OnePlus 6T vs OnePlus 5T: What’s new?

OnePlus 6T vs OnePlus 5T: A year on, what’s new?

The ‘T’ mid-cycle upgrade has become a staple of OnePlus’ release schedule. Typically, it takes the bones of the main flagship and updates one of the main features. For instance, the OnePlus 3T improved the processor and the OnePlus 5T offered a new display.

At an event in New York City the Chinese company unveiled its latest ‘T’ device, the OnePlus 6T. This replaces the OnePlus 6 that was announced earlier in the year.

But if you’re currently using a OnePlus 5T should you be looking to upgrade to the OnePlus 6T? Let’s take a look and see what’s new.

OnePlus 6T vs OnePlus 5T – Specs and Camera

OnePlus devices are known for offering high-end specs in affordable packages and was the case with both the 5T and newer OnePlus 6. The OnePlus 5T is powered by the Snapdragon 835, paired with either 6BG or 8GB RAM and 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storage options.

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For the OnePlus 6T the RAM remains the same at 6GB or 8GB, but the SoC (system on a chip) has been upgraded to the newer, faster Snapdragon 845. The 64GB storage option has been ditched too, with 128GB and 256GB being the only options now. Pick your modelwisely, as there’s no expandable storage here at all.

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The 3300mAh battery from the OnePlus 5T has been replaced by a larger 3700 mAh cell for the OnePlus 6T. OnePlus Fast Charge over USB-C is here too and it remains one of the quickest charging solutions on any phone we’ve reviewed.

One of the biggest areas where we’ve found OnePlus phones wanting in the past is in the camera. They haven’t been bad, more but it’s always been the one area OnePlus handsets haven’t impressed on. Both the OnePlus 5T and OnePlus 6T have two cameras on the back, one with 16-megapixels and one with 20-megapixels. There’s also an f/1.7 aperture on each of the cameras. Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) is also onboard.

We haven’t had enough time with the OnePlus 6T to directly compare the snaps to the 5T, but we’ll update this page with our findings when we do.

	OnePlus 6T	OnePlus 5T
Size	157.5 x 74.9 x 8.2 mm	156.1 x 75 x 7.3 mm
Weight	180g	162g
Main camera	16+20MP, f/.1.7, EIS	16+20MP, f/.1.7, EIS
Selfie camera	16MP	16MP
Display	6.4-inch, FHD+, AMOLED	6.0-inch, FHD+, AMOLED
Processor	Snapdragon 845	Snapdragon 835
RAM	6/8GB RAM	6/8GB RAM
Battery	3700 mAh, Fast Charge, USB-C	3300 mAh, Fast Charge, USB-C
Software	Android 9.0 Pie	Android 9.0 Pie (available as an update)

That secondary camera is primarily there for the portrait mode, helping to more accurately blur the background and keep the foreground in focus.

The specs haven’t changed too much in the camera between these two phones, but OnePlus has instead focused on the software. It’s improved its HDR mode and added a dedicated night setting for boosting low-light performance. There’s support for 4K 60fps video recording on the OnePlus 6T too.

OnePlus 6T vs OnePlus 5T – A bigger screen with an in-display scanner

The OnePlus 5T was the first OnePlus phone to switch to the now common 18:9 aspect-ratio, thinning the bezel and extending the display. A year on and the OnePlus 6T takes this idea even further. The display is now 6.4-inches as opposed to 6-inches and features a small notch at the top that houses the front camera. The speaker and microphone now reside on the top of the phone.

Another new feature of the display is a fingerprint sensor under the surface, replacing the rear-mounted version on previous devices. The sensor is joined by face unlock, however this is also available on the 5T.

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Both phones sport FHD+ resolutions and use AMOLED tech for their respective displays. This offers better contrast and richer colours when compared to LCD and means OnePlus has managed to employ excellent displays in both relatively affordable phones.

The rest of the design of the 6T hasn’t changed too much from the 5T. There’s still no official water-resistance rating, no wireless charging and the launch colour remains black. Glass is now the material of choice for the entire device though, as opposed to the mixture of glass and metal on the OnePlus 5T. There’s also no headphone jack on the new phone.

To offset the lack of a 3.5mm headphone port OnePlus includes an adaptor that’ll plug into the USB-C socket and will sell a pair of its Bullet headphones with a USB-C cable.

OnePlus 6T vs OnePlus 5T – What’s the difference in price and should you upgrade?

OnePlus phones have always offered impressive specs for a good price, and that continues with the 6T. It starts at £499 for the 6GB RAM/128GB storage option, jumping to £529 for the 8GB model and £579 for 8GB RAM/256GB.

When it launched a year ago the OnePlus 5T retailed for £449 for the 6GB/64GB model, rising to £499 for the 8GB/128GB variety. It’s no longer available directly from OnePlus, but can be picked up from Amazon for £539.99 – though we wouldn’t recommend paying anywhere near that for the 5T.

The OnePlus 5T remains a great phone and one that still comfortably gets the job done a year later. The OnePlus 6T does, however, have loads of improvements: an upgraded camera, bigger battery and a sleeker design.

Excited about the new OnePlus 6T or sticking with your OnePlus 5T? Let us know on Twitter. @Trustedreviews.