DIGILIFE: OnePlus 8T Review: Great Functionality

It is easier to understand and review the phone through the prism of what the manufacturer has chosen to exclude from the last generation. In the case of the OnePlus 8T, the wireless charging from the 8 Pro is given a miss and so is the IP certification. Both these exclusions however aren’t really that concerning. The 8T is positioned at a lower price point after all.

The moment you hold the phone in your hand, it is easy to see why OnePlus has found so much favour among buyers. Everything from the materials, to the fit and finish is immaculate and certainly up there with the very best. The design, although similar in layout to the OnePlus Nord is refreshing to see for a OnePlus product in this price range. The curved display thankfully has made way for a flat one, helping you avoid those unintended inputs.

Internally, the OnePlus 8T is almost identical to the 8 Series but features revolutionary 65W fast charging that can charge it to 50 percent in 15 minutes and 100 percent in 39 minutes. The 6.55-inch 120Hz Fluid AMOLED display with an FHD+ resolution (2400 x 1080) itself is unchanged from the 8 series, delivering up to 1100 nits of brightness in auto mode and HDR10+. And that’s understandable. It is one of the best you'll find in this category, and has great contrast levels, vibrant colours andgood levels of brightness for outdoor use.

The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 865 — just like the 8 and 8 Pro — and it has LPDDR4X RAM and a UFS 3.1 storage module (for the first time on a OnePlus phone). Performance is incredible and together with OnePlus’ effortlessly smooth UI, it feels lightning quick.

OnePlus has limited the number of changes on the camera front with its mid-cycle T refresh and the 8T retains the same 48MP Sony IMX586 primary sensor as the OnePlus 8. The OnePlus 8T gets new lenses though: there's a 16MP wide-angle sensor that leverages the Sony IMX481. You also get a 5MP macro lens, and a 2MP monochrome lensthat’s almost hidden in the filters. Despite the old hardware, the cameras produce decent images given enough light and offer nice levels of colour accuracy and sharpness. The cameras do struggle in low light though.

The OnePlus 8T is a great overall phone and packs in incredible amounts of functionality at a price that is hard to say no to. And with OnePlus’ record when it comes to software updates and a strong service network, you do have to go looking for reasons to decide against it.