How The ‘Never Settle’ Company Settled On ‘Being Really Good’

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OnePlus has put a lot of power behind its message of ’Never Settle’. This worked well with the early handsets which made some daring choices to stand out against the handsets of the time (notably the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Apple iPhone 5S) But as the smartphone industry grows more commoditized, the specifications and the components used in flagships become more homogenized, and OnePlus’ hardware choices are growing closer to the establishment.

That needs to be balanced with the growth of OnePlus. Much as it will continue to push itself as the James Dean of smartphones (especially now it has US carrier support with T-Mobile) and will continue to push itself as an edgy outsider, it is part of the mainstream fabric of the smartphone world. Companies do need to evolve as they grow, and the OnePlus 6T should rightly be seen through that lens.

Thanks to the six-month product cycle, the OnePlus 6T does not make any huge jumps from the OnePlus 6. It is a noticeable step up from last years OnePus 5T, but I don’t think that owners of those two handsets should be considering a jump up. Owners of the OnePlus 5 (launched eighteen months ago) and the OnePlus 3T (the 2016 vintage) are the likely upgraders, and of course those who are new to OnePlus looking at the 6T as their first device from Pete Lau and his team.

Obviously I’m discounting the super fans who will buy everything, but then every manufacturer has those… some more than others.

Following that logic I could cut and paste the text from OnePlus 6 reviews, add in a few paragraphs about the fingerprint reader, new camera software, and the decisions around hardware that led to the removal of the 3.5 headphone jack, and I’d be done.

And in essence the rest of the review is just that. But before I go there, it’s worth noting that the attraction of the OnePlus 6T (and it is an attractive handset) is that manufacturing a handset is like making a cake. They all have the same ingredients, but they are all mixed together slightly differently, which can lead to wildly different results.

So the real difference between the 6T and the competition is not the fingerprint sensor – that is already streaming out of China on handsets from Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi to name three – but how everything works together. Which means the real star of the show is not the bullet points in store, it’s OnePlus’s Oxygen OS.

Oxygen OS is based on Android, and the OnePlus 6T ships with the Oxygen OS version based on Android 9. This is as up to date as possible, and OnePlus will support the 6T with two years of code updates to the OS, and a further year of security updates. The OnePlus 6 also picks up the Android 9 update, and I’m told it is imminent for the OnePlus 5 and 5T.

One of the key aspects of Oxygen OS is that it is rarely there. OnePlus has cut back on as much of the fluff as possible. Yes there are all the screens and apps that are needed from Google, but there’s no excess of apps or extra animations or transitions in the UI. The home screens are uncomplicated, and while there is a ribbon of information widgets at the far right these are not overpowering or obtrusive.

Minimal is one advantage, it’s also fast. And this is a key argument for OxygenOS. Yes OnePlus could go the route of other manufacturers and choose Google’s AndroidOne, providing a uniform experience and letting Google take care of the updates, but that’s not a route where the OS can be ignored. There is still engineering required.

Although there is more workload in creating and maintaining OxygenOS, it means that OnePlus has the optimisation and control to make its own decisions about what the OS development, its priorities, and when it rolls out to customers. And the decision to go for ‘a fast and smooth experience’ means that OnePlus can tailor the hardware and the software as a package.

It’s a good decision, and it shines through in the OnePlus 6T. This is one of the simplest and cleanest Android experiences on the market. It’s not the headline feature of the 6T, but it’s perhaps the most impressive.

There’s a fingerprint sensor under the screen. You press the stylised fingerprint icon to unlock the device or authorise payments. It works as advertised. Next-

-you want more?

Okay, so this is the feature that OnePlus is leading with and it’s calling it smart unlock. It was announced as “the first smart unlock in the US” – take careful note that this was a region, not worldwide (as everyone knows, Chinese handsets have had this feature for a while), and of course no other manufacturer has OnePlus’ smart unlock.

But this is the issue about commoditization in the smartphone space. The time from something being a unique feature to everyone having it is less than the one year product cycle that most manufacturers live by. OnePlus is the first to bring this to the mainstream, but it won’t be the last.

In use I’ve had no complaints about how the feature has been implemented – but do remember to register your fingerprint in the orientation you will use it in – so hold the phone in our thumb and note the angle of your thumb. A ‘rotated’ finger will still be recognised, but it can sometimes take longer, so why increase the workload?

OnePlus suggest a time of a third of a second to register and unlock the device with ‘tilt to turn on’ activated so the whole process is ‘fast and smooth’. It allows more screen on the forward aspect, and it means that you can use the fingerprint sensor while the phone is at a desk – something the rear-mounted sensor does not allow. I’ve registered my index fingers as well as the thumb to allow for ‘tabletop’ unlocking to be comfortable.

OnePlus is also pushing the camera heavily, along with the Nightscape mode to improve the low-level performance. As noted the hardware matches the OnePlus 6, and the software used to improve the picture quality is also being back ported. David Phelan has taken a comprehensive look at the camera, so I’ll refer to some of his highlights.

It’s good. Very similar to the last model but with gentle but noticeable differences. It’s still effective in a range of circumstances and light levels. But the advantages are that it’s now better at night shots and portraits.

I’ve tested Portrait mode only with one subject, my dog, and oh boy, she really wouldn’t sit still. Nevertheless, the results were reasonably impressive, managing to capture her best side (she says) and artfully blurring the background. Of course, it’s principally designed for people, not pooches, but it’s pretty good.

In lower light it’s pretty decent, though like most cameraphones, more light transforms the result – it’s the difference between just-about-usable and hey-look-at-this.

The Nightscape mode is similar to the long-exposure Huawei had on the P20 Pro earlier this year, which is great at picking out details the human eye can only dimly see in the dark. It’s effective and even surprising the way it brightens up dark scenes, but it also can make the images look slightly weird, or at least very different from how you saw the scene.

The full OnePlus 6T camera review can be found here.

The OnePlus 6T is a handset of its time. While there are some subtle differences, the basic form matches other flagship devices from other manufacturers. The scope for innovation if you want to be seen as a mainstream handset in the mass-market retail environment is quite narrow. OnePlus has decided to settle in that space, but is pushing at the envelope as far as it can.

Yes I’m upset that the 3.5 mm headphone jack has been dropped to make way for the fingerprint sensor and the larger battery. It could have stayed on the device but that would have increased the thickness of the 6T (which is already slightly thicker than the 6) and added 14g of weight – the irony that the protective case included in the retail packaging adds 25g and a few more millimetres is not lost on me – but the fashionable flagship trend is USB-C or wireless, and the OnePlus 6T wants to be seen as a flagship.

And let’s be clear, OnePlus has delivered a flagship handset at a lower price point than the likes of Samsung and Apple. Compromises have been made in a number of areas to allow for that, notably the camera hardware is not as refined as the higher priced competition, there’s only a mono speaker for audio output, and it’s still lacking wireless charging.

Are these deal-breakers? As with every smartphone, you need to weigh up the pros and cons. I’m pretty sure the OnePlus 6T fan base will be happy with the 6T, while those looking for the ‘ultimate’ handset will be disappointed. But for your average consumer on the high street, the OnePlus 6T is the quintessential ‘really good smartphone’.

Now read how OnePlus rewarded its community as Apple forced a massive change on the OnePlus 6T team…

Disclaimer: OnePlus supplied a OnePlus 6T for review.

“>

Twenty four hours after the launch of the OnePlus 6T, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the latest OnePlus flagship has decided to leave the safety of a niche powerhouse to challenge the mainstream consumer market. Long ago it redefined what it meant to be a flagship handset, now it is setting out to redefine what it means to be a leading manufacturer.

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OnePlus has put a lot of power behind its message of ’Never Settle’. This worked well with the early handsets which made some daring choices to stand out against the handsets of the time (notably the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Apple iPhone 5S) But as the smartphone industry grows more commoditized, the specifications and the components used in flagships become more homogenized, and OnePlus’ hardware choices are growing closer to the establishment.

That needs to be balanced with the growth of OnePlus. Much as it will continue to push itself as the James Dean of smartphones (especially now it has US carrier support with T-Mobile) and will continue to push itself as an edgy outsider, it is part of the mainstream fabric of the smartphone world. Companies do need to evolve as they grow, and the OnePlus 6T should rightly be seen through that lens.

Thanks to the six-month product cycle, the OnePlus 6T does not make any huge jumps from the OnePlus 6. It is a noticeable step up from last years OnePus 5T, but I don’t think that owners of those two handsets should be considering a jump up. Owners of the OnePlus 5 (launched eighteen months ago) and the OnePlus 3T (the 2016 vintage) are the likely upgraders, and of course those who are new to OnePlus looking at the 6T as their first device from Pete Lau and his team.

Obviously I’m discounting the super fans who will buy everything, but then every manufacturer has those… some more than others.

Following that logic I could cut and paste the text from OnePlus 6 reviews, add in a few paragraphs about the fingerprint reader, new camera software, and the decisions around hardware that led to the removal of the 3.5 headphone jack, and I’d be done.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT

And in essence the rest of the review is just that. But before I go there, it’s worth noting that the attraction of the OnePlus 6T (and it is an attractive handset) is that manufacturing a handset is like making a cake. They all have the same ingredients, but they are all mixed together slightly differently, which can lead to wildly different results.

So the real difference between the 6T and the competition is not the fingerprint sensor – that is already streaming out of China on handsets from Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi to name three – but how everything works together. Which means the real star of the show is not the bullet points in store, it’s OnePlus’s Oxygen OS.

Oxygen OS is based on Android, and the OnePlus 6T ships with the Oxygen OS version based on Android 9. This is as up to date as possible, and OnePlus will support the 6T with two years of code updates to the OS, and a further year of security updates. The OnePlus 6 also picks up the Android 9 update, and I’m told it is imminent for the OnePlus 5 and 5T.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT

One of the key aspects of Oxygen OS is that it is rarely there. OnePlus has cut back on as much of the fluff as possible. Yes there are all the screens and apps that are needed from Google, but there’s no excess of apps or extra animations or transitions in the UI. The home screens are uncomplicated, and while there is a ribbon of information widgets at the far right these are not overpowering or obtrusive.

Minimal is one advantage, it’s also fast. And this is a key argument for OxygenOS. Yes OnePlus could go the route of other manufacturers and choose Google’s AndroidOne, providing a uniform experience and letting Google take care of the updates, but that’s not a route where the OS can be ignored. There is still engineering required.

Although there is more workload in creating and maintaining OxygenOS, it means that OnePlus has the optimisation and control to make its own decisions about what the OS development, its priorities, and when it rolls out to customers. And the decision to go for ‘a fast and smooth experience’ means that OnePlus can tailor the hardware and the software as a package.

It’s a good decision, and it shines through in the OnePlus 6T. This is one of the simplest and cleanest Android experiences on the market. It’s not the headline feature of the 6T, but it’s perhaps the most impressive.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT

There’s a fingerprint sensor under the screen. You press the stylised fingerprint icon to unlock the device or authorise payments. It works as advertised. Next-

-you want more?

Okay, so this is the feature that OnePlus is leading with and it’s calling it smart unlock. It was announced as “the first smart unlock in the US” – take careful note that this was a region, not worldwide (as everyone knows, Chinese handsets have had this feature for a while), and of course no other manufacturer has OnePlus’ smart unlock.

But this is the issue about commoditization in the smartphone space. The time from something being a unique feature to everyone having it is less than the one year product cycle that most manufacturers live by. OnePlus is the first to bring this to the mainstream, but it won’t be the last.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT

In use I’ve had no complaints about how the feature has been implemented – but do remember to register your fingerprint in the orientation you will use it in – so hold the phone in our thumb and note the angle of your thumb. A ‘rotated’ finger will still be recognised, but it can sometimes take longer, so why increase the workload?

OnePlus suggest a time of a third of a second to register and unlock the device with ‘tilt to turn on’ activated so the whole process is ‘fast and smooth’. It allows more screen on the forward aspect, and it means that you can use the fingerprint sensor while the phone is at a desk – something the rear-mounted sensor does not allow. I’ve registered my index fingers as well as the thumb to allow for ‘tabletop’ unlocking to be comfortable.

OnePlus is also pushing the camera heavily, along with the Nightscape mode to improve the low-level performance. As noted the hardware matches the OnePlus 6, and the software used to improve the picture quality is also being back ported. David Phelan has taken a comprehensive look at the camera, so I’ll refer to some of his highlights.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT

It’s good. Very similar to the last model but with gentle but noticeable differences. It’s still effective in a range of circumstances and light levels. But the advantages are that it’s now better at night shots and portraits.

I’ve tested Portrait mode only with one subject, my dog, and oh boy, she really wouldn’t sit still. Nevertheless, the results were reasonably impressive, managing to capture her best side (she says) and artfully blurring the background. Of course, it’s principally designed for people, not pooches, but it’s pretty good.

In lower light it’s pretty decent, though like most cameraphones, more light transforms the result – it’s the difference between just-about-usable and hey-look-at-this.

The Nightscape mode is similar to the long-exposure Huawei had on the P20 Pro earlier this year, which is great at picking out details the human eye can only dimly see in the dark. It’s effective and even surprising the way it brightens up dark scenes, but it also can make the images look slightly weird, or at least very different from how you saw the scene.

The full OnePlus 6T camera review can be found here.

The OnePlus 6T is a handset of its time. While there are some subtle differences, the basic form matches other flagship devices from other manufacturers. The scope for innovation if you want to be seen as a mainstream handset in the mass-market retail environment is quite narrow. OnePlus has decided to settle in that space, but is pushing at the envelope as far as it can.

Yes I’m upset that the 3.5 mm headphone jack has been dropped to make way for the fingerprint sensor and the larger battery. It could have stayed on the device but that would have increased the thickness of the 6T (which is already slightly thicker than the 6) and added 14g of weight – the irony that the protective case included in the retail packaging adds 25g and a few more millimetres is not lost on me – but the fashionable flagship trend is USB-C or wireless, and the OnePlus 6T wants to be seen as a flagship.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT

And let’s be clear, OnePlus has delivered a flagship handset at a lower price point than the likes of Samsung and Apple. Compromises have been made in a number of areas to allow for that, notably the camera hardware is not as refined as the higher priced competition, there’s only a mono speaker for audio output, and it’s still lacking wireless charging.

Are these deal-breakers? As with every smartphone, you need to weigh up the pros and cons. I’m pretty sure the OnePlus 6T fan base will be happy with the 6T, while those looking for the ‘ultimate’ handset will be disappointed. But for your average consumer on the high street, the OnePlus 6T is the quintessential ‘really good smartphone’.

Now read how OnePlus rewarded its community as Apple forced a massive change on the OnePlus 6T team…

Disclaimer: OnePlus supplied a OnePlus 6T for review.