OnePlus 3T review

Update: We've updated our 3T review with our "OnePlus 3T vs iPhone 7: ultimate speed test" video to this review - pop over to page two for the results!

It’s a phone we didn’t expect the Chinese startup to launch when unveiled its 2016 flagship, the OnePlus 3, just six months prior to the 3T’s arrival. But here we are. 

The OnePlus 3T has killed off the OnePlus 3 after half a year, and it’s now the only handset you can purchase from the firm. The 3 may be available in a few countries - 'while stock lasts' - but any regions which currently say 'out of stock' (UK and US) won't see any more units show up.

This isn’t a completely new phone – even OnePlus admits that, instead billing the 3T as new variant of the 3, and too right: the OnePlus 3T has the same design, screen, RAM, rear camera and fingerprint scanner as the phone it’s shoving out of the limelight.

It’s not like the OnePlus 3 had any major flaws either – it scored a highly respectable 4.5 stars in our in-depth review, and comfortably made it into our list of the top 10 best phones in the world. 

So why the new model? OnePlus tells us its engineers found solutions to some nagging issues on the 3, and they didn’t want to wait another six months for the OnePlus 4 launch in 2017. 

That means you’re getting slicker performance, longer battery life, a punchier selfie snapper and a new storage option – at a slightly higher price.

It’s a move that’s likely to frustrate early adopters of the OnePlus 3, as the company they’ve put their faith in has suddenly relegated their handset to a second-class citizen, and relatively soon after its launch. 

ONEPLUS 3T SPECS

  

Weight: 158g
Dimensions: 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.35mm
OS: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
Screen size: 5.5-inch
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
CPU: Snapdragon 821
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 64/128GB
Battery: 3,400mAh
Rear camera: 16MP
Front camera: 16MP

OnePlus 3T price and release date

• On sale November 22 (US), November 28 (Europe)
• 64GB price: $439 (£399, around AU$580)
• 128GB price: $479 (£439, around AU$630)

You'll now have to pay more to own a OnePlus handset. The firm’s cheaper OnePlus X has been dead for a while, and the OnePlus 3T price starts at $439 (£399, around AU$580) for the 64GB model.  

That’s up from the $399 (£329, around AU$450) you’d fork out for the OnePlus 3 – but there’s another storage/price option with the OnePlus 3T. 

OnePlus has introduced a new 128GB storage option for its new phone, which will set you back $479, (£439, around AU$630) – it's a move that will likely delight some users, with the firm continuing to shun expandable memory features such as a microSD slot.

The OnePlus 3 goes on sale in the US on November 22, while Europe has to wait a few more days for its OnePlus 3 release date of November 28.

What's in the box 

In The Box

1x OnePlus 3T                                   

1x Screen Protector (pre-applied)  

1x Dash Type-C Cable

1x Dash Power Adapter

1x SIM Tray Ejector

1x Quick Start Guide

1x Safety Information