As it was, my OnePlus 3 was so fast that it would open up a dozen apps when my fingers brushed over something, or call innumerable unsuspecting people if I inadvertently touched some contacts.
Why then, did OnePlus need to upgrade that snappy zippy phone with more power? Well, because it could. The components were available and an upgrade to the Snapdragon 821 possible, so who could blame OnePlus for future-proofing its own flagship somewhat? It now uses the processor that some current expensive flagships don’t have and its 6GB RAM work much better than it did without heating up at all. Any wonder techies and geeks have fallen in love all over again.
With both the OnePlus 3 and 3T right next to one another, I have to honestly say I can hardly tell the difference. I rudely took away the older one’s leather case and put in the new phone instead – both have the same design – and soon got confused as to which was which. The 3T is actually a darker gunmetal shade and looks really good, but the older one didn’t look bad either. A soft gold version should be available shortly.
On benchmark tests, the new OnePlus does better than its older sibling — and just above all other phones. In everyday usage, and subjectively, yes, apps open faster, close faster, the phone moves across everything faster, but if you hadn’t told me this was another phone I might not have known. Once Android Nougat arrives on it, this device should run even smoother. Compared with the Google Pixel, it feels just as fast, though not as smooth. It’s that intangible quality that’s difficult to describe.
There are some other hardware improvements on the OnePlus 3T. It now has a 16MP front camera up from 8MP –now you can click better selfies and record quality video – and a new sensor. For a phone at this price, the camera is quite a deal.
The battery life was good in the first place, and now there’s a 3,400mAh fitted into the same body up from 3,000mAh. If you use the phone’s own Dash charger, a mere 15 minutes can give you enough to go for hours. This is one of the phones you don’t need to put on overnight charge. Wake up in the morning, set it to charge and by the time you bathed and had your breakfast, it should be just fine.
When the OnePlus 3T was announced, owners of the OnePlus 3 were a little miffed. But they don't need to be and nor do they need to feel compelled to upgrade unless they particularly want to. The new version is more expensive at ₹29,999 for the 64GB and .₹34,000 for the 128GB.
Price: ₹29,999 (64GB) and ₹34,000 (128GB)
Love: Competes with the best, lightning fast, refined to near perfection
Hate: No Nougat out of the box
(The article first appeared in BusinessLine.)