OnePlus is adding another flagship to its offering – OnePlus 3T. The newly announced OnePlus 3T is basically a souped up version of OnePlus 3 – with same design and dimension but gets updates to its internal components.
OnePlus 3T has same design and dimension as the OnePlus 3 but jumps to Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 821, the processor powering Google's Pixel range, LeEco's Le Pro 3 and Asus' Zenfone 3 Deluxe. The smartphone is available in soft gold colour and a new gunmetal dark grey colour. OnePlus 3T's newest addition is the 128GB onboard storage of the UFS 2.0 standard. OnePlus 3T will be available in two variants – 64GB and 128GB – the latter is exclusive to gunmetal dark grey colour variant. OnePlus 3T gets 6GB RAM and continues to use that same 5.5-inch full HD optic AMOLED display.
OnePlus 3T also uses the same 16-megapixel optically stabilised Sony IMX298 image sensor seen on the OnePlus 3. The difference here is the use of scratch-resistant sapphire lens cover and improved electronic image stabilisation. Another difference worth noting here is the use of 16MP front camera, a bump from 8MP sensor on the 3. OnePlus claims improved low-light performance with the front camera.
OnePlus 3T can be easily seen as replacement for the OnePlus 3, thanks to better specifications and battery life. The biggest difference, a critical one, is the use of 3,400mAh battery. OnePlus 3 was a great smartphone but it didn't perform extremely well on the battery front. With OnePlus 3T, the company is fixing that very issue leaving lot of OnePlus 3 owner scratching their heads. OnePlus 3T also supports Dash charging, company's proprietary fast charging technology first introduced with OnePlus 3.
OnePlus 3T also comes with an updated version of OxygenOS based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and not Nougat. OnePlus says the updated OS will be delivered to OnePlus 3 and both the phones will get Android 7.0 Nougat at the same time. OnePlus has followed annual refresh cycle for the past three year and this time around, the company is switching to a six-month refresh cycle. The updated processor and bigger battery, however, comes at a cost.
OnePlus 3T starts at $439 for the 64GB variant, a $40 jump from the launch price of OnePlus 3. The 128GB variant on the other hand is priced at $479. OnePlus 3T will be available in the US starting from November 22 and in Europe from November 28. The company has not announced India launch plans but expect the device to land here sooner than later.