OnePlus had a massive hit six months ago when they launched the OnePlus 3, a new kind of smartphone with a focus on affordability without skimping on features. Now, they are already announcing a new model that has improved functionality, even though a full year has not yet passed.
The OnePlus 3T, the company promises, will be a similar device with some new goodies thrown into the mix.
OnePlus 3T Tech Specs
The first thing to note of the OnePlus 3T is that it is one of the lighter models currently on the market, at just 158 grams. In spite of that, it doesn’t have the flimsy feel of so many other lightweight phones. The case is nice and solid, and it is built to last.
It features a 5.5″ optic AMOLED Corning Gorilla Glass 4 screen, with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, 401 PPI. This bodes well for the device, as the Adreno 530 GPU gives it some nice graphics clout, and the Qualcomm® Snapdragon 821 and quad core Kryo (two 2.35 GHz and two 1.6 GHz) offer some serious power. The 6 GB RAM also helps.
One downside is that it comes in either 64 GB or 128 GB, with no option to expand with a microSD. This feels a little like nitpicking at this point as all new models from every brand seem to be following this format. It forces you to either pay for storage, or use their “convenient” cloud services to back up content to clear up space. I am not a fan of the trend.
An area that the OnePlus 3T has everyone beat is definitely the cameras. They didn’t give a good rear, and a sucky front. They recognize the importance of camera clarity for video calling, and equipped both cameras with 16 MP. The rear comes with additional features like autofocus that the front doesn’t. But it is still an impressive detail that will increase the buying power of the device.
A Controversial Decision
Obviously, the choice to put out a new and improved phone with six months of their last release has raised some eyebrows. If it were any other company it might cause outrage, as customers feel they are being cheated and punished for early adoption and brand loyalty.
That has been brought up, but the cries have not been nearly as harsh as one might expect. Which probably has something to do with the lower price tag, and the assurance from the Hong Kong based company that it is simply because they had new features and wanted to get them out there.
They promise this “won’t be the norm.”
