Pixel 3 vs. OnePlus 6T: Which Android should you have?

When it comes to choosing a premium Android phone, it's not just the latest iPhone compared to the Samsung Galaxy S9. This year, two other candidates, the Pixel 3 and OnePlus 6T, also offer a leading Android experience with the latest advances in processing speed, cameras and software features.

Starting at $ 899, AU $ 869 and AU $ 1,349, the Pixel 3 (and its larger counterpart, the Pixel 3 XL) has an exceptional camera that takes the most consistent photos in all lighting scenarios . Its call blocking feature running directly on Google's AI also gives it a competitive advantage over other major phones this year.

At the same time, the OnePlus 6T is the most affordable Android and the best you can get. It starts at just $ 549, £ 499 and AU $ 774 (converted) and is equipped with a solid camera and a built-in fingerprint scanner on the screen. Even better for US buyers, the OnePlus 6T is now sold via T-Mobile (you can also get it directly from the OnePlus website) and also runs on Verizon's CDMA network.

These two fantastic options go together in design, camera, software and performance. See which one comes first.

The fingerprint reader integrated with the OnePlus 6T screen compared to the waterproofness of Pixel 3

OnePlus 6T gets the right to boast of being the first in the United States to have a fingerprint scanner (FOD). This means that you can scan your fingerprint on the front of the screen to unlock your screen and that the phone is surrounded by thin edges. While working with him, the FOD was working pretty fast most of the time, but it did not work as fast as the dedicated fingerprint scanner on the previous OnePlus 6.

Due to the space that the FOD occupies inside the phone, OnePlus has cut the headphone jack of the 6T (although the Pixel 3 does not have either). If you do not already have a wireless headset to listen to music and calls, OnePlus has included a 3.5mm Type C USB adapter dongle in the box. You can also buy the brand's USB Type-C earphones for $ 20 more. The Pixel 3, meanwhile, is provided free with its own Pixel Buds.

The Pixel 3 looks like last year's Pixel 2, but subtle design changes, such as thinner glasses and a shiny lining around the phone, add even more polish. I am also a big fan of the new color variant of Pixel "Not Pink".

If you look at the biggest Pixel 3 XL, you'll notice that it has one of the thickest notches on the screen we've seen. Even if you can hide it, it is not very flattering compared to the tear-shaped notch of the OnePlus 6 (which you can also hide with black bars). Let's be happy that Google has fixed the bug that showed two notches on the screen.

But as you get the Pixel 3 XL with the notch, be aware that both size models have a wireless charge and that they can be installed on any charging mat. Qi compatible. (The Quick Charge, however, only works with the Google Pixel Stand Charger.) The Pixel is also rated IPX8, which means it can survive about 1 meter under water ( 1 meter) for 30 minutes.

Winner: Although the OnePlus 6T is the first to have a built-in fingerprint reader, I find the wireless charging and waterproof features of Pixel 3 more useful.

The camera of OnePlus 6T is admirable, but the Pixel 3 takes it

With hundreds of dollars less than its competitor, the OnePlus 6T has taken impressive, equal or sometimes better photos than those of the Pixel 3 camera (in automatic mode). For example, there were times when the OnePlus 6T had a wider dynamic range than Pixel 3 when the Pixel was in HDR + mode. The 6T has brightened and increased the colors a bit more. But when I switched to the improved HDR + mode of the Pixel, it significantly outperformed the OnePlus 6T.

Another example was low light photography. Both can take excellent photos under dim lighting – illuminate objects and capture as much information as possible and make the focus. In Nightscape shooting mode, the 6T retains the same details, if not more, than the Pixel 3. However, Google plans to launch its own night mode called Night Sight on the pixel. We had the opportunity to test an unfinalized version of this feature and it already looks very, very promising. So much so that I predict that Night Sight of Pixel 3 will far exceed the 6T night scene.

In terms of taking pictures of people, the bokeh effect on the OnePlus 6T and Pixel 3 was superb, but there were some crisp spots in the background slightly fuzzy. If I had to choose though, I appreciated how the Pixel kept more details in the foreground. In addition, Google's phone makes the effect with the help of a single camera, unlike the OnePlus 6T's two-camera configuration.

Finally, I preferred the selfies that I took on the Pixel. The OnePlus did not capture as much detail in my face and hair and made my skin a lot paler.

WinnerIt's hard not to be impressed by the prowess of the OnePlus camera considering its modest price, but the Pixel 3 is significantly superior.

Software: Android Pie topped with some extras

The Pixel 3 and OnePlus 6T exploit Google's latest Android pie. They incorporate many updates from Pie, including gesture navigation, adaptive battery (in which the phone discovers applications that you do not use often and limits their system resources), as well as more of them. options to change your phone settings when it is in Do Not Disturb mode.

Other than that, OnePlus does not add much to the OS. This is not necessarily bad; One of my favorite things about OnePlus phones is its minimalist design of Android and its lack of bloatware. Unlike other phones that sometimes cover superfluous amounts of software, OnePlus simplifies things.

On this note though, although the Pixel 3 adds more to the operating system than the OnePlus, these features end up being very useful. Call Screen, for example, answers calls on your behalf, and you can read a transcript of the conversation in real time to decide whether or not to block a call or answer it. The Pixel Welfare feature also tells you how you spend your time on the phone and allows you to limit the use of the application accordingly. The phone will receive software updates as soon as it is available and Pixel owners will also have unlimited storage in the cloud for their photos.

WinnerAlthough I appreciate OnePlus' restricted approach towards Android, the Pixel adds practical features to the user experience without overdoing it.

OnePlus 6T has the top with speed and battery

Equipped with Snapdragon 845 chipsets, the Pixel 3 and OnePlus 6T are fast and responsive. Between them, I do not really notice any difference in speed between daily tasks, such as launching applications or triggering the camera. But if we had to cut the hair in four, the OnePlus 6T would have a slight advantage over the Pixel 3 benchmark tests. Check out the two scores below:

3DMark Slingshot Unlimited

3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited

Geekbench v.4.0 single-core

Geekbench v.4.0 multi-core

As for the battery life, both phones got excellent grades and lasted more than 16 hours during our streaming video test in airplane mode. Specifically, the Pixel 3 XL, which has a larger battery of 3,430 mAh than that of its counterpart of Pixel 3, 2,915 mAh, clocked in 16 hours and 49 minutes. Meanwhile, the OnePlus 6T lasted longer, with an average closer to 17 hours.

Winner: The OnePlus 6T has the advantage over this one.

And the winner is…

The Pixel 3 is objectively the best phone, apart from the processing performance and battery life. It has a water resistant design, a superlative camera and useful Google software that promise to keep you abreast of Android features and security patches.

But it's also hard to ignore the fact that the Pixel 3 starts at $ 350 more than the OnePlus 6T. If you opt for the latter solution, you always have a fast and reliable phone, as well as money in your pocket to buy many other things, like a wireless headset, for example.

Whatever your choice, you always come out with a great phone and if you can afford to buy the Pixel 3, know that you have one of the best androids in the market. But if you want to save money, the OnePlus 6T is your best buy.

Specifications OnePlus 6T and Pixel 3/3 XL

	OnePlus 6T	Google Pixel 3	Google Pixel 3 XL
Display size, resolution	6.41 inches AMOLED; 2,340 x 1,080 pixels	5.5 inches OLED; 2,280 x 1,080 pixels	OLED 6.3 inches; 2,960 x 1,440 pixels
Pixel density	402ppi	443ppi	522ppi
Dimensions (inches)	6.20×2.94×0.32 in	5.7×2.7×0.3 in	6.2x3x.03 in
Dimensions (millimeters)	157.5×74.8×8.2 mm	145.6×68.2×7.9 mm	158×76,7×7,9 mm
Weight (ounces, grams)	6.53 oz; 185g	5.2 oz; 148g	6.5 oz; 184g
Mobile Software	Android 9 Pie	Android 9 Pie	Android 9 Pie
Camera	Standard 16 megapixel, 20 megapixel telephoto lens	12.2 megapixels	12.2 megapixels
Front facing the camera	16 megapixels	8 megapixel standard, 8 megapixel wide angle	8 megapixel standard, 8 megapixel wide angle
Video capture	4K	4K	4K
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core at 2.8 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core at 2.5 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core at 2.5 GHz
Storage room	128 GB, 256 GB	64 GB, 128 GB	64 GB, 128 GB
RAM	6 GB, 8 GB	4GB	4GB
Expandable storage	No	No	No
Drums	3,700 mAh	2,915 mAh	3,430 mAh
Fingerprint detector	Under the display	Fourth cover	Fourth cover
connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	No	No	No
Special features	Fingerprint sensor in display, dual SIM card, dashboard loading, notifications toggle	Water resistant (IPX8), wireless charging, Pixel Buds USB-C earphones included	Water resistant (IPX8), wireless charging, Pixel Buds USB-C earphones included
Price excluding contract (USD)	$ 549 (6GB RAM / 128GB), $ 579 (8GB RAM / 128GB), $ 629 (8GB RAM / 256GB)	$ 799 (64 GB); $ 899 (128 GB)	$ 899 (64 GB), $ 999 (128 GB)
Price (GBP)	£ 499 (6GB RAM / 128GB), £ 529 (8GB RAM / 128GB), £ 579 (8GB RAM / 256GB)	£ 739 (64 GB); £ 839 (128GB)	£ 869 (64 GB), £ 969 (128 GB)
Price (AUD)	Conversion: AU $ 774 (6GB RAM / 128GB), 817 AU (8GB RAM / 128GB), 889 AU (8GB RAM / 256GB)	AU $ 1,199 (64 GB); US $ 1,349 (128GB)	US $ 1,349 (64 GB), AU $ 1,499 (128 GB)