OnePlus 8T review: smart strategy well executed

2020 is the year in which OnePlus has changed its entire strategy. The OnePlus 8T will not get a Pro variant, the OnePlus Nord no longer cannibalizes the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro remains the top model. Confusing? Yes and no.

OnePlus has had the tradition of bringing two new smartphones to the market every spring and autumn: an absolute top device that carries the Pro flag and a more price-conscious alternative. This autumn, only the OnePlus 8T (from 599 euros incl. VAT) will see the light of day and the top model will remain the OnePlus 8 Pro that came on the market in the spring.

Why that conscious choice? The answer is twofold: the OnePlus Nord, which has been available for a few months, cannibalized the OnePlus 8. On the other hand, OnePlus says that a OnePlus 8T Pro would add very little extra to the current OnePlus 8 Pro. The combination of these two elements forces OnePlus to an atypical launch of the OnePlus 8T.

Screen with multiple assets

The OnePlus 8T takes over many design features from the cheaper OnePlus Nord. At the back, they both have almost the same turquoise color and at the front there is room for a flat OLED screen (2,400 x 1,080 pixels). Both the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro had a screen that curves to the side to make the phone narrower.

The biggest difference on the outside can be found in the metal border around (glossy with OnePlus Nord, matte with OnePlus 8T) and the slightly different layout of the rear cameras. In contrast to the 90 Hz screen in the OnePlus Nord and the ‘old’ OnePlus 8, the OnePlus 8T gets a 120 Hz screen. You are unlikely to notice the difference between the two, the jump from 60 Hz to 90 Hz is much more significant, but it has little impact on the battery so why not?

The always-on functionality deserves an extra mention. By default it is switched off and you can wake up the screen by tapping on it. You can also leave the screen permanently active with, for example, the clock and some notification symbols. It is the first time that OnePlus provides real always-on functionality in its devices.

The coolest innovation, however, is that you can combine the always-on screen with the ‘Digital Wellbeing’ function. This way you permanently get a visual reminder on your screen of how often you have already used your phone. Initially this is confronting, but it makes you aware that you don’t always have to pull out your phone every free second.

Decent hardware

When we look inside, we find the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset as in the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. Each of the three devices offers an 8 GB and 12 GB version in terms of memory, so you will not notice any difference there. With each of these three devices you get absolute top performance including 5G functionality. In combination with the fast 120 Hz screen, the OnePlus 8T feels lightning fast and you can multitask to your heart’s content.

The OnePlus 8T is the first device in the Benelux that comes standard with Android 11 out of the box. A lot of OnePlus devices will receive that upgrade in the coming weeks and months, but it shows that OnePlus finds the update speed important. Along with Android 11, it has made a few changes to OxygenOS.

As a main innovation, OnePlus has lowered a lot of menu elements. Anyone who goes to the settings menu now will see that the items only start after a void of about one third of the screen. This allows you to conveniently choose the top item from the list with one hand. The same is true in a lot of specific OnePlus apps and settings. OnePlus has taken a good look at Samsung, which rolled out a similar feature in its own One UI 2.0.

You will also find many novelties such as an improved dark mode, extra functions for the always-on screen, Zen Mode 2.0 and many other functions. Despite the further fine-tuning of the standard Android environment, OnePlus is not completely overboard like Huawei, Samsung or LG.

Camera performance

Despite the different placement of the camera and a completely new design, not much has changed compared to the OnePlus 8. Read all camera performance in our comprehensive review. In this review, the comparison stands with the OnePlus 8 Pro, which has a much larger sensor for both the main camera and the wide-angle variant. Especially when it comes to photos in dark conditions, the difference between the OnePlus 8 Pro is big.

Does the OnePlus 8 have a bad camera set on board? Absolutely not. The macro camera was upgraded from 2 megapixels to 5 megapixels and takes the best macro photos of all OnePlus models. The extra 2 megapixel monochrome camera sensor adds very little when we compare the photos between the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8T.

The OnePlus 8T scores above average within its price category. Only one-year-old models from Samsung, such as the Samsung Galaxy S10, perform slightly better but have since fallen sharply in price to compete with the OnePlus 8T. Given the limited difference in quality, it is always worthwhile to take the latest model, here the OnePlus 8T, to enjoy Android feature and security updates for as long as possible.

Also in terms of video performance hardly anything has changed compared to the OnePlus 8, given the use of the same camera sensors. read our review for additional information on that.

Super fast loading

The most important innovation is without a doubt the fast charger that comes in the box. The OnePlus 8T supports fast charging up to 65 watts thanks to an innovation with two batteries. The OnePlus 8T contains two batteries that together have a capacity of 4,500 mAh. You can charge the two batteries at the same time, which results in a net speed gain. OnePlus guarantees with 12 individual thermal sensors that the dual battery does not exceed the thermal upper limit.

How fast is 65 watt fast charging? How about 13 minutes to charge from zero to fifty percent? Zero to eighty percent takes 22 minutes. Thanks to the lightning-fast loading function, we no longer load at the editorial office at night, but simply in between. For example, in the evening during dinner. A full charge ensures that you can easily get through one day with enough surplus to start the next day. In most cases when we charge the device in the morning, we get to the next day in the evening. Loading during breakfast or the day after with dinner: it quickly became routine.

OnePlus puts the 65-watt fast charger in the box as standard. OnePlus’ fast charging technology is not compatible with the Power Delivery USB-C standard. Yet OnePlus has made the effort to make the charger also Power Delivery compatible so that you can fast charge any device via USB-C up to 45 watts. Think of your laptop, tablet, headphones or other peripherals. Hats off to OnePlus for putting that extra certification in its charger. So you only need one charger when you’re on the move.

Due to the whore mood around fast charging, we would almost forget that OnePlus forgot to add one part to the OnePlus 8T: wireless charging. The OnePlus 8 Pro does support it, so we secretly hoped that the OnePlus 8T would also have it on board. For one a loss, the other does not care. It is up to you to choose which camp you belong to.

Conclusion

The OnePlus 8T (599 euros incl. VAT) is a special beast in the line-up of the brand. The OnePlus 8 Pro remains the absolute top model, but lacks the unique functionality of 65 watts fast charging. As far as we are concerned, that’s the most important evolution for the OnePlus 8T, which makes it a bit sour that the Pro model doesn’t have that. Should you always choose the OnePlus 8T? No, the difference is too great with the OnePlus 8 Pro in terms of screen, camera and finish.

However, the manufacturer has given an important update to the OnePlus 8 with the OnePlus 8T, so that the cheaper OnePlus Nord no longer cannibalizes that device. That does not alter the fact that the line between both devices remains thin. Today, you cannot find a better deal at 399 euros including VAT than the OnePlus Nord. The OnePlus 8T raises that price tag by 200 euros and adds a few important upgrades that justify the new price. It is up to you to see which part is decisive. Compare all specifications between the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus 8T here.

For us personally, we cannot ignore the luxury of lightning-fast charging. Once you adopt that lifestyle, you don’t want anything else. That’s why we lean more towards the OnePlus 8T when your budget is open to it. Within this price category, there is already little competition for OnePlus, which makes it easy to pull the trigger.