OnePlus 6 review: A no-nonsense smartphone, a no-compromise performer

The ‘Never Settle’ brand OnePlus recently launched its latest flagship phone, the OnePlus 6. And the question on everyone’s minds is, whether it is worth upgrading to, especially if one is already using the OnePlus 5 or OnePlus 5T.

For starters, the OnePlus 6 comes in three RAM/storage variants 6GB/64GB, 8GB/128GB and a limited edition Avengers OnePlus 6 with a massive 8GB/256GB. The models are priced at Rs 34,999, Rs 39,999 and Rs 44,999 respectively.

At these price points OnePlus 6 is priced just slightly higher than its predecessor, thereby sticking to its motto of providing premium features without burning a hole in the users’ pocket. For the purpose of clarity, the review was done on a regular 8GB/128GB Mirror Black version.

So, how does the device perform? Let’s find out.

OnePlus 6 Unboxing

The packaging contains the OnePlus 6 handset, Type-C USB cable, OnePlus Charger, OnePlus manuals, a SIM tray ejector pin. The box also contains a protective back cover which helps avoid scratches on the glass-back panel. The smartphone comes with a pre-applied plastic screenguard.

Display

OnePlus 6 sports a 6.28-inch optic AMOLED screen and joins the gang of smartphones to sport the notch display and a nearly bezel-less chin. The screen is bright and offers sharp display even when held against direct sunlight. During review the phone was largely set to adaptive-brightness which is very responsive and accurate.

The display resolution has been set at 2280x1080 pixels, but has lower pixel density as compared to other phones such as Samsung S9 or an LG V30. While Samsung S9 has a 570ppi display, LG’s V30 with 537ppi, OnePlus 6's pixel density stands at a humble 402ppi.

Performance

OnePlus has marketed the phone with the ‘The speed you need’ tag. Does it deliver on that note? Absolutely, yes. The device is powered by the latest Snapdragon 845, supported by an 8GB RAM and Adreno 630 GPU. The phone runs on a clean and bloatware-free Android version which will enthuse smartphone users.

OnePlus 6 performs tasks at high speeds, be it multi-tasking or playing heavy and graphic-intensive games. It handles all the tasks thrown at it with ease, thanks to the optimised background processes. The phone barely lags or shows signs of freezing on long hours of usage — gaming, browsing the Internet or watching movies.

OnePlus 6 Camera

OnePlus 6 comes with a 20MP + 16MP dual rear camera setup with an aperture rate of f/1.7. The phone has a 16MP selfie camera at the front. The company has brought back OIS feature on the camera based on popular demand.

Low-light imagery: The camera does quite a decent job of capturing images in low ambient light, miles better than most other phones priced in the same range.

The f/1.7 aperture helps capture as much of the light available for the shot as possible. One can easily click any object without flash in a dimly-lit room and the picture won't disappoint.  The camera offers a portrait mode that can make even the most ordinary looking settings come to life, thanks to the detailing on metrics such as depth of field.

Those who like to play with camera settings can switch to Pro Mode. It allows users to tweak ISO, white balance, shutter speed, aperture, among others to get the best shot possible.

Overall, the picture capture relevant details to a great extent and attributes such as colour reproduction, low-light imagery and macros would put up a good fight against other flagships.

OnePlus 6 UI

OnePlus runs on customised Oxygen OS which is based on Android Oreo 8.1.  The UI is more or less very similar to the OnePlus 5T and is smooth to use. Features like gesture control allows a user to make full use of the screen by getting rid of the navigation keys at the bottom.

How does one do that? Swipe up from the bottom right-hand corner to go back, swipe up from centre-bottom and hold the screen to draw up the recents menu.

Another interesting feature is the Gaming Do Not Disturb mode which gets rid of notifications and calls that annoy when playing a game. The feature can be further customised so that all the incoming calls will be routed directly to the speaker.

In a major change, OnePlus has shifted the Alert Slider from the left edge to the right. While previously the sliders could toggle between Ring mode, Do Not Disturb mode and Silent mode, the new slider toggles between Ring, Vibrate and Fully Silent mode.

You can unlock the phone with two primary modes — the newly-introduced FaceUnlock and fingerprint scanner. The FaceUnlock is extremely convenient and perhaps the fastest way to unlock the OnePlus 6.

The fingerprint sensor is extremely snappy but is placed beneath the rear camera which makes the camera sensor prone to finger smudges.

OnePlus 6 Battery life

OnePlus 6 sports a 3,300 mAh battery, which is the same as its predecessor OnePlus 5T and supports OnePlus’ legendary Dash Charge. Though some had hoped for wireless charging feature, Dash Charge more than makes up for the loss. A 30-minute charging cycle gives about 55-60 percent juice that can last you for more than just a few hours.

Though OnePlus has been criticised for sticking with the same battery as the OnePlus 5T, the fact is the stamina of the battery has increased with a more power-efficient SD 845 SOC. Upon a full charge the phone easily lasts through more than a day involving moderately heavy usage such as about 2.5 hours of gaming, few hours of browsing and streaming on the WiFi and a moderate photography session.

For testing purposes the phone was left idle at 75 percent in a connected to WiFi state. After about 24 hours, the phone surprisingly still retained about 59 percent battery. The company’s claims of a day’s power in half an hour also proved true when the phone survived a day with light to semi-moderate usage at 61 percent of battery with more than 5 percent still left at the end of the day. However, this was possible as the phone has a battery saver mode which automatically turns on when the power level reaches a critical 15 percent.

OnePlus 6 Pros

Flagship killer performance at a very pocket-friendly price, notch display, latest OS (which is further upgradable), good camera with OIS and customisable bokeh effect level, splash resistant, premium looks, great battery life, extremely simple and friendly UI.

Cons

Glass finish on the rear panel is prone to smudges (using back cover is advisable)

So, should you buy it or not?

Starting at Rs 34,999, OnePlus 6 packs a punch without being overpriced over-the-top. The phone packs in a high value-for-money quotient than most other phones in its price range (and even better than some that are priced higher).

The big question, should you upgrade from a OnePlus 5 or 5T? It depends on what you are looking at. If you are looking at a new design, or want the latest processor and do not mind shelling out extra for that, go grab the beast before it runs out-of-stock.