Oneplus 3t Review

Introduction

OnePlus has always been one of those companies on the mobile scene, you just can’t help but root for. At least to some degree, that is. A small company with big dreams, throwing around lofty titles, like “the flagship killer” and talking of a price revolution that is just around the corner.

The best part is that the tiny phone maker mostly delivered on its first viral-marketing promises. The OnePlus One kick-started a brand new and highly competitive niche market segment for value-driven devices with high-end specs. Even more impressively, it mostly managed to keep the dice rolling with the OnePlus 2 and OnePlus 3 as well.

The OnePlus 3T is still an amazing value device that embodies the original company spirit and the “never settle” attitude.

Key features

• 5.5″ Optic AMOLED display of 1080p resolution; 401ppi; Corning Gorilla Glass 4; Metal back in Gunmetal or Soft Gold color
• Snapdragon 821 SoC (2x Kryo at 2.35GHz and 2x Kryo at 1.6GHz cores); Adreno 530 GPU, clocked at 653 MHz; 6GB RAM;
• 64/128 GB fast UFS 2.0 storage;
• 16MP f/2.0 main camera with OIS and phase detection autofocus, single LED flash; sapphire lens; 2160p video at 30fps; 1080p at 60fps;
• 16MP f/2.0 front-facing camera; 1080p video;
• 4G LTE; Dual-SIM support; Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; Bluetooth 4.2; NFC; GPS, GLONASS and BDS; Fingerprint reader; USB Type-C connector;
• Oxygen OS, based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow;
• 3,400mAh non-removable battery;
• Fast battery charging: 60% in 30 min (Dash Charge);

Main shortcomings

• No microSD card slot

We’ve been witnessing an increase in the base price for each generation of OnePlus phones. But the question whether this is due to rise in demand or due to the increased company expenses for development, sales, marketing, and after-sales support is open to interpretation.

If it’s the latter reason, we can’t find any fault with OnePlus readjusting for the increased scale of their business, but we hope that doesn’t mean the end of the “Never settle” mentality.

Thankfully, despite the turbulent growth, OnePlus hasn’t lost its touch. The OnePlus 3T is still a great device with fantastic value. We just have our doubts about whether the upgrades are worth the price premium over the no.

OnePlus 3T 

This is where personal preferences and brand expectations kick in and star polarizing the crowd. For some, the new selfie camera, slightly faster chipset, bigger battery and a new color don’t justify the extra €40, but for others – the price hike feels inevitable as OnePlus grows to the status of an established manufacturers and begins offering a higher quality service.

If you are okay with what the original OnePlus 3 offers, then make sure you get one now as this model will only be available while the current supplies last.

For the rest of you, who are tempted by the latest devices to come out of the innovative Chinese manufacturer, join us as we try and quantify the upgrades value of the new product from a practical perspective.

Display

This is yet another department, which OnePlus approached with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality and thankfully so. A 5.5-inch panel still seems to be right in the sweet spot for many mobile users – especially on the Asian markets.

As for the choice of 1080p resolution, at the risk of fueling the seemingly endless flame war on the matter, we still firmly believe that you don’t need more pixels. Plus, there is the battery life benefit of using the lower screen resolution, and with OpenGL ES 3.1 gaming becoming even more advanced in graphics, the GPU will appreciate the extra breathing room. Just stick around for the graphics benchmarks if you don’t believe us.

The AMOLED panel in question comes courtesy of Samsung and is specially made for the OnePlus, hence the Optic AMOLED moniker. Still, it looks just as gorgeous as any other Samsung Super AMOLED panel, and unless you place it next to a QHD phone, the difference between the two is hardly noticeable. Sure, the diamond pentile pixel arrangement isn’t the best possible choice, but the screen more than makes up for that with its great contrast.

What we will touch upon instead is the VR argument. Yes, 1080p is not ideal for virtual reality, and yes, OnePlus does have a VR headset, of sorts – the Loop VR Headset. However, the company has made it clear that from its standpoint, strapping a phone to your forehead is more of a gimmick than a viable approach to VR in its current form, and as such is not considered a priority. We agree, these are some rather mixed messages they are sending, but then again, the VR headset in question is merely a fancy Google Cardboard-style viewer, so the whole thing is more for show and marketing than anything else.

Anyway, back to the Optic AMOLED panel. It offers a quite respectable 401ppi, and at 439 nits at full blast, it is bright enough for most scenarios. That is even a few nits brighter than the 433nits, which we managed to register on the original OnePlus 3. Contrast is naturally great, given the AMOLED technology and the perfectly deep blacks associated with it.

Display test	100% brightness
	Black, cd/m2	White, cd/m2	Contrast ratio
OnePlus 2	0.30	399	1334
OnePlus 3	0.00	433	∞
OnePlus 3T	0.00	447	∞
Xiaomi Mi Note 2	0.005	341	68200
Xiaomi Mi 5	0.51	628	1227
Xiaomi Mi 5s	0.51	660	1294
Xiaomi Redmi Pro	0.00	408	∞
Asus Zenfone 3 ZE552KL	0.45	607	1349
LeEco Le Max 2	0.30	426	1444
ZTE Axon 7	0.00	352	∞
nubia Z11	0.43	513	1196
LG G5	0.17	306	1855
Meizu PRO 6	0.01	360	40000
Meizu MX6	0.34	457	1344
Huawei Honor 8	0.34	374	1101
Huawei P9	0.46	500	1094
Huawei P9 Plus	0.00	400	∞
Huawei Mate 8	0.346	471	1361
Lenovo Moto Z Droid	0.00	371	∞

Sunlight legibility is superb. The panel on the OnePlus 3T surpasses most of Samsung’s 2015 offers in this respect and is up to par with its current models.

Sunlight contrast ratio

• Sort by Label
• Sort by Value
• Expand

• OnePlus 34.424
• OnePlus 3T4.232
• ZTE Axon 74.154
• Huawei P9 Plus3.956
• Xiaomi Redmi Pro3.798
• Meizu PRO 63.659
• nubia Z113.466
• Xiaomi Mi 5s3.276
• Xiaomi Mi 53.24
• Huawei P93.195
• Huawei Mate 82.949
• LG G52.905
• Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus2.884
• Meizu MX62.751
• LeEco Le Max 22.567
• Asus Zenfone 3 ZE552KL2.563
• OnePlus Two2.165

Along with the choice of screen resolution, color accuracy was another big point over which the OnePlus 3 was criticized. Punchy AMOLED colors are somewhat more appealing to a broader customer audience, which was the reasoning. However, OnePlus quickly found a way to offer a more accurate color rendering mode – called sRGB.

With the OnePlus 3T the option is more easily accessible. It does a great job of delivering accurate colors, with an average deltaE as low as 2.8 and a maximum of 5.5. The image does look a bit bland in this mode, so if the punchy screen is what you are after, then the default mode can deliver plenty of that.

Connectivity

The OnePlus 3T is a Dual-SIM device, just like its sibling and predecessor. It takes two nano SIM cards, and neither of the SIM slots is a hybrid one, and it won’t take a microSD. However, we are a lot more willing to let it slide this time around since there is a 128GB version.

There is LTE on board as well. It comes courtesy of Qualcomm’s current flagship chip, the Snapdragon 821, with Cat.6 speeds of up to 300 Mbps downstream and a rich combination of HSPDA and LTE bands, making the OnePlus 3T a truly global device.

There’s a full set of a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi standards on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot and DLNA media sharing on supported TVs and PCs. There is also Bluetooth 4.2 added to the mix.

The USB Type-C connector is quickly becoming the industry standard and OnePlus was quite ahead of the curve in this department, adopting it as far back as the OnePlus 2. However, we still can’t get over the fact that there is a USB 2.0 controller, standing behind this modern connector.

Battery

Changing gears quickly, as if to wash away the minor USB disappointment, the 3,400 mAh battery in the OnePlus 3T is quite the engineering feat. The most impressive thing about it is that the extra battery capacity doesn’t come at the expense of neither added weight nor volume.

The OnePlus 3T managed to clock in a really impressive 83 hours of endurance rating. This is even more impressive when we consider what we have seen from previous OnePlus phones – 66 hours on the OnePlus 3, 61 hours total on the OnePlus 2 and exactly 66 hours on the original OnePlus One as well. This is a solid achievement by the OnePlus 3, as it does have a smaller battery than its predecessors. However, the OnePlus 3T makes really good use of the extra 400 mAh as well. Standby times saw the biggest improvements, while things like web browsing, video playback and 3G talk time, came out just as optimized as in previous OnePlus software iterations.

As for charging, there is the excellent Dash technology. We already touched upon it briefly, and the hype really is justified. If you use the Dash charger and cable included in the box, you can quickly pump up to 20W of power into the OnePlus 3T.

The technology also rules out overheating, which one could naturally expect with such a current going in the phone. On the technical side of things, this is achieved through a clever segmentation system, which allows the sub-parts of the battery to be charged independently in parallel (Oppo’s VOOC charging).

The Dash system is so efficient that it practically eliminated the need for overnight charging while we tested the device. 30 minutes on the charger consistently got us from a dead battery up to 60%. Not only that but 60% in 30 minutes was valid both for the OnePlus 3 and the new “T” variant, despite the difference in battery capacity.

Snapdragon 821 is faster all around

As already mentioned, OnePlus focused its efforts on upgrading the internals of the handset. Some aspects of this hardware refresh are a little bit more visible than others, like the new 128GB storage option or the higher megapixel front camera. The new Snapdragon 821 chipset is a little bit harder to distinguish from its Snapdragon 820 sibling at first glance. However, it does constitute a notable upgrade all around.

Firstly, there is the matter of the higher max clock rate of two of the Kryo cores inside. Admittedly, this probably won’t have groundbreaking effect on real-world performance. But in a benchmark scenario, where the CPU is being pushed to the limit, the difference definitely shows.

GeekBench 4 (multi-core)

Higher is better

 

• Samsung Galaxy S7    5245
• OnePlus 3T                   4364
• Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus       4333
• Lenovo Moto Z Droid  4130
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)  4128

Looking at GeekBench, we can clearly see the OnePlus 3T hold its own and easily surpass its OnePlus 3 sibling. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Huawei Mate 8 seem to be enjoying better multi-core optimization with their respective custom chipset solutions. However, as far as Snapdragon 820 devices go, we can clearly see the OnePlus 3 blows away contenders like the Qualcomm-powered Galaxy S7 and the Xiaomi Mi 5. The OnePlus 3T is even better at it.

Sure, Huawei’s silicon appears to be acing multi-core performance tests along with some rare MediaTek chipsets such as the Helio X25. However, within the popular Qualcomm realm, nothing can currently compete with the raw power of the Snapdragon 821.

But, chances are, most users aren’t going to be running a lot of complex mathematical computations on their new phone. Luckily, performance boosts in the OnePlus 3T extend beyond simple number-crunching power to deliver a more fluent and pleasant experience as a whole.

A quick look at the all-round AnTuTu benchmark, clearly shows the OnePlus 3T is ahead of the pack. Also, something as simple as a real-life application launch time test next to the older OnePlus 3 or many other contemporary Android devices, often shows a significant improvement (granted, not scientifically measured).

AnTuTu 6

Higher is better

• OnePlus 3T    165097
• Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus155185
• Lenovo Moto Z Droid151619
• OnePlus 3141764
• LG G5134541
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)132849
• Samsung Galaxy S7132084
• Xiaomi Mi 5131758
• Xiaomi Mi 5s131666
• ZTE Axon 7129926
• LeEco Le Max 2129461
• Nubia Z11129099
• Meizu Pro 699195
• Huawei P998069
• Huawei P9 Plus97392
• Huawei Honor 894892
• Meizu MX692377
• Huawei Mate 891609
• Xiaomi Redmi Pro77442
• Asus Zenfone 3 ZE552KL63358

Now, there are actually quite a few aspects at play here. Besides the CPU clock speed boost, the MSM8996 Snapdragon 821 also operates its Adreno 530 GPU at a higher frequency. More on that a little bit later. The RAM interface frequency and maximum bandwidth has also been increased from 1333 MHz or 21.3GB/s to 1866 MHz or 29.8 GB/s. However, we have no real indications that OnePlus changed the 6GB LPDDR4 chips, powering the handset. They are most-likely identical to the ones in the OnePlus 3.

Something that did definitely change, however, is the device’s default file system. Now, this is a harder subject to investigate, but a few fellow tech reviewers have managed to determine that the two OnePlus 3 models use the same snappy UFS 2.0 NAND storage chips. However, whereas the vanilla OnePlus 3 still uses EXT4 as a file system, on the OnePlus 3T, F2FS is now the standard.

The latter has been making the rounds in various custom ROM communities, including the OnePlus one, going as far back as the original OnePlus One handset. It appears the real-world benefits from using the more efficient file system are tangible. Cold-starting many demanding apps is a few seconds quicker on the OnePlus 3T, over its sibling on these grounds alone.

Basemark OS II

Higher is better

• OnePlus 3T3328
• Lenovo Moto Z Droid2698
• OnePlus 32677
• Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus2677
• Nubia Z112591
• Xiaomi Mi 5s2507
• LeEco Le Max 22494
• Xiaomi Mi 52444
• LG G52425
• Huawei P92190
• Huawei P9 Plus2155
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)2045
• Huawei Mate 82033
• Huawei Honor 82029
• Samsung Galaxy S72004
• ZTE Axon 71889
• Xiaomi Redmi Pro1648
• Meizu Pro 61446
• Meizu MX61203

Basemark OS 2.0

Higher is better

• Sort by Label
• Sort by Value

• Lenovo Moto Z Droid2690
• OnePlus 3T2678
• Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus2434
• Xiaomi Mi 5s2378
• OnePlus 32365
• Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)2352
• ZTE Axon 72346
• Xiaomi Mi 52180
• Samsung Galaxy S72128
• Huawei P9 Plus2099
• Huawei Honor 82099
• Huawei P92068
• LG G52065
• LeEco Le Max 22063
• Huawei Mate 82017
• Meizu Pro 61919
• Nubia Z111790
• Xiaomi Redmi Pro1696
• Meizu MX6469

However, that being said, it is also important to note that this should not be written off as an advantage of the refreshed model. OnePlus has promised to bring the F2FS file system to the older device as well, once Nougat hits and both devices end up on the same software and update path. This should effectively shrink the storage performance difference between the pair. In fact, if you are currently using a OnePlus 3 unit and are feeling adventurous, you can pick up the latest community build of Oxygen OS and experience the performance difference for yourself.

Moving on to graphics, it is hardly surprising to see that the Adreno 530 copes a lot better when tasked to only push pixels in 1080p resolution, as opposed to QHD. This has always been a polarizing aspect on the OnePlus line, especially in 2016. However, like we already mentioned, we stand firm behind our belief that 1080p is perfectly sharp on a 5.5-inch panel and the power-efficiency and performance benefits are undeniable.

Furthermore, the Adreno 530 inside the Snapdragon 821 is now clocked at 653 Mhz, compared to the 510 MHz, inside the older Snapdragon 820. This shines through in the benchmark runs as well.

Seeing all the scores so far, one thing is clear. Few phones can come close to the OnePlus 3T price/performance ratio. The original OnePlus 3 is still an amazingly capable device that won’t disappoint even the most demanding power user. However, it is undeniable that the OnePlus 3T is the most powerful device by OnePlus yet.

Powerful 16MP snapper

On paper, the OnePlus 3T main camera is yet another department, which OnePlus decided to carry over from the vanilla sibling. This is a good thing too since both phones offer a solid camera experience.

That being said, however, mobile camera capabilities have come a long way, especially in the last few months, so what we are trying to say is that perhaps the camera of the OnePlus 3T is not competitive today as it was on the OnePlus 3.

It is still a solid snapper by any means and it performs consistently and reliably under all conditions. It seldom requires more than a single attempt to capture the desired shot.

The camera utilizes the same Sony IMX298 sensor, which is not Sony’s cutting-edge offer but is still good enough to power some other excellent flagship cameras, like the Xiaomi Mi 5 and the Huawei Mate 8. The very same sensor is also found in the Oppo R9 and R9 Plus, the ZTE Nubia Z11 family as well as the Vivo Xplay 5 and the XPlay 5 Elite.

The 16MP camera has a 1.12 µm pixel size and an aperture of f/2.0. The sensor measures 1/2.8″. It is also OIS-enabled and has a single LED flash at its disposal.

As for the selfie camera, OnePlus has decided to offer an upgrade. The simple 8MP camera in the OnePlus 3 has been swapped for a 16MP one in the OnePlus 3T. The new snapper has a f/2.0 aperture, but don’t expect anything too fancy in terms of performance. The snapper is still fixed-focus, and there is no front-facing flash. Then again, OnePlus has never really advertised a stellar selfie experience.

But let’s start by telling you more about the camera UI. The default camera app is based on the stock Android solution and is about as straightforward and streamlined as it gets. On the surface, it even looks to be missing some features, and there are a couple of things we would have liked to see, like still resolution control and perhaps some filters. However, those do seem to be the only absent pieces.

Simple camera interface

Other than that, you have the most important toggles close at hand – flash, HDR and Oxygen OS’s HQ mode in stills and only the LED control under video. The quick setting button next to the shutter release holds a few extra things, like aspect or video resolution control, the self-timer and the grid.

Other more obscure settings such as geotagging, preferred storage and the shutter sound are all hidden away in the settings menu. There is even RAW support that saves files alongside the compressed ones, so the camera is undoubtedly full-featured.

Extra camera modes

There are also quite a few modes for you to experiment with. Besides the usual Photo and Video, there is also Panorama for stills, Time-lapse and Slow motion for video. Then there is the powerful Manual mode. It offers granular control over ISO, contrast, shutter speed and focus and it works really well. We particularly like the fact that a convenient auto setting is still left in all the sliders.

Powerful Manual mode

Regarding image quality, the OnePlus 3T may have the same camera hardware as the OnePlus 3 but it comes with a new factory tuning. In-camera sharpening is more prominent now. Noise reduction is dialed back, and there is noticeable noise from as low as ISO 100. The level of detail is higher than the OnePlus 3 in most scenarios and especially in high ISO scenarios. Edge-to-edge sharpness and contrast are superior to the OnePlus 3. The result is impressively sharp and pleasant looking images and we really can’t ask for more out of a €440 handset.

The camera offers consistent performance and most of the time it just worked. We rarely found ourselves having to re-shoot a specific scene. Most often than not, we didn’t need to adjust anything and the Auto mode worked just fine for most occasions.

OnePlus 3T samples

Auto HDR worked great during our testing and managed to kick in just in time. The processing itself is also very mature, definitely not too excessive. We also appreciate the on-screen notification whenever Auto HDR kicks in. This way you are always clear exactly what the camera app is doing.

HDR off • HDR on • HDR off • HDR on

HDR off • HDR on • HDR off • HDR on

HDR off • HDR auto • HDR on

And if you happen to fancy a little bit of extra processing, the OnePlus 3T is more than happy to deliver upon request. The HQ toggle in the camera app does just that – it enables some additional enhancement algorithms that try to recover some of the finer detail that might have gone missing.

HQ off • HQ on

In broad daylight the effect of the HQ mode is perhaps too subtle to make a difference. However, in low light conditions, it works amazingly well. You can think of it as a per-request extra processing mode. When turned on it tries to remove as much of the noise it can and then recover the detail.

Panorama mode works great with practically no trace of stitching, misalignment or other artifacts.

Panorama samples

Final words

OnePlus has really come a long way since 2014. Only a few years ago, the manufacturer was busy riling up people, shouting bold claims like “the flagship killer” and desperately trying to rise from obscurity through any guerilla marketing stunt available. And somehow, it all eventually clicked, and today, the company’s smartphones are eagerly anticipated and widely discussed.

The kid is all grown up now and although the “never settle” mentality is still alive and well, the business is now way past handing out invitations and carefully micro-managing production and shipping iterations. The up-sizing is a fact and with it the new market realities. But with everything said and done, we aren’t at all willing to write off the OnePlus 3T as nothing more than a needless rehash to pave the way for the infamous price hike.

On the contrary. After spending quite a lot of time with the handset, the little things definitely start to shine through. OnePlus has somehow made what was already a great device an even better one and the €40 price premium is well justified in our book.

OnePlus 3T key test findings

• The gorgeous and sturdy design of the OnePlus 3 is thankfully preserved, along with the 7.35mm profile. OnePlus has magically increased the battery capacity at zero cost to both weight and volume. The camera lens now has a sapphire outer glass for extra durability. The fingerprint reader works just as well as before.
• The display is still very sharp at 401ppi, despite its 1080p resolution. Sunlight legibility is good and so is color accuracy as the sRGB mode provides great factory color calibration. With a maximum brightness of 439 nits, the panel is reasonably bright.
• There is still no microSD slot, but the new 128GB tier makes it easier to swallow. The Type-C interfaced USB is still stuck at version 2.0.
• Thanks to the bigger battery capacity and probably some software optimizations, the OnePlus 3T scored an endurance rating of 83 hours, which is a big improvement over the 66 hours by the vanilla OnePlus 3.
• Oxygen OS 3.1.2 is fast and very clean, almost stock. It features only a few extra features, like gestures. Most core apps come from the standard Google package. The new Deep clear option is great.
• Performance is even better now that the Snapdragon 821 is doing the work. Two of the four Kryo cores now have a higher clock speed, and so does the Adreno 530 GPU. Combined with the 1080p resolution on the panel, these make the OnePlus 3T a gaming powerhouse hard to match. The new F2FS file system really makes a difference to real-life performance and utilizes the fast UFS 2.0 storage better.
• We rated the loudspeaker loudness as Good, although not spectacular in any way.
• Audio output quality through the jack is excellent with an active external amplifier, and only a slight dip in stereo quality is present with headphones.
• The 16MP main camera performs consistently great. It’s the same camera hardware as on the OnePlus 3 but it comes with a new factory tuning, which is more mature. The images are sharper than the OnePlus 3, especially in high ISO scenarios.
• Both 2160p and 1080p videos have received a bump in bitrate and look very good. The former has no shortage of detail, but the latter could still use some more. 1080p @ 60 fps is added to the mix as well. The video stabilization isn’t terrific. The 1080p video recording viewfinder needs fixing as it doesn’t show the entire frame.

Even after the price readjustment, the OnePlus 3T price to performance ratio is still hard to beat. The original OnePlus One disrupted the market when it came out, and the mobile scene has arguably been better for it ever since. As a result, there is some strong competition in the €400-450 price range. Better yet, it is not at all unreasonable to expect cutting-edge specs in this price point.

The first contender that comes to mind is the ZTE Axon 7. Value-wise, it definitely doesn’t lack behind the OnePlus 3T. It is all metal, with a 5.5-inch, QHD, AMOLED panel, Snapdragon 820 SoC, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. You do, however, get a microSD card slot with this one and the build-in powerful stereo speakers offer one of the best audio experiences currently on the market. However, if you go for the ZTE, you will be sacrificing some of the perceivable brand coolness, along with a fair bit of battery capacity and a truly decluttered software experience. Price-wise, there is practically no difference.

Speaking of ZTE, we can’t fail to mention the Nubia Z11 either. The pricing is right and so are the internals – Snapdragon 820, 4GB to 6GB of RAM and 64GB to 128GB of storage. The 1080p LCD panel is somewhat of a downgrade, but, overall, it is definitely a device worth considering.

ZTE Axon 7 • ZTE nubia Z11

Continuing with other compelling offers out of China, we inevitably come to Xiaomi. Of course, a quick warning up front, availability, support and added shipping and import costs are always a concern here. To be fair, in some cases, this can apply to ZTE or Huawei handsets as well. But considering the difference in international availability, you are far less likely to find a a Xiaomi offer easily accessible at a web store near you.

Th extra hassle will be rewarded, with an unmatched value for money ratio. Starting well below the EUR 400 mark, the Mi 5s Plus is a smartphone to be reckoned with. The 5.7-inch, FullHD, LCD handset packs a Snapdragon 821 SoC as well and up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. On top of that, you get Xiaomi’s intriguing dual 13MP camera setup as well. If you fancy something smaller and less expensive, the regular Xiaomi Mi 5s is practically the same, minus the fancy camera. You can get all 5.15 inches of it, starting at as little as EUR 300. And for even more savings, Xiaomi will be happy to sell you the Mi 5.

And there is another Xiaomi option still – the new Mi Note 2. Starting at about EUR 50 more than the OnePlus 3T, this is an excellent device and about as close you are going to get to the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 aesthetic, now that the latter is no more. With a Snapdragon 821 SoC, up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and a 5.7-inch OLED panel, the Mi Note 2 checks all the right boxes.

Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus • Xiaomi Mi 5s • Xiaomi Mi 5 • Xiaomi Mi Note 2

Huawei has a few competitive offers in the €400 niche. The Huawei P9 is an excellent option. It packs a 5.2-inch, 1080p, LCD display, a HiSilicon Kirin 955 SoC and up to 4GB of RAM and 64 GB of expandable storage. There is an excellent Leica-powered dual-camera experience to go along with that as well.

If you don’t mind loosing the Leica branding and just a little bit of performance, the Huawei Honor 8 has you covered on all other bases. Plus, it looks great in blue. Interestingly enough, Huawei’s Honor Note 8 should also allow you to stay below the €400 mark. It is frankly a little unwieldy with its 6.6-inch panel, but there are many upsides to be had. Said panel is QHD and of the Super AMOLED variety. Underneath the hood is the same Kirin 955 SoC, 4GB of RAM and up to 128BG of storage.

Huawei P9 • Huawei Honor 8 • Huawei Honor Note 8

Meizu has a few handsets to offer as well. The Pro 6s and Pro 6 both hit the 5.2-inch mark, with 1080p Super AMOLED panels. There are some differences in the camera department to note between the pair and that is reflected in the price tag as well.

You can go lower too with the Meizu MX 6. It has a 5.5-inch, FullHD, LCD display and a slightly slower Helio X20 chipset.

Meizu Pro 6s • Meizu Pro 6 • Meizu MX6

Other notable mentions include the Alcatel Idol 4S. With a Snapdragon 652 SoC, it is definitely less powerful than the likes of the OnePlus 3T or even its vanilla sibling. However, you do get a 5.5-inch QHD panel, which should be a perfect fit for the company’s VR headset, which just happens to be bundled with every unit. Then there is the LG G5 to consider, which has been depreciating in value quite rapidly. Also, the well-specked LeEco Le Max 2 and ZUK Z2 Pro. But those are admittedly pretty obscure offers.

alcatel Idol 4s • LG G5 • LeEco Le Max 2 • Lenovo ZUK Z2

All things considered, we wouldn’t hesitate twice to recommend the OnePlus 3T to virtually any prospective phone buyer. In terms of value alone, it is currently among the most compelling offers out there. And when you factor in the bonus of a strong community backing and support, you end up with what is a nearly perfect package.

Link to buy :

India : http://www.amazon.in/OnePlus-3T-Gunmetal-64GB/

USA : https://www.amazon.com/Oneplus-Gunmetal-International-Version-Unlocked/