OnePlus 6T vs OnePlus 6: Is The Mid-Cycle ‘T’ Upgrade Worth It?

OnePlus 6T has launched in India, but how does it compare to the OnePlus 6? We find out.

OnePlus, as expected, launched the 6T smartphone, its second device in 2018. We saw minor improvements on the 3T and the 5T last year but this time, the 6T has more than its fair share of differences with its predecessor.

Priced at Rs 37,999, the 6T starts with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. What else is new with the OnePlus 6T and should a OnePlus 6 owner go for the upgrade?

Bigger Screen, Smaller Notch

The first upgrade you’ll notice with the 6T is its screen size. It has been bumped up from 6.2-inch to 6.4-inch with an AMOLED screen, which also gets Corning Glass 6 protection.

Taller screen has been made possible with minor tweaks in the design language of the phone, which also packs a marginally smaller chin than what the OnePlus 6 had.

While the OnePlus 6 base variant was priced at Rs 34,999, the 6T gets a storage bump, starting from 128GB which has resulted in a Rs 3000 price hike for the base model. 

Then you have the notch. The design was first seen with brands like Oppo and Vivo (obviously) and OnePlus is the latest to go for the so-called water drop notch. It surely isn’t as ugly as the Google Pixel 3 XL and as wide as the OnePlus 6, and we kind of like how a smaller notch offers more screen real estate.

It’s ideal to watch videos and even though you could hide the notch earlier, I think OnePlus has found a way for users to be able to ignore it.

In-Display Fingerprint Sensor

OnePlus is the latest in line to go for an in-display reader for thumb IDs.

The early signs of the sensor (also known as Screen Unlock) are promising. It’s quick to respond to your thumb impressions that are registered only on the device and nowhere else. The use of Oxygen OS with Snapdragon 845 could have a big role in its efficiency.

Having said that, the position of the reader is fixed for now and you’ll have to register all parts of the thumb/finger for the feature to unlock. This also ensures that the back design of the 6T has a touch of uniformity to it.

Same Hardware and Cameras Too

This is probably the biggest leveler for the OnePlus 6T. You get the same Snapdragon 845 processor with 6 or 8GB RAM, with up to 256GB non-expandable storage in tow.

However, OnePlus has decided to junk the 64GB variant, making the 128GB option as its base model. 

Yes, they have removed the headphone jack, but you’re getting a phone with hardware innards similar to that of the OnePlus 6.

Even the cameras have been left untouched, with 20- and 16-megapixel sensors at the back with f/1.7 aperture on offer.

We clicked pictures with the OnePlus 6 and 6T to see if there’s any difference and as it turned out, we couldn’t.

Bigger Battery Does the Trick?

If there’s one brand or phone that was riddled with issues to solve the battery life conundrum then it’s OnePlus. The OnePlus 6 came with a 3300mAh battery that gets ably supported by dash charging, one of the best features of the phone.

Fast-forward to late-2018 and OnePlus decided to go with a bigger 3700mAh battery, but it still doesn’t add up. Especially when users get up to 5 hours of usage by charging for around half an hour.

They did remove the headphone jack (not a crowd-favourite move) but while it might not suit our needs, there might be many who could benefit from the extra juice.

What We Think

The OnePlus 6T is here but it’s more of a minor cosmetic improvement than carrying wholesale changes. The screen gets taller, the notch is smaller and the biometric scanner goes underneath the screen. The cameras are the same, with optics similar to that of the OnePlus 6.

Hardware-wise, the only change in the lack of headphone jack and removal of the 64GB variant once and for all. Oh yeah, there’s a bigger 3700mAh battery and if that doesn’t matter to you much then the 6T, a mid-cycle upgrade is just that.

If you’re moving up from the OnePlus 3 or 5 series then the 6T makes for a good buy. For everyone else, it’s better to wait for the OnePlus 7, #methinks.