OnePlus had recently hosted an event in New York for the launch of the updated OnePlus 5 i.e the 5T. Like 2016, this year too they launched the updated version of the original and continued with the sequel of 'T'. This device has radical changes in terms of design especially considering the larger screen although the rear remains quite unchanged. Exactly 12 months ago, OnePlus announced the 3T which did quite well considering it was just a minor upgrade from the 3 and now, one year later the 5T gets unveiled.
Differences from the OnePlus 5:
The difference that seems quite obvious is the larger 6.01 inch display. The display is the same Optic AMOLED that was present on the 5 however now the resolution is 2160×1080 due to the 18:9 aspect ratio. The OnePlus 5 came with a 16:9 aspect ratio display and 1920×1080 resolution.
Another major change from the OnePlus 5 is the placement of fingerprint sensor. The position has been shifted to the rear as against to the front on the 5. The 5T's fingerprint scanner placement is within the reach by being at the center and its an active scanner.
The 5T also comes with a face unlock feature which is not as advanced as the FaceiD like in the iPhone X although it does the job. However, one cannot simply rely on that wholely for security.
Another difference can be found with the cameras. The rear houses a 16 MP f/1.7 and 20MP f/1.7 aperture lens. The OnePlus 5 came with f/2.6 aperture on the 20MP lens. Although the 20MP lens was used for 1.6X optical zoom, the OnePlus 5T makes use of it for better detailing and since it comes with a larger aperture, the low light shots will be better than the 5. However, the 2X optical zoom is not available which paved the way for 2X digital zoom although OnePlus claims that its quality, even with the digital zoom will be quite good.
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| OnePlus 5T |
Differences from the OnePlus 5:
The difference that seems quite obvious is the larger 6.01 inch display. The display is the same Optic AMOLED that was present on the 5 however now the resolution is 2160×1080 due to the 18:9 aspect ratio. The OnePlus 5 came with a 16:9 aspect ratio display and 1920×1080 resolution.
Another major change from the OnePlus 5 is the placement of fingerprint sensor. The position has been shifted to the rear as against to the front on the 5. The 5T's fingerprint scanner placement is within the reach by being at the center and its an active scanner.
The 5T also comes with a face unlock feature which is not as advanced as the FaceiD like in the iPhone X although it does the job. However, one cannot simply rely on that wholely for security.
Another difference can be found with the cameras. The rear houses a 16 MP f/1.7 and 20MP f/1.7 aperture lens. The OnePlus 5 came with f/2.6 aperture on the 20MP lens. Although the 20MP lens was used for 1.6X optical zoom, the OnePlus 5T makes use of it for better detailing and since it comes with a larger aperture, the low light shots will be better than the 5. However, the 2X optical zoom is not available which paved the way for 2X digital zoom although OnePlus claims that its quality, even with the digital zoom will be quite good.
| SPECS | |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.01 inch Optic AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2160×1080 |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| SOC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 clocked at 2.45 and 1.9gHz (4+4 cores) |
| GPU | Adreno 540 GPU |
| RAM and storage | 6GB - 64GB storage 8GB - 128GB storage |
| Rear camera | 16MP f/1.7 (IMX398) + 20MP f/1.7 (IMX376K) |
| Front camera | 16MP f/2.0 IMX371 |
| Video recording | 4K at 30FPS 1080p at 60/30 FPS Slow motion at 720p 120 FPS |
| Battery | 3300mAh with Dash charging |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4 and 5gHz band NFC GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, GALILEO |
| Sensors | Accelerometer proximity compass gyroscope Hall sensor ambient light |
The physical aspects of the OnePlus 5T remains almost similar to the 5 in terms of the placement of volume buttons, power ON/OFF button and even the quick silent toggle button. Only the fingerprint sensor is located at the rear and the overall form factor is slightly taller than the OnePlus 5.
From the specs point of view its indeed a powerhouse. The device comes with Oxygen OS based Android 7.1.1 with the Oreo update promised by January 2018. The OnePlus 5 had some issues like Jelly effect which was prominent due to their display orientation which was inverted although the 5T is devoid of such issues.
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| Oxygen OS - almost stock with basic tweaks |
On the performance front, the almost stock UI and Snapdragon 835 coupled with 6/8 GB RAM should be able to handle everything possible including Heavy Gaming, multitasking and so on.
The cameras have got a minor change as stated earlier and the low light picture quality has improved although the front facing camera quality will remain the same.
The battery life could be average depending on usage although the dash charger with 20W output should suffice for instant top-up.
Now, the question arises : should you upgrade from the 5 or is it way better than the OnePlus 5?
Well, the OnePlus 5 has been available for only about 5 months and probably upgrading to the 5T won't make any sense. The performance parameters, the battery, build quality and the software experience all remain the same. The only update is in terms of camera and precisely only the low light performance has improved.
The OnePlus 5 has 1.6X optical zoom which is not present on the OnePlus 5T which is one area where the 5 leads. The major noticeable changes lie with the display and overall form factor with the newer aspect ratio.
The OnePlus 3T had slightly better internal upgrades like the 3400mAh battery (400mAh more than the OnePlus 3), better front camera and higher clocked SOC (Snapdragon 821 vs 820 on the 3). Hence, this time the major focus was to be in line with the recent trend of 18:9 or bezel less display and minor tweaks.
The 5T is indeed a good upgrade although not justified when compared with the OnePlus 5 considering the changes and pricing which has been kept the same. The 6-64GB variant is available for Rs. 32999 and the 8-128GB retails for Rs. 37999 via Amazon. When compared to other flagship offerings, indeed OnePlus has done a great job since tier 1 flagships are available for almost double the price and the closest competitor to the 5T is the Nokia 8 which is available for Rs. 37999 (4-64GB).
The OnePlus 5T will be available from November 24th with Amazon prime members having an early access.
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| Pricing Details |