screen. These are the exact same movements as found on the iPhone X.
This is such a convenient and fast way to navigate through your phone. You’d imagine for an average person to not even know how to use this phone as most people are still used to physical buttons. But the reality is that it’s easy to get used to them and you’ll adapt pretty fast.
The only confusing thing for me was that there is no back button. So how has OxygenOS sorted it? Well they have added yet another swipe movement to achieve that. What you do is swipe up with your thumb. However, you need to do that near the edge of the screen if you want to go back instead of ending up on the home screen. It’s not the best solutions but it’s easy to get used to.
Camera:
The OnePlus 6 has a superb rear camera. It has both a wide-angle and a portrait lens in one. However, neither of them provide any surprises. Both in a good and bad sense. The photos taken are clear and sharp. Even the colors are vibrant. The portrait lens does require a bit more light to capture a good photo. But other than that, I don’t really have any complaints about it.
Video:
Phones are used more and more now to record videos as well. The OnePlus 6 has caught on with the other flagship smartphones and it can now be used to record 4K resolution videos at 60 frames per second. It’s pretty much an action camera built into a phone! Here is an example of the video quality.
But not only that, OnePlus has also made it possible to record in slow motion as well. And unlike most of its competitors, you can now do it for a minute straight. There is also a downside. The best resolution that can be used is 720p and it records at up to 480 frames per second. You can also use 1080p but then its 40 fps.
Verdict:
The OnePlus 6 isn’t a major upgrade compared to its previous model. It’s more like a small upgrade. I wouldn’t say that you need run to the store and buy the 6 if you currently have the OnePlus 5 or 5T. The two just aren’t that different to be worth it.
However, if you are looking for a totally new smartphone and don’t want to spend more than $600, then the OnePlus 6 is definitely the best option.
Author Bio
Sven Fawkes is a gadget geek who enjoys writing reviews. He is studying journalism at USC and has previous experience from working as a Product Manager at BestBuy.