Say hello to OnePlus' most advanced smartphone to date.
The OnePlus 6T has arrived, and similar to past T models, it retains most of what made its predecessor great while adding a couple of new features and slightly increasing its price.
We were already quite enthralled with the OnePlus 6 from earlier in the year, and the 6T aims to offer an even better experience for about $20 more.
Need some help deciding if this is the phone for you? Here's everything you need to know about the OnePlus 6T!
The latest OnePlus 6T news
January 11, 2019 — You can now turn the T-Mobile OnePlus 6T into an international unlocked one without unlocking the bootloader
With the OnePlus 6T being on T-Mobile, OnePlus's presence in the U.S. is now bigger than ever before. This partnership was huge for OnePlus and something we hope to see more of going forward, but as with all carrier-branded phones, the T-Mobile variant of the 6T isn't exactly equal to its unlocked counterpart.
Software updates for the T-Mobile 6T haven't been quite as snappy as the unlocked version, and even more irritating, the T-Mobile model can't be enrolled in the OxygenOS Open Beta. You've been able to convert a T-Mobile OnePlus 6T into an unlocked one by unlocking the bootloader, but this — of course — can prove to be a challenge as it requires a SIM unlock from T-Mobile to do.
Thankfully, a member of XDA Developers has created a method of rebranding a T-Mobile 6T to an international unlocked one without having to mess with the bootloader at all. The process does still wipe/factory reset the phone, but it's considerably easier than anything else that's come before it.
Get the full instructions here!
January 8, 2019 — Latest security update on T-Mobile's OnePlus 6T breaks Google Play certification
T-Mobile rolled out an update to its variant of the OnePlus 6T late last week that introduced additional roaming features, but it looks like a pretty significant bug went undiscovered. As reported by multiple users on Reddit and the AC forums, installing the A6013_34_181228 build is breaking Google Play certification, which is in turn causing issues with Google Pay.
It looks like the update went out before it received certification, and as far as screw-ups go, this is a pretty big one from T-Mobile. Here's to hoping T-Mobile is able to address the issue with a hotfix, but in the meantime, make sure you don't install the update if you're on the carrier version of the 6T.
Thanks for the tip Ryan!
December 21, 2018 — DxOMark gives the OnePlus 6T's camera a score of 98
The OnePlus 6T is a very iterative update compared to the OnePlus 6 from earlier in the year, meaning that not every aspect of the phone was changed. One such component that wasn't upgraded from the 6 to the 6T is the camera, but that's not really a bad thing.
DxOMark recently published its full review of OnePlus 6T's camera, giving it an overall score of 98 (a couple points higher than the OnePlus 6's score of 96). While the actual camera hardware is the same on both phones, DxO says the better rating is due to "firmware changes inside the 6T have for the most part resulted in improved performance over its predecessor."
DxO praised the 6T for having better dynamic range, detail preservation, and bokeh shots over the 6, in addition to good overall color reproduction, autofocus, and LED flash. One of the weaker points is the 6T's zoom, which DxO notes "zoom shots show less detail than with some competitors' phones", in addition to "many HDR-shots show artifacts, such as ringng, ghosting, or halos."
December 11, 2018 — OnePlus 6T sales were 249% higher than the OnePlus 6 in the U.S.
A little over a month ago, OnePlus announced that its day one sales for the 6T were off to a great start at 86% higher than that of the OnePlus 6. That was already impressive enough on its own, but now new numbers reveal that the 6T's doing even better than initially expected.
Talking to PC Mag, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau revealed that sales of the OnePlus 6T in the United States were up by 249% compared to the OnePlus 6. Although Lau didn't explicitly say so, it's safe to assume that the company's partnership with T-Mobile played a big role in those increased numbers.
Lau also went on to talk about its upcoming 5G phone with EE in the United Kingdom, saying how he believes that the first wave of 5G smartphones will have to be custom-made for certain carriers similar to when 4G was making its initial debut.
Lastly, Lau briefly touched on the previously announced TV that the company is working on, saying that his team is taking their time with the project and that, "We don't have a launch date now. We will not launch until we think it's ready and perfect."
December 11, 2018 — The OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition is here with 10GB of RAM and Warp Charge 30
The OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition is now official in all of its glory, with the phone offering a staggering 10GB of RAM along with a new 30W fast charging standard. The bundled Warp Charge 30 wall unit is able to charge the battery from flat to 50% in just 20 minutes, which OnePlus says will be good enough for a day's worth of use.
The McLaren Edition also has a new design that sees the car manufacturer's signature Papaya Orange color featured prominently across the frame at the back, with the phone also featuring a carbon fiber finish underneath the glass back.
The OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition comes with 10GB of RAM and 256GB of storage as standard, and is set to go on sale in Western Europe and North America starting December 13 for $699.
December 10, 2018 — The OnePlus 6T's in-display fingerprint sensor gets better the more you use it
The OnePlus 6T is a darn good phone, with one of its highlight features being the in-display fingerprint sensor. It's a really cool party trick and a lot flashier than traditional implementations, but in day-to-day use, it is noticeably slower. Thankfully, OnePlus recently shared some good news on this matter.
In a post on the OnePlus forums titled, Screen Unlock: How it gets better over time, OnePlus software engineer Yale Liu said the following:
Every time a user successfully unlocks the phone with their fingerprint, the sensor also records areas of the finger that weren't registered in the initial fingerprint setup stage. This fingerprint data is then added to the data the phone already holds, making it more complete. So, every time the in-display fingerprint sensor is used, it gathers more data about the user's fingerprint. This means that over time, the phone will unlock even faster.
The sensor's algorithms are also able to figure out when the user's fingerprint is different than usual – if their finger is wet or if they have a cut on it, etc. In these cases, once the phone is successfully unlocked, the algorithms add this new fingerprint data to the existing data to improve unlock speeds under these conditions in the future.
It's unclear how much faster the sensor is supposed to get over time, but this is still good news nonetheless.
If you have a 6T, have you noticed any improvement in the fingerprint sensor's speed since you've owned the phone?
November 27, 2018 — OnePlus is teaming up with McLaren over a limited edition 6T
OnePlus partnered with Disney earlier this year to launch an Avengers edition of the OnePlus 6, and now the company has announced that it is teaming up with Formula 1 giant McLaren for a limited edition variant of the OnePlus 6T.
For now, we don't have a lot of details on what the possible collaboration would entail, but with an event scheduled for December 11, we should know more soon. From the press release:
McLaren is renowned for innovation through technology and the fearless pursuit of better. OnePlus is similarly renowned for pushing the limits of performance and speed. The premium smartphone brand consistently delivers the fastest experience – from lightning-quick gaming and app experiences without lag, to OnePlus Fast Charge technology which has set a new benchmark for quick-charging solutions, to the superfast Screen Unlock.
November 9, 2018 — U.S. sales of the OnePlus 6T are up 86% compared to the OnePlus 6
We were expecting that OnePlus's partnership with T-Mobile would result in big U.S. sales numbers for the 6T, and as it turns out, that's exactly been the case so far.
According to OnePlus, day one sales of the 6T were a whopping 86% higher in the United States compared to the OnePlus 6 from earlier in the year — making the 6T OnePlus's most successful product launch in the country.
The OnePlus 6 was previously OnePlus's best-selling phone with over 1 million units sold, and based on these latest sales numbers, it shouldn't be long before the 6T overtakes that title.
November 8, 2018 — Google Discover page now available on the OnePlus 6T launcher (kind of)
Ever since the OnePlus 2, all OnePlus phones have shipped with the company's own OnePlus Launcher. It's a great launcher that provides out-of-the-box customization for app icons, grid size, and more, and for some 6T owners, there's now an option to replace OnePlus's Shelf with the Google Discover page.
Android Police recently discovered that the T-Mobile variant of the OnePlus 6T allows you to have the Google Feed on the OnePlus Launcher, but for whatever reason, it's not currently available for unlocked variants of the phone.
This seems like a weird distinction to make between the two variants, and when asked for further explanation on what's going on, OnePlus said, "Only the T-Mobile version has the Google Now Minus One screen functionality." Yes, we too are confused by that name.
It's possible that Google Discover could come to unlocked versions of the 6T, and honestly, it'd be kind of silly for OnePlus not to bring it over in a future software update.
November 8, 2018 — Today's your last day to save $300 on the OnePlus 6T at T-Mobile!
To celebrate the launch of the OnePlus 6T on T-Mobile, the Un-Carrier made an offer that's almost impossible to refuse. Trade in any eligible phone (including all previous OnePlus phones) and take $300 off the 6T when you buy it on an installment plan.
All good things must come to an end, however, as today is the final day to take advantage of this promo for yourself.
We'll likely see other discounts on the 6T throughout the rest of the year and in 2019, but if you've been eyeing the 6T and think it's time for an upgrade, this is a great way to go about it.
November 5, 2018 — Thunder Purple OnePlus 6T now available in China
The OnePlus 6T is barely a week old, but that hasn't stopped OnePlus from already launching a new color over in China.
Just like we saw from leaks earlier today, the 'Thunder Purple' 6T has a two-tone design with a black top that gradually transitions into a subtle purple hue. It appears to have a glossy/shiny finish like the Mirror Black variant, and while it's not nearly as vibrant as some other special colors OnePlus has done in the past, it's easily one of my new favorites.
There's currently no word if OnePlus will be bringing the Thunder Purple 6T to other markets outside of China, but this seems like a perfect fit for the company's T-Mobile partnership in the United States. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.
November 5, 2018 — OnePlus 6T 'Thunder Purple' color option shows up in renders
OnePlus unveiled the 6T with just two color options — Mirror Black and Midnight Black — but it looks like that's set to change soon. Images obtained by Mr. Gizmo (via FoneArena suggest we'll see a Thunder Purple variant of the 6T debut shortly.
The images and renders suggest the color option will have a gradient effect, not unlike what we've seen from the likes of Huawei and others. OnePlus is known to launch limited-edition color options a few months after the release of a new phone, so there's no telling when this particular variant might be available.
November 1, 2018 — The OnePlus 6T is officially on sale!
Just a few days after it was announced, the OnePlus 6T has exited the pre-order stage and is now available for purchase.
If you live in the United States, you can buy the phone from both OnePlus's website and through T-Mobile. While T-Mobile is only selling the 128GB + 8GB RAM model in Mirror Black for $579, you can drastically lower the price by trading in an eligible phone, buying it on a monthly installment plan, and then get a total of $300 back in bill credits.
Alternatively, OnePlus's website has all available models with prices starting at $550 for the 128GB + 6GB RAM configuration and going up to $629 for 256GB + 8GB RAM.
All the big details
Read (and watch) our full review
The OnePlus 6T is a great piece of tech, but is it something that you should spend your hard-earned dollars on?
If you're in the market for a flagship smartphone experience but only want to pay a fraction of what Samsung, Apple, and Google are charging, the 6T delivers on almost every front. It's outfitted with top-of-the-line specs, a pair of fantastic rear cameras, and one of the best software experiences that you can currently find on Android.
The lack of an IP water resistance rating and removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack could be dealbreakers for some, but if you want the most bang-for-your-buck in the $500 - $600 price range, you'll be hard-pressed to do much better than the OnePlus 6T.
OnePlus 6T review: 90% of the phone for 60% of the price
Check out the specs
Every single year, OnePlus packs its smartphones with the very latest and greatest specifications it can get its hands on. With the 6T, that's no different.
Some of the highlights this time around include the Snapdragon 845 processor, 6 - 8GB of RAM, 128 - 256GB of storage, a 3,700 mAh battery, and Android 9 Pie available right out of the box.
OnePlus 6T specs: 6.41-inch display, 3700mAh battery, 128GB base storage
OnePlus removed the 3.5mm headphone jack...
All that glitters is not gold, and for some potential buyers, the 6T will no longer be a viable option once they realize that the phone does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack.
OnePlus was one of the few remaining brands that continued to outfit its devices with the legacy port year after year, and for die-hard fans, this has the potential to be a deal-breaker.
...But there's now an in-display fingerprint sensor
On the upside, the removal of the 3.5mm jack allowed OnePlus to equip the 6T with an in-display fingerprint sensor.
Similar to phones like the Vivo NEX, the 6T's fingerprint sensor has been removed from its backside and now lives underneath the display. Just hold your finger on the new fingerprint icon on the screen, the sensor will ID you, and then unlock your phone.
While it's certainly a cool party trick and the first big phone in the U.S. to ship with the feature, it's not quite as fast or reliable as the OnePlus 6's fingerprint sensor.
The notch is even smaller
The OnePlus 6T follows in the OnePlus 6's footsteps by having a notch at the top of its display, but this time around, the notch is considerably smaller.
OnePlus adopted the "waterdrop" style for the 6T's notch, and while there aren't any functional changes that come with this, it does make the front of the phone look a lot cleaner and doesn't cut off as much screen real-estate as the 6's notch.
Nightscape and Studio Lighting come to the 6T's cameras
Google recently wowed us with its new Night Sight feature for Pixel phones that drastically improves low-light photos, and in an attempt to build its own version of that feature, OnePlus ships with the 6T with its take on this called "Nightscape."
Nightscape is described as being perfect for "capturing low-light urban environments with improved clarity, less noise, more accurate color reproduction and better dynamic range."
Also new is Studio Lighting. OnePlus says it worked with photographer Kevin Abosch on this feature that's "been fine-tuned to recognize faces and adjust the lighting accordingly to simulate professional lightning. In other words, it's OnePlus's take on the iPhone's Portrait Lighting.
There are just two launch colors
At launch, the OnePlus 6T is only available in two colors — Midnight Black and Mirror Black. These are the exact same finishes that were available for the OnePlus 6, with the former featuring a matte finish while the latter has a glossy coating.
It's entirely possible (and very likely) that OnePlus will offer additional colors later on down the road, but for the time being, you need to choose between black and black.
The phone's available for purchase now
If you're interested in buying a OnePlus 6T it's available for purchase right now with pricing starting at $549 for the model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Along with that, you can get 8GB RAM + 128GB storage or 8GB RAM + 256GB storage for $579 and $629, respectively.
The 6T is being sold through OnePlus's website, and for the first time in the U.S., it's also being offered directly through a wireless carrier — T-Mobile, specifically.
T-Mobile's only carrying the 128GB + 8GB RAM model in Mirror Black, but if you trade in an eligible phone and buy the 6T on a monthly installment plan, you can get $300 back via monthly bill credits.
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