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Introduction
If the letter T is OnePlus' way of branding an interim half-generation upgrade, why isn't this latest one named the 5TT? Yes, we're talking about the OnePlus 6, and a quick look at the specs will tell you what we are on about. Still let's not dwell on what hasn't changed and focus instead on what has.
First off, there's a notch. The 5T brought a tall 18:9 display, the 6 takes it to the next level with a 19:9 aspect and a cutout up top for the classic phone bits. It's still AMOLED ('Optic AMOLED' OnePlus calls it), and it's still 1080px on the short side, but this time 120px more on the long end - subtracting those gone under the notch, of course.
A major design change sees the back now made of glass, but sadly no wireless charging has come with that, for those that care. There's no explicit IP rating either, though official materials and teardowns have mentioned some waterproofing measures.
The secondary camera on the back is the same and it hasn't magically started making sense to us a few months into the 5T's existence. The good news is the primary module has been upgraded - a detail you could easily miss seeing the same pixel count. The 16MP sensor is now bigger (1/2.6" vs. 1/2.8") and the bright f/1.7 aperture lens is stabilized - we'll go with 'kudos, OnePlus' instead of 'about time' since we're positive like that.
OnePlus 6 specs
- Body: Aluminum frame, glass back, 2.5D Gorilla Glass 5 display glass. Mirror Black, Midnight Black, Silk White color schemes.
- Display: 6.28" Optic AMOLED, 2,280x1,080px resolution, 19:9 aspect ratio, 402ppi; sRGB/DCI-P3 color space support.
- Rear cameras: Main camera: Sony IMX519 1/2.6" sensor, 16MP, 1.22µm pixel size, f/1.7 aperture, phase detection autofocus, OIS, EIS. Secondary camera: Sony IMX376K sensor, 20MP, 1.0µm pixel size, f/1.7 aperture. 2160p/60fps video recording, 1080p/240fps or 720p/480fps slow motion
- Front camera: Sony IMX371 sensor, 16MP, 1.0µm pixel size, f/2.0 aperture; 1080p/30fps video recording.
- OS/Software: Android 8.1 Oreo; OxygenOS custom overlay.
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845: octa-core CPU (4x2.7 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver), Adreno 630 GPU.
- Memory: 6/8GB of LPDDR4X RAM; 64/128/256GB UFS 2.1 storage.
- Battery: 3,300mAh Li-Po (sealed); Dash Charge proprietary fast charging (5V/4A).
- Connectivity: Dual SIM; 4-Band carrier aggregation, LTE Cat.16/13 (1024Mbps/150Mbps); USB Type-C (v2.0); Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo; NFC; Bluetooth 5.0.
- Misc: Rear-mounted fingerprint reader; single speaker on the bottom; 3.5mm jack; tri-position Alert Slider.
Naturally, the latest top-grade Snapdragon is in charge, with the base model OP6 packing 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, and you can step up to 8GB of RAM and 128/256GB of storage (the 5/5T topped out at 8/128GB). No microSD slot, of course, the OnePlus X was a one-off in this respect.
The latest-gen OnePlus phone comes with yet another price bump - once again minor, but they've been adding up. Yet, with the big players going for much bigger price hikes lately, it appears OnePlus can get away with it. Let's have a look at what you'd be getting for your bills.
OnePlus 6 unboxing
Removing the white cardboard lid reveals a red box with the phone on top. Inside, you'll find the Dash charger and cable, both of which you need if you want the ultra-fast charging. Here's the jist of it: proprietary standards - bad, 1:15h from 0% to 100% - good. Having a 3.5mm jack means no #donglelife, so that's about everything you'll find in the box - there are no earbuds bundled here.
Oh, wait - OnePlus has thrown in a soft transparent silicone case to protect that glass back. And protect the back it will, plus thanks to its raised corners on the front it will also keep your display a good millimeter away from the table surface if you're the type who leaves your phone face down. Then again, if that's the case you should probably consider speaking to someone about it - it's not natural.
Design and 360-degree spin
With the 6, OnePlus is making the switch to glass even if our review unit might be giving off an aluminum vibe. It goes by 'Midnight black' in OnePlus speak and it has been achieved through corrosion of the glass, creating tiny holes. The end result is that it looks a lot like the old 5T.
It doesn't quite feel like it, though - it's even more slippery. We'd go so far as to say it's among the most slippery phones we've held on to - or rather, worked hard to hold on to. The bundled silicone case sure helps provide some security, taking away from the looks in the process.
The glossy-as-you'd-expect Mirror Black version should be easier to keep safe, though inevitably much more prone to accumulating fingerprints. That's the real upside of the matte finish - it stays looking clean. The Silk White is closer in feel to the Midnight Black than it is to the Mirror one.
Moving on, the OnePlus 6 marks a return to the center-mounted camera after the 5 and 5T's fling with a top left corner position. Now everything is along the same axis - the flash is below the camera, the fingerprint reader under them, and last - a 1+ logo. Simple, clean and tidy.
We have this one little complaint - perhaps a little more depth could have given your fingers some more tactile clues where to find the sensor. As it is, it's a bit too flat, and takes some getting used to. The case does give it more definition, but even without it you'd get used to after some time.
A couple of things we've come to associate with glass-backed phones are wireless charging and dust and water resistance. Well, the OnePlus 6 doesn't do the former, and doesn't have an official IP rating. It does say on its website that the phone should be fine in the rain, though OP is quick to advise against submersion. We'd imagine the company wants to avoid the customer service and publicity nightmare that a drowned OP6 could bring.
No coil underneath the matte glass • Optic AMOLED 6.28" display • Settling for a notch
Anyways, over on the front there's the 6.28-inch AMOLED display, complete with rounded corners and a notch. Inside the notch OP has fitted all the usual top-bezel stuff - the earpiece, camera, ambient light and proximity sensors are here, as is a notification LED, yay!
Why is there a notch up top, if there's a bezel on the bottom, you can hear us mumble even though at this point we've come to accept the fad. Whatever's happening under the display, it's underneath the surface, there's nothing to see on the chin.
The back may be made of glass, but the frame is still aluminum. It's here that one of the major changes in handling is between the OnePlus 6 and all previous generations - the alert slider has been moved to the right side.
We imagine the vast majority of people use their phones with the right hand, so it probably makes sense. For the phone-lefties, however, that means a lot of effort to use the slider with the index finger. Here's one reviewer who insists he isn't a total klutz, contemplating about the four times he almost dropped the OP6 trying to switch the slider to silent.
The right is the side where you'll find the power button - no changes here. The volume rocker is on the left, and above it, right where the slider used to be, is the SIM card slot.
There's a lot of important stuff on the bottom. The USB-C port is in the center with a loudspeaker to one side, and the 3.5mm jack and the primary mic on the other. A secondary mic can be found on top.
Slider and power button on the right • OP6 takes two nano SIMs • USB-C, headphone jack, mic and speaker
The OnePlus 6 measures 155.7 x 75.4 x 7.8mm - 0.4mm taller, 0.4mm wider and 0.5mm thicker than the model it replaces - all negligible differences. It is, however, 15g heavier than the 5T and we blame the glass. Not that 177g is unmanageable or anything.
In fact, the Galaxy S9+ is even heavier (189g) and so is the Huawei P20 Pro, if only marginally so (180g). The Galaxy is also a couple of mm taller while the Huawei flagship is virtually identical in size to the OP6.
A notched iteration of Optic AMOLED
The OnePlus 6 has a 6.28-inch display of a 19:9 aspect ratio that accommodates a notch up top. The resolution is 1,080 x 2,280px and that makes for a 402ppi pixel density. It's an AMOLED panel, which OnePlus likes to call Optic to differentiate it from others on the market. Plus, you can't spell Optic without OP.
In our testing, the OnePlus 6 posted a maximum brightness of 456nits, a small bump over the 5 and 5T. Just like them, there's no brightness boost when in auto mode. The Galaxy S9+ is a lot brighter with auto enabled, but is dimmer when you're moving the slider yourself. Even the far from perfect LG V30 screen can push out upwards of 600nits in auto mode. The Huawei P20 Pro's non-Optic AMOLED can also go above 600nits. The Pixel 2 XL, on the other hand, is behind the OnePlus 6 in maximum brightness and has no auto boost either.
Display test | 100% brightness | ||
Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | ||
0 | 435 | ∞ | |
0 | 437 | ∞ | |
0 | 456 | ∞ | |
0.392 | 530 | 1352 | |
0.471 | 621 | 1318 | |
0 | 420 | ∞ | |
0.176 | 287 | 1631 | |
0.431 | 618 | 1434 | |
0 | 376 | ∞ | |
0 | 631 | ∞ | |
0 | 412 | ∞ | |
0 | 582 | ∞ | |
0 | 410 | ∞ | |
0.375 | 453 | 1208 | |
0.409 | 519 | 1269 | |
0.002 | 414 | 207000 | |
0.032 | 616 | 19250 | |
0.382 | 703 | 1840 | |
0 | 400 | ∞ | |
0.002 | 600 | 300000 |
In our sunlight simulation test, the OnePlus 6 posted a lower score than the OP5T, but then the 5T has the second-best result in the modern era. Despite the drop, the OP6's contrast under direct light is still excellent, almost Galaxy S9+ excellent, and better than the likes of Huawei P20 Pro, LG V30, and Nokia 8 Sirocco.
Sunlight contrast ratio
- Apple iPhone X
5.013 - OnePlus 5T
4.789 - Samsung Galaxy S8
4.768 - Samsung Galaxy S8+
4.658 - Samsung Galaxy S9
4.63 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
4.615 - Samsung Galaxy S9+
4.537 - Motorola Moto Z2 Play
4.459 - Oppo R11
4.454 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
4.439 - OnePlus 3
4.424 - Samsung Galaxy S7
4.376 - OnePlus 6
4.321 - HTC One A9
4.274 - Oppo R15 Pro
4.251 - Samsung Galaxy Note7
4.247 - Samsung Galaxy A3
4.241 - Nokia 8
4.239 - Google Pixel 2 XL
4.234 - OnePlus 3T
4.232 - Google Pixel XL
4.164 - ZTE Axon 7
4.154 - Samsung Galaxy Note8
4.148 - Meizu Pro 7 Plus
4.147 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
4.124 - Huawei Mate 10 Pro (normal)
4.096 - Samsung Galaxy Note5
4.09 - Huawei P20 Pro
4.087 - Nokia 6 (2018)
4.052 - Google Pixel 2 (pre-update)
4.023 - LG V30
4.022 - Huawei Nexus 6P
4.019 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro
3.998 - Vivo Xplay5 Elite
3.983 - OnePlus X
3.983 - Oppo R7s
3.964 - Apple iPhone 7
3.964 - Apple iPhone 8 (True Tone)
3.957 - Huawei P9 Plus
3.956 - Meizu Pro 6 Plus
3.935 - Lenovo Moto Z
3.931 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
3.918 - OnePlus 5
3.914 - Samsung Galaxy C5
3.911 - Samsung Galaxy C7
3.896 - Samsung Galaxy A5
3.895 - Samsung Galaxy J7 outdoor
3.879 - Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor
3.873 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
3.865 - Samsung Galaxy A8
3.859 - Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
3.842 - Sony Xperia XZs
3.818 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016)
3.817 - Motorola Moto X (2014)
3.816 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
3.812 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
3.804 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) outdoor mode
3.802 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
3.798 - LG V20 Max auto
3.798 - Sony Xperia XZ
3.795 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
3.789 - Apple iPhone 6s
3.783 - Meizu Pro 5
3.781 - Microsoft Lumia 650
3.772 - Xiaomi Mi 6
3.767 - Sony Xperia XZ1
3.765 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
3.756 - Nokia 8 Sirocco
3.745 - Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact
3.729 - Apple iPhone 8 Plus (True Tone)
3.725 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.709 - Vivo X5Pro
3.706 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
3.688 - Huawei P20
3.683 - Apple iPhone SE
3.681 - Huawei Mate 9
3.68 - Samsung Galaxy A7
3.679 - Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact
3.675 - Meizu PRO 6
3.659 - BlackBerry Priv
3.645 - Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra
3.597 - Apple iPhone 7 Plus
3.588 - Sony Xperia XZ2
3.58 - LG G6
3.556 - Apple iPhone 6s Plus
3.53 - Motorola Moto Z Play
3.526 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)
3.523 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) outdoor mode
3.523 - Acer Jade Primo
3.521 - Microsoft Lumia 950
3.512 - Oppo R7 Plus
3.499 - Nokia 7 plus
3.479 - nubia Z11
3.466 - Huawei P10 Plus
3.456 - HTC U Ultra
3.453 - Motorola Moto G6
3.448 - Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
3.445 - Samsung Galaxy J7
3.422 - Motorola Moto G6 Play
3.419 - Meizu MX5
3.416 - LG V20
3.402 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera
3.393 - Huawei P10
3.379 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
3.378 - Oppo R9s
3.352 - Honor 8 Pro
3.341 - Oppo F7
3.333 - Oppo R7
3.32 - Lenovo P2
3.316 - Archos Diamond Omega
3.305 - Honor 9
3.289 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
3.276 - Nokia 5
3.261 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
3.244 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
3.238 - Samsung Galaxy J2
3.235 - Sony Xperia X Performance
3.234 - Xiaomi Mi Note 2
3.228 - Motorola Moto X Play
3.222 - Oppo F3 Plus
3.218 - Huawei Mate 9 Pro
3.206 - Huawei P9
3.195 - Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
3.19 - ZTE Nubia Z17
3.159 - Oppo R11s
3.153 - Lenovo Vibe Shot
3.113 - HTC U11 Life
3.108 - Motorola Moto X Force
3.105 - LG Nexus 5X
3.092 - HTC U11
3.089 - Huawei Mate S
3.073 - Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
3.065 - Apple iPhone 6 Plus
3.023 - Asus Zenfone 4 ZE554KL
3.019 - Motorola Moto X4
3.012 - Sony Xperia XA1
3.012 - Sony Xperia L1
2.994 - Sony Xperia X
2.989 - LG Q6
2.987 - Huawei P10 Lite
2.974 - Samsung Galaxy Note
2.97 - Huawei P20 Lite
2.952 - Xiaomi Redmi 5
2.951 - Huawei Mate 8
2.949 - Sony Xperia XA2
2.938 - Oppo Realme 1
2.932 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
2.92 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
2.913 - Xiaomi Redmi 3S
2.913 - Sony Xperia XA Ultra
2.906 - LG G5
2.905 - Huawei Honor View 10
2.896 - Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime
2.893 - Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus
2.884 - Sony Xperia XZ Premium (sRGB)
2.877 - Sony Xperia XZ Premium
2.877 - Sony Xperia Z5
2.876 - Nokia 3
2.871 - Microsoft Lumia 550
2.851 - Lenovo Moto M
2.813 - Xiaomi Redmi 3 Pro
2.803 - Sony Xperia Z5 compact
2.784 - Honor 10 (Vivid)
2.757 - Nokia 2
2.752 - Meizu MX6
2.751 - LG V10
2.744 - Huawei Mate 10 (normal)
2.742 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
2.737 - Xiaomi Redmi 3
2.735 - Huawei Honor 7X
2.734 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
2.714 - Meizu M5
2.71 - Sony Xperia M5
2.69 - Xiaomi Mi A1
2.689 - Huawei P9 Lite
2.679 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
2.679 - vivo V7+
2.671 - Vivo V3Max
2.659 - Xiaomi Mi Mix
2.658 - Huawei Mate 10 Lite
2.654 - Oppo F5
2.653 - Doogee Mix
2.642 - Xiaomi Mi 4i
2.641 - Xiaomi Redmi 4a
2.635 - Xiaomi Mi 5X (Standard)
2.616 - Sony Xperia XA
2.609 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus
2.582 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus (max auto)
2.582 - Meizu M5s
2.58 - Xiaomi Mi 4c
2.574 - LeEco Le Max 2
2.567 - Asus Zenfone 3 ZE552KL
2.563 - Microsoft Lumia 640
2.563 - Huawei P Smart
2.563 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
2.561 - HTC U11+
2.556 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A (Y1)
2.556 - Lenovo K6 Note
2.544 - Lenovo Moto G4
2.544 - Oppo F1
2.528 - Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
2.525 - Huawei Honor 7 Lite / Honor 5c
2.506 - Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
2.503 - BlackBerry Motion
2.494 - Oppo F1s
2.481 - Motorola Moto G
2.477 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
2.473 - Huawei G8
2.471 - Huawei nova
2.467 - Sony Xperia Z
2.462 - Lenovo Vibe K5
2.459 - Meizu m3 max
2.447 - Xiaomi Mi 4
2.424 - Xiaomi Mi 5X (Auto)
2.417 - HTC 10 evo
2.407 - Huawei Honor 7
2.406 - Vivo V7
2.404 - Sony Xperia E5
2.386 - ZUK Z1 by Lenovo
2.382 - HTC 10
2.378 - Oppo F3
2.376 - vivo V5 Plus
2.371 - Meizu m1 note
2.362 - Huawei nova plus
2.329 - Razer Phone
2.328 - HTC One E9+
2.305 - Alcatel One Touch Hero
2.272 - Sony Xperia L2
2.266 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
2.254 - HTC U11+ (EU)
2.253 - Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
2.253 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (MediaTek)
2.249 - Sony Xperia C4 Dual
2.235 - Xiaomi Mi Note
2.234 - Motorola Moto G (2014)
2.233 - LG Nexus 5
2.228 - Huawei P8
2.196 - Meizu M5 Note
2.189 - Huawei Honor 6
2.169 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
2.166 - OnePlus Two
2.165 - HTC One X
2.158 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (X20)
2.145 - LG Aka
2.145 - Archos 50 Diamond
2.134 - Xiaomi Redmi Note
2.119 - Xiaomi Mi 4S
2.095 - Acer Liquid X2
2.084 - Huawei P8lite
2.078 - vivo V5
2.059 - Moto G 3rd gen max manual
2.026 - Xiaomi Mi 3
2.001 - Xiaomi Mi Max
1.996 - Sony Xperia E4g
1.972 - OnePlus One
1.961 - Sony Xperia Z2
1.944 - Meizu m3 note
1.923 - Meizu m2 note
1.892 - BlackBerry Leap
1.892 - HTC Butterfly
1.873 - ZTE Nubia Z9 mini
1.759 - Sony Xperia U
1.758 - Asus Zenfone Selfie
1.68 - Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
1.675 - ZTE Nubia Z9
1.659 - Jolla Jolla
1.605 - Motorola Moto E
1.545 - Sony Xperia M
1.473 - Sony Xperia L
1.351 - Xiaomi Redmi 2
1.311 - HTC Desire C
1.3 - Nokia X
1.291 - Meizu MX
1.221 - Sony Xperia E
1.215
When it comes to colors, with the OP6 you can have your cake and eat it too. The Default mode (that's what it's called) has a noticeable bluish tint to the whites, plenty of punch and colors all over the place (average DeltaE of 6.3). There are also sRGB and DCI-P3 modes, however, which are both very accurate to their respective targets (average DeltaE of 2.3 and 2.1).
Audio quality
The OnePlus 6 had loudness well above average in our external amplifier test and a flawlessly accurate output leaving us with nothing much to comment here.
Plugging in a pair of headphones did a moderate amount of damage to the stereo crosstalk and degraded the volume to average. It's still a respectable performance though and one that will leave few people disappointed.
Test | Frequency response | Noise level | Dynamic range | THD | IMD + Noise | Stereo crosstalk |
+0.00, -0.03 | -93.0 | 93.0 | 0.0011 | 0.0073 | -93.0 | |
+0.20, -0.05 | -92.9 | 92.9 | 0.0042 | 0.157 | -62.9 | |
+0.44, -0.12 | -90.1 | 90.2 | 0.0056 | 0.016 | -88.7 | |
+0.51, -0.12 | -89.8 | 89.9 | 0.0097 | 0.043 | -39.9 | |
OnePlus 6 frequency response
You can learn more about the tested parameters and the whole testing process here.
OnePlus 6 battery life
The OnePlus 6 uses the same capacity battery as the two 5s before it - 3,300mAh. The display grew a little from the 5 to the 5T, and now there's an extra few pixels to light up so it's no wonder that we're seeing a downward trend in battery life.
In our testing, we measured fourteen and a half hours of looping videos offline - an excellent result on its own, yet about two and a half hours short of the 5T's number, itself down about two hours from what the OnePlus 5 posted.
Similarly, in our Wi-Fi web browsing test, we recorded 9:19h for the OP6, 10:09h for the OP5T, and 10:54h for the OP5. And then comes the reverse trend in voice calls, where the OP6 calls it quits after about 28 hours of yada-yada vs. the 22:28h of the OP5T and 19:27 of the OP5.
Overall, the OnePlus 6 scored a 76h Endurance rating in our four-pronged test (a reminder that we also measure standby, that's not featured on the scorecard).
Our endurance rating denotes how long a single battery charge will last you if you use the OnePlus 6 for an hour each of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily. We've established this usage pattern so our battery results are comparable across devices in the most common day-to-day tasks. The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you're interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.
OnePlus' Dash charge tech is really life-altering, and we've heard of folks who have entirely abandoned overnight charging once they got their OPs. It's understandable - a full charge from flat takes 1:15h on the OnePlus 6, while 30 minutes into it, a flat battery is already at 60%.
The one downside is that Dash uses a proprietary cable and charger and you need both of these for it to work.
Loudspeaker
The OnePlus 6 has a single loudspeaker, a down-firing one. It's not very loud either, though it does fall in the 'Good' category, as our testing methodology goes - it's just we've been spoiled recently by mostly 'Excellent' loudness. The OnePlus 6 is a little boomier than most when it comes to the low end of the spectrum, which is nice.
Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Ringing |
Overall score | |
62.2 | 66.0 | 67.7 | Below Average | |
62.9 | 65.2 | 71.6 | Below Average | |
62.6 | 68.0 | 71.0 | Average | |
65.4 | 68.0 | 69.1 | Average | |
66.4 | 71.5 | 65.0 | Average | |
63.5 | 70.8 | 71.5 | Average | |
68.4 | 73.2 | 69.9 | Good | |
66.2 | 70.4 | 78.2 | Good | |
70.2 | 74.7 | 70.0 | Good | |
66.1 | 71.8 | 78.1 | Good | |
69.2 | 72.9 | 77.5 | Very Good | |
68.1 | 70.1 | 81.5 | Very Good | |
69.7 | 73.5 | 76.6 | Very Good | |
68.4 | 74.0 | 80.1 | Very Good | |
66.9 | 72.3 | 84.5 | Very Good | |
71.8 | 69.2 | 91.0 | Excellent | |
83.6 | 76.4 | 80.7 | Excellent | |
88.0 | 77.1 | 81.4 | Excellent | |
91.5 | 75.4 | 90.5 | Excellent |
OreOxygen
It's Android 8.1 Oreo that's underneath the custom Oxygen OS on the OnePlus 6. As far as proprietary launchers go, OnePlus' has always managed to offer a lot of functionality, while maintaining a stock look. That hasn't changed on the OP6.
For this model, OnePlus finally developed an Always on Display feature, only it killed it in software just before release, not happy about its effect on battery life. AoD will always take a toll on battery, and it's better for us to have the option, no? Yes, and it'll be revived in a future update, OnePlus promised. As it is now, screen can only turn on when you lift the phone.
While we're at it, let's also mention that you can customize the colors of the notification LED, both for battery state and per app. In a world of ever disappearing LEDs, how awesome is that?
Ambient display • it's settings • Notification LED setup
For biometric security you can choose between fingerprint and face recognition, or even both. The facial scan is a lot less secure, but it loses no points for speed. Then again, neither does fingerprint recognition, once you've gone through the lengthier than usual enrollment process. To reiterate, the senor is a bit tough to locate by feel so you might scramble to find it until you've developed the muscle memory.
Face enrollment • fingerprint enrollment • Lockscreen
If you're one to enjoy gestures, the 6 has them. While the screen is still off you can draw letters or symbols on the screen to do stuff. For instance, draw < or > for previous/next track, || (two finger swipe) to pause, or assign an app to the letters O, V, S, M, and W. Beyond that, there is also flip to mute and a three-finger swipe down gesture to capture a screenshot. Double tap to wake and send back to standby are also present.
New for this generation is the option to do away with the navigation bar on the bottom and replace it with gestures. That is, new out of the box - it was introduced on the 5T with a firmware update earlier this year, and comes on the 6 as well. Swipe up from the bottom center to go to the homescreen, swipe and hold for recent tasks, or swipe up from either side to go back. You'll either love this gesture navigation or hate it, but it's there for you to try at least.
There's also the Shelf, which is in place of your leftmost homescreen, and it shows the weather, your most used apps, and frequent contacts. You can also add widgets and change the header image.
Homescreen • Folder view • App drawer • Shelf
You can tinker with the icon size or select a different icon pack. And more importantly (at least to some of us) with the display notch comes the option to hide it.
Homescreen options • Icon sets • Icon columns/size • Hide the notch
The notification shade can be lowered with a single swipe from anywhere in the UI (that's a setting though, and it's off by default) and an additional swipe will reveal the entire list of quick toggles. You can also use two fingers to bring down the whole thing in a single motion. The brightness slider is complemented by an Auto switch, something Google keeps refusing to build into stock Android. You can also hand pick the icons that show up in the status bar.
The app switcher is a no-nonsense rolodex - we'll see what OnePlus does here once Android P brings the new style switcher. There's the option for split-screen multi-window, naturally.
Notification shade • Quick settings • Task switcher • Multi-window
The battery menu in settings lets you choose how the OnePlus 6 handles background processes - deep clear is the more aggressive option.
The Alert slider may have been moved to the other (wrong?) side, but its functionality remains unchanged, and you can tweak some basic options for each mode. For Ring, there is currently only a vibration toggle, but if you go under Do Not Disturb, you can really fine-tune who and what can and can't get to you. You can also select the pattern of your vibration.
Battery management • Normal/Deep clear • Alert slider settings • Still no ZB-BZ :/
Synthetic benchmarks
OnePlus has always strived to offer the best possible performance and part of that has been using the latest Qualcomm flagship chipset. The same holds true for the OP6 and it's the Snapdragon 845 that you'll find inside. There are two versions when it comes to RAM, but we feel the 6GB variant would be more than enough. That said, you may be forced to go for the 8 gigs because that's the only way to get more than 64GB of storage.
Our testing was done using a 8GB/128GB OnePlus 6 variant.
Antutu is mighty popular as a single tell-all number to use in promo material, and in our testing the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 inches ahead of the OnePlus 6 - boo, OP! Not really, though - the OnePlus 6 is among the leaders in this chart, a (meaningless) handful of points ahead of the Galaxy S9+ in Snapdragon trim. The Xperia XZ2 is a step behind, the Exynos Galaxy is further down, and the Kirin-packing P20 Pro is on par with phones using last year's Snapdragon.
AnTuTu 7
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Mi MIx 2S
270814 - OnePlus 6
264200 - Samsung Galaxy S9+ (Snapdragon)
264044 - Sony Xperia XZ2
259244 - Samsung Galaxy S9+
246660 - Huawei P20 Pro
209884 - Nokia 8 Sirocco
209577 - OnePlus 5T (Oreo)
207072 - Google Pixel 2 XL
203119 - LG V30
182374
The Mongoose cores have more oomph per unit as evidenced by the Exynos Galaxy S9+'s results in single-core GeekBench. Here, the OnePlus 6 posts numbers virtually identical to the other Snapdragon 845 phones we've tested, except the Snapdragon Galaxy S9 which underdelivers a bit.
GeekBench 4.1 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy S9+
3771 - Xiaomi Mi MIx 2S
2468 - Sony Xperia XZ2
2454 - OnePlus 6
2450 - Samsung Galaxy S9+ (Snapdragon)
2199 - OnePlus 5T (Oreo)
1974 - HTC U11+ (EU)
1952 - Nokia 8 Sirocco
1934 - Google Pixel 2 XL
1915 - Huawei P20 Pro
1907 - LG V30
1901
In the multi-core test, the OnePlus 6 snatches a narrow win against the Exynos S9+, but the top spot escapes again - once more, Xiaomi has squeezed the most out of the S845, for benchmarking purposes at least.
GeekBench 4.1 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Mi MIx 2S
9158 - OnePlus 6
9011 - Samsung Galaxy S9+
8883 - Sony Xperia XZ2
8466 - Samsung Galaxy S9+ (Snapdragon)
8349 - OnePlus 5T (Oreo)
6759 - HTC U11+ (EU)
6740 - Nokia 8 Sirocco
6725 - Huawei P20 Pro
6679 - Google Pixel 2 XL
6428 - LG V30
6365
The Adreno 630 in the S845 is a proven performer and in the OnePlus 6 it pumps out similar frame rates to the Galaxy S9+ and the Mi Mix 2S. The 3fps advantage of these two over the OP6 in the offscreen test fade in the onscreen one, where OnePlus is tied with Xiaomi. The QHD resolution screen inevitably leads to a much lower score for the Galaxy S9+.
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Mi MIx 2S
61 - Samsung Galaxy S9+ (Snapdragon)
61 - OnePlus 6
58 - Sony Xperia XZ2
55 - Samsung Galaxy S9+
47 - Google Pixel 2 XL
42 - LG V30
41 - Huawei P20 Pro
40 - OnePlus 5T (Oreo)
40 - HTC U11+ (EU)
39 - Nokia 8 Sirocco
34
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Mi MIx 2S
55 - OnePlus 6
55 - Sony Xperia XZ2
51 - OnePlus 5T (Oreo)
37 - Huawei P20 Pro
37 - Samsung Galaxy S9+ (Snapdragon)
34 - Samsung Galaxy S9+
24 - Google Pixel 2 XL
21 - HTC U11+ (EU)
20 - LG V30
19 - Nokia 8 Sirocco
18
A potential issue with the OnePlus 6 is overheating. Consecutive benchmark runs lead to considerable throttling and lower scores. And, indeed, the phone does get plenty hot in the process. On the other hand, as we've come to expect from OnePlus, the user experience is super smooth and the phone is always very responsive.
A new 16MP primary cam makes a difference
When the OnePlus 5T showed up late last year, it surprised us with the choice of cameras on its back. Two modules with the same focal length lenses, both of them using RGB sensors made little sense. The fact that the secondary one was higher-res than the primary didn't help. A generation later, the OnePlus 6 sticks to that yet-to-be-proven formula.
Yes, it's again the mind-boggling 16+20MP camera setup where the secondary module is none of the usual telephoto/wide-angle/monochrome varieties. Only now the main sensor has been replaced. The Sony IMX398 has been swapped out for a Sony IMX519 and the new one is bigger - 1/2.6" vs. 1/2.8". Same resolution on a larger sensor means the pixels have grown to 1.22µm from the 1.12µm of yesteryear. More importantly, the primary camera's lens is now stabilized. The aperture is f/1.7, while the reported equivalent focal length is 25mm.
The camera app is mostly unchanged since the 5T, with the exception that the icons for the main modes have been replaced by text - we can't say it's a bad thing. The app defaults to the stills viewfinder, but a swipe to the right (or up in landscape) will bring up one for video, while a swipe to the left (or, obviously, down) evokes the Portrait mode.
In the stills viewfinder you also have quick toggles for flash mode, aspect ratio, HDR, and self-timer. The 1x/2x button is more than a little misleading - there's no telephoto camera on the OnePlus 6.
Accessing other modes is done by tapping on the tiny arrow next to the 1x/2x button. That'll get you access to Panorama, Pro mode, Slow motion, and Timelapse. It's only on this mode selector screen that you can see the settings cog wheel - you'd be scratching your head trying to find the settings the first few tries.
The Pro mode allows manual tweaking of shooting parameters, including ISO (100-3200), white balance (by light temperature), shutter speed (1/8000s to 30s), focus, and exposure compensation (-2/+2EV in third-stop and half-stop increments). You can save 2 sets of custom parameters too, if you happen to do the same thing over and over again. A live histogram is also provided (quite a rare feature) and RAW capture is available too.
Image quality
We are quite pleased to report that the OP6's camera takes superior photos to the 5T's. There's more captured detail and subsequently better definition in grass and foliage without the oversharpening we've seen all too often. Dynamic range is pretty great, look at the snail's shell, where other phones clip to white more often than not. It's also fair to say that we have nothing but praise for the color rendition - vivid but not over the top. It's funny how pleasing blues and greens can look with no extreme AI boosts.
Now, the hardware makes no promise of a true optical zoom, but the mere existence of a 1x/2x button in the viewfinder warrants a few test shots. Keeping our expectations low, we're not disappointed with the results, which are par for the course with digital zoom - not particularly sharp and detailed. Still, they're usable, and a step up from the 5T's in our minds.
In low light the OnePlus 6's photos turn out really good with no loss of saturation, wide dynamic range and well retained highlights around point sources of light. For some reason, the OP6 doesn't like to use very low shutter speeds despite the OIS, but the stabilization helps nonetheless. The ISO performance is quite impressive and noise isn't an issue.
Panorama
OnePlus isn't known for awesome panoramas, and the arbitrary limitation for left-to-right panning persists - what if you prefer to lock the exposure on the right end of the image? On a positive note, there's plenty of resolution (some 4,000px tall) and stitching, while still not perfect, has been improved since the 5T.
Portrait mode
Portait mode is the one reason that sort of justifies the existence of the secondary camera on the back. Portraits have good separation between subject and background and a natural blur, though a bit more of it couldn't have hurt.
An issue we encountered on the OnePlus 6 which uses a wide angle camera for portraits is that you need to be very close to your subject for a headshot style picture and that could make them feel uncomfortable. Telephoto based implementations let you stand back further. On the flipside, it means you can take selfie portraits with the rear camera without worrying whether your entire face will fit in the frame.
Selfies
The OnePlus 6's selfie camera is a 16MP Sony IMX376K unit with a 25mm equivalent lens of f/2.0 aperture. It looks the same as the one on the 5T, but the photos don't - these are pure awesomeness. While the focus is still fixed, OnePlus has tweaked the focus distance so that you get sharp results at arm's length and plenty of detail. Those are some of the most detailed selfies we've seen.
There's no portrait mode for the selfie camera just yet, but OnePlus has promised one is coming with a software update.
Be sure to stay away from the HDR toggle, though - in that mode the photos end up looking much worse, with less detail and sharpening turned up all the way to 11.
Don't forget to check out how the OnePlus 6 fares against the competition in our Photo compare tool. We've picked the Huawei P20 Pro in 10MP mode and the Samsung Galaxy S9+ to get you started, but it's a pretty rich database of tested phones to choose from.
OnePlus 6 against the Huawei P20 Pro and the Galaxy S9+ in our Photo compare tool
Video recording
The OnePlus 6 brings an extra few modes for video recording. On top of the standard 2160p/30fps, you can now record in 2160p/60fps. 1080p footage can be in both 30fps and 60fps, but there's also the option for 240fps slow motion. Speaking of, a 480fps slow motion mode in 720p is also available.
Electronic stabilization is available in 2160p and 1080p resolutions when shooting at 30fps, but not 60fps. The implications of this are two-fold. On the one hand, stabilization is a good thing and having it in 4K is great. On the other, the fact that you can't turn it off means that 1080p/30fps and 2160p/30fps modes have narrower coverage and less detail than the 60fps modes. At least, unlike the OnePlus 5T, the viewfinder now shows the post-stabilization crop so you don't have to guesstimate what's going to be in the frame.
4K60 videos have an extra high bit rate of 121Mbps - that is a serious number, which results in some 870MB for a minute of footage. It's debatable whether you want or need all of that on your smartphone's videos, a question even more relevant on the OnePlus 6 which has no option for storage expansion. 4K30 uses the rather standard 42Mbps, 1080p/60fps clocks in at 40Mbps, while 1080p/30fps is encoded at 20Mbps. Audio is recorded in stereo at 156kbps in all resolutions.
We mentioned the sharpness vs. stabilization conundrum and we have the samples to illustrate it. The 2160p/60fps clip below is remarkably crisp, more so than the 2160p/30fps one in the playlist. Of course, even with the detrimental effects of stabilization on detail, 4K videos are still plenty sharp. Colors are just right once again and dynamic range is exemplary.
When it comes to 1080p, the above mostly holds true, only the difference between 60fps and 30fps is smaller. That is to say, that in both modes the quality is about average.
Moving on to the stabilization bit. We've always enjoyed OnePlus' EIS, and now with some help from the stabilized optics things are even smoother. Now if only there was a simple on/off toggle.
The OnePlus 6 can also record super slow motion video. Unlike the Galaxies and Sonys of this world that limit it to 0.2s, the OnePlus 6 can do it continuously for a whole minute. Admittedly, it's not at the same 960fps as you'll find on the Xperias and the S9, but at 480fps that's still 1/16x of real life. Resolution is the same - 720p. There's also a 1080p/240fps mode, but that one is fairly common.
For those of you who want to pixel peep on your own computers, we've uploaded short samples straight out of the phone (2160/60fps, 2160p/30fps, 1080p/60fps, 1080p/30fps).
Another kind of pixel peeping can take place inside our Video compare tool. We've pre-selected the Huawei P20 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S9+, but feel free to play around with other phones we've tested.
OnePlus 6 against the Huawei P20 Pro and the Galaxy S9+ in our Video compare tool
Competition
OnePlus is done killing flagships in promo material but we felt we had to mention it once again - so much has the company's old tag line stuck with us. The 6 stays true to the core concept that gave previous models the courage to challenge the big boys - unbeatable value.
If there's a phone that can put the OnePlus 6 to shame in that metric, that would be the Xiaomi Mi 8. We're yet to see Xiaomi's latest in person, but the specs sheet reads almost the same as the OP6's (with a potential for greatness in the camera section) and price is more enticing still, even when accounting for import duties.
Take price out of the equation or factor in carrier subsidies where OnePlus' game is non-existent, and it gets tough for the OP6. The Galaxy S9+, for example, has a proper IP68 rating, a microSD slot, and a real telephoto camera. That, plus a sharper display and longer battery life. Oh, but the OP6 has a notch... or was that in the Galaxy's favor too?
The Huawei P20 Pro is high on the list of hot flagships, and why wouldn't it be - it's still the only phone with three cameras on its back. Mind you, all of them are entirely different and contribute something to the overall experience. The OnePlus 6 takes better selfies, though, offers 4K60 video recording and actually useful super slow-mo, and the Kirin 970 isn't quite in the Snapdragon 845's league.
With the OnePlus6's second camera being pretty much as good as none, the single camera setup of the Xperia XZ2 isn't really hurting it in this battle. And if you're looking at the OnePlus for its stock-like OS, the Xperia's got you covered too. The IP rating, HDR compliant screen and microSD slot score points in the XZ2's favor, but the OP6 counters with a 3.5mm jack and better selfies.
Xiaomi Mi 8 • Samsung Galaxy S9+ • Huawei P20 Pro • Sony Xperia XZ2
Verdict
It's easy to dismiss the OnePlus 6 as an insignificant minor upgrade. New chipset - check, notch - check, somewhat improved camera - check. That's about it. The thing is, the OP6 isn't meant to entice those with a 5T in their pockets, or even OP5 owners, much the same way a Galaxy S9 isn't really a compelling upgrade path for Galaxy S8 owners.
Pros
- The increased price is still much lower than current top-end phones
- Super fast charging, good battery life
- Oxygen OS has a stock look, but offers more features, and is blazing fast
- The improved primary camera kinda makes up for the meaningless secondary one
Cons
- Water we to do with a claimed water resistance but no IP rating?
- A proper telephoto/ultra-wide camera would be more useful
- No microSD slot, no wireless charging, no headset in the box, proprietary charging peripherals
Things change if you're looking to replace an OP3 or 3T, or any year-and-a-half or older phone. With the OnePlus 6 you'd be getting a solid all round camera experience, a display that's better than most, and software that's feature-rich, plain and fast all at the same time. Plus battery life that may not be class leading, but charging tech that is.
In the process, you'll inevitably forfeit some features that you could find on other models, but are they really absolutely worth the 20-30 percent premium to you? We swear at some point we mentioned unbeatable value.
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