OnePlus 3T Q&A: Your questions answered!
The OnePlus 3T is here and we just got to review the latest low-cost flagship that's sailing under OnePlus' flags. Yes, even at $439, we'd still consider this device a low-cost one as it sells for way less than multiple top-shelf devices. Even for the pessimists out there is quite hard to shoot down the great value for money this phone boasts.
As we simply love answering your questions, we decided that it will be only fitting if we let you ask us anything OnePlus 3T-related. You heeded our call and now it's our turn to answer these:
OnePlus 3T: Your questions answered
ibend: "why this phone get lower score than iPhone7?"
PA: First of all, let's not forget that 9 out of 10 is an excellent review score that only few phones achieve. The OnePlus 3T got a 9 because it deserves a 9; while it's an excellent Android device, our general opinion is that it lacks the overall polishment of the iPhone 7.
GMS85: "Sound Quality with headphones?"
PA: It won't blow your mind out, but audio quality is pretty good, on par with most other top-end phones out there. There's no "Quad DAC" on board here, but the OnePlus 3T is surprisingly well-endowed in terms of audio reproduction. Granted, your headphones will also play a large part in the audio experience you'll get. We used a pair of mid-range Sony h.ear on MDR-100AAP headphones and got quite satisfied with how the OnePlus 3T handled things.
trojan_horse: 1) How's the build quality of the OnePlus 3T compared to the OnePlus 3?
2) How efficient and color-accurate is it's AMOLED display?
3) Does the OnePlus 3T have the RAM management issue which plagued the OnePlus 3 at launch?
4)What about the new SD821 SoC in the OnePlus 3T: Any noticeable performance difference versus the SD820 in the OnePlus 3 in real-world tests?
2) How efficient and color-accurate is it's AMOLED display?
3) Does the OnePlus 3T have the RAM management issue which plagued the OnePlus 3 at launch?
4)What about the new SD821 SoC in the OnePlus 3T: Any noticeable performance difference versus the SD820 in the OnePlus 3 in real-world tests?
PA: 1) From a design standpoint, we are basically dealing with one and the same device. Similar to the OnePlus 3, the OnePlus 3T is pretty sleek and feels quite solid in the hand. If you loved the OnePlus 3, you'll also love the new one.
2) The display of the OnePlus 3T gets pretty color accurate if you enable the sRGB display mode, which we highly recommend. The default display mode, while vivid and punchy, is mostly cold and not accurate at all.
3) Nope.
4) Subjectively speaking, there's a slight yet noticeable performance improvement in everyday usage.
schauncusi: "As per your Oneplus 3T review, the battery scored lower than the Oneplus 3. Why is that?"
PA: As you're probably aware, benchmark tests ≠ real-life battery endurance. I'm an average-to-heavy phone user and have been using the OnePlus 3T as a daily driver for the past week or so — the device has consistently lasted me for at least 5 hours of screen-on time. My colleague Victor, who reviewed the phone, is bit lighter phone user and averaged around 6 hours and 30 minutes of screen-on time while he was using the phone.
nh1402: "Does the screen have Panel Self Refresh tech, ie. loading static images from graphics ram. for better power efficiency?"
PA: That's a mighty fine question! We reached out to OnePlus for an answer to that one, and they confirmed that the displays of all their flagship devices, including the OnePlus 3T, indeed come with Panel Self Refresh.
uzbek-mobile-man: Is this phone dual-band, that is, both CDMA 800 MHz and GSM 900/1800 MHz work at the same time? if I buy this phone, I will be able to use it on Ucell, Beeline, UMS, Uzmobile’s GSM 900/1800 network in Uzbekistan. Can I use it on Perfectum’s CDMA 800 MHz in Uzbekistan easily or will I have to make it unlocked to use for Perfectum’s network?
PA: The OnePlus 3T is a dual standby, but not dual-active device, which means that you can only use LTE with one of the SIM cards at a time, but you can receive and make calls with the second one. You will be able to receive and make calls with the other SIM card, but the LTE-compliant SIM card
Aaron from OnePlus explains the OnePlus 3T's dual SIM limitations
As far as cellular coverage in Uzbekistan is concerned, all versions of the OnePlus 3T—the North American, Chinese, and the international one—will work perfectly on Ucell and Beeline. Tip: You can check if a given phone will work on a given network in a given country by looking it up right here.
plast1csh1t: Is there any reason to pay 800+$ for a flagship from another OEM when Oneplus charges for half the price?
PA: Gets you thinking, right? Well. if things like brand image, different ecosystems, and better aftermarket support matter to you, then you'd likely consider any of OnePlus 3T's pricier competitors. Otherwise, it would be a pretty sweet deal, all things considered. In the end of the day, you have to vote with your wallet.
Alter: "How good is the signal quality compared to other phones using the same network?"
PA: It's in the same ballpark.
vijayendra: "Does OnePlus 3T has same weak WiFi as its predecessor?"
PA: We couldn't replicate the issue you mentioned. Try disabling the Smart Wi-Fi switcher by going to Settings > Wi-Fi > Advanced. If this doesn't fix your problem, your unit is probably sporting a faulty Wi-Fi radio.
Marduch: "Did the quality of microphones for video recording improve?"
aayupanday: "Is this phone having the same microphone problem which the older devices from the company had? Terrible noise suppression problem while recording audio and video??"
aayupanday: "Is this phone having the same microphone problem which the older devices from the company had? Terrible noise suppression problem while recording audio and video??"
PA: Here, judge for yourselves. The first video below is a video sample taken with the OnePlus 3T, the second one is taken with the OnePlus 3. It seems like the audio-recording capabilities of the newer phone is not any better. There's still considerable room for improvement.
marcelock: "When you said "the pre-applied screen protector is a nice touch", is the Tempered Glass Screen Protector? You have to buy it with the phone to get it? Or it's a courtesy?"
PA: The pre-applied screen protector is a regular one and not a tempered glass one. You will most likely remove it shortly after you get the phone since it doesn't cover the whole screen and the edge that forms does not feel good to the touch.
PA: Yes, it supports OTG, and no, it does not feel light in the hand. We too like phones that feel solid in the hand.
E.Rehan: "Does OnePlus 3T support OTG? Does it feel light in the hand? I prefer phones a little heavy."
PA: Yes, it supports OTG, and no, it does not feel light in the hand. We too like phones that feel solid in the hand.
antmiu2: "OnePlus 3T or Nexus 6P ?"
PA: Interesting question. The OnePlus 3T is much more compact and future-proof in terms of hardware, but the Nexus 6P has a higher-res screen, stereo speakers, and is entitled to better software support. We guess you can go wrong with neither.
avalon2105: "Does this phone have anything over S7 or G5? I can go to a shop 10 minutes walking distance from my house and buy S7 for the price of 128GB 3T (actually 1€ cheaper before additional import tax and customs fee) or G5 for 100€ less. Where does this phone's appeal come from?"
PA: You might want to get a OnePlus 3T if performance is important to you - its beefier specs paired with the lightweight interface are a great combination that pretty much gives you a better value for your hard-earned cash. On the other hand, the Galaxy S7 and the G5 will treat you to better camera experience, expandable storage, and so on.
Andr01d: "Do you know if this device will be Daydream compatible? I do know the display is not good enough, but will it be compatible? It would really be a bummer for me if it was not since I am a huge VR fan and Daydream does look very, very good.
Phonelover123321: "Will it support Daydream?"
Phonelover123321: "Will it support Daydream?"
PA: As we answered above, the OnePlus 3T is not going support Daydream at any point. This got revealed by OnePlus in a recent AMA hosted on Reddit. Let's be real, VR content wouldn't look great on a Full HD display panel, would it?
Aaron from OnePlus confirms the OnePlus 3T won't support Daydream
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