Why OnePlus Beats Google at Android

	OnePlus 6T	Google Pixel 3
Price	$ 549 / $ 579 / $ 629	$ 799 / $ 899
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
Screen	6.4-inch AMOLED (2340 x 1080)	5.5-inch OLED (2160 x 1080)
Rear Camera	Dual: 16-MP (ƒ / 1.7) 20-MP (ƒ / 1.7)	Single: 12.2MP (ƒ / 1.8)
Front Cameras	Single: 16-MP (ƒ / 2.0)	Dual: 8MP wide-angle (ƒ / 2.2) and 8MP (ƒ / 1.8)
Battery	3,700 mAh with 19.5-watt Dash Charging	2,915 mAh with 18-watt fast charging and Qi wireless charging up to 10 watts
Battery Life	10:30	8:27
Memory	6GB / 8GB	4GB
Storage	128GB / 256GB	64GB / 128GB
Water resistance	Not rated	IP68
Software	Android 9 Pie with Oxygen OS	Android 9 Pie
Weight	6.5 ounces	5.2 ounces
size	6.2 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches	5.7 x 2.7 x 0.3 inches

Design

The OnePlus 6T sports a higher screen-to-body ratio with a very low notch and a slight chin. The Pixel 3, on the other hand, features the best of both worlds. (The Pixel 3XL and its combination of larger screen and thinner bezels might compare more favorably here, but again, it costs a lot more than the OnePlus 6T.)

Google Pixel 3The OnePlus 6T also marks a milestone, as it's the first smartphone in the U.S. to launch with an in-screen fingerprint sensor. Other phones with this feature, including the Vivo Nex S and Huawei Mate 20 Pro, are not available on these shores. The OnePlus tech has been much better than the frustrating and unreliable early optical players that hit the market in other parts of the world. The 6T's is not quite as fast as it is conventional, but it's very close, and very easy to live with. In fact, it makes the Pixel 3's rear-mounted fingerprint sensor feel antiquated.

OnePlus 6TBoth the OnePlus 6T and the Pixel 3 employs glass on the back, though OnePlus has not gotten very creative with the colors this time around – at least at launch. There's only glossy Black Mirror and matte Midnight Black on offer, while the Pixel 3 gets Just Black, Clearly White and Not Pink.

We would have liked to be one of the most original of OnePlus out of the gate, as the company hit the front of the park with the Silk White OnePlus dazzling 6 earlier in the year. That said, the Midnight Black finishes a premium feel and grippy texture to boring old glass, which is a refreshing change of pace. A portion of the Pixel 3's back opts for a similar etched matte finish, though some have raised concerns about its resistance to scratching.

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The Pixel 3 can also recharge wirelessly, and is certified IP68 water resistant. OnePlus says the 6T is resistant to water, but neglected to certify it for an IP rating. And OnePlus' phone does not support wireless charging.

The Pixel 3 is a smartly designed compact handset, and one that's sure to please fans of smaller phones. But between the 6T's minimal notch, in-screen authentication and much roomier screen, it's clear that OnePlus has taken a step towards the future Google simply has not yet.

Winner: OnePlus 6T

Display

Both the OnePlus 6T and Pixel 3 offer fantastic OLED panels that compares favorably against one and another in brightness, accuracy and color range.

OnePlus 6TThe OnePlus 6T maxed out at 406 nits of brightness on our light meter, while the Pixel 3 hit 401 nits. The OnePlus 6T edged the Pixel 3 in accuracy too, with a Delta-E score of 0.36, compared with 0.44 (numbers closer to zero are better), and represented 222 percent of the sRGB range, compared with 202 percent for the Pixel 3.

The biggest difference between these displays, as you might expect, comes down to size and pixel density. The OnePlus 6T's screen is significantly larger than the Pixel 3's, but has a lesser pixel density, at 401 pixels-per-inch. The Pixel 3 sits around 443 pixels per inch, which will make images look just a bit sharper on Google's handset – though, of course, the tradeoff is a much smaller viewing area that is less immersive for on-screen content.

Winner: Draw

Camera

While OnePlus has not upgraded the optics or image sensors in the 6T, it has made some software tweaks to improve low-light photography over what was possible in the OnePlus 6.

That's resulted in Huawei and Google, which is the most important factor in the world. However, the OnePlus 6T uses the same 16- and 20-megapixel rear cameras found in the OnePlus 6: They're good for the money, but not fantastic.

This spooky night scene is a great example of where OnePlus' handset falls short compared with the Pixel 3, even with that new night mode. The 6T blows out everything and picks up a nasty glare from the lamp in the center of the frame, while the Pixel renders the colors of the inflatable specter with striking clarity.

In standard lighting, though, the OnePlus 6T draws closer to the Pixel 3. The painted wall is here, but the Pixel 3 noticeably over-brightens the blue sky.

While the OnePlus 6T often delivers balanced reviews with the details, sometimes that comes with the expense of being faked and exhibited, where everything just seems a bit washed out. That's definitely true with the photo above, which completely loses the shades of red, orange and yellow in the trees' leaves.

The 6T's portraits need some work, too. OnePlus' device has a propensity to brighten and smooth skin tone, like it did with my colleague Caitlin. The result is a little too retouched, and I much prefer the way the Pixel 3's bokeh fades out from the foreground into the background.

A similar story played 6T's front-facing camera, which delivered a selfie that was not as crisp as what the Pixel 3 managed. It also helps that the Pixel 3 has a secondary wide-angle camera that is particularly useful for group shots

Winner: Pixel 3

Performance

The Pixel 3 and OnePlus 6T share the same Snapdragon 845 CPU, but OnePlus wins out with the RAM and storage on its phone. The 6T ships with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage on its base $ 549 configuration, a huge upgrade from the $ 799 Pixel 3 with 4GB of memory and 64GB of storage.

OnePlus 6TThe Pixel 3 is not a slow phone, but these days it's not unusual to see top-tier flagships launching with 6GB of RAM or more. Given the fact that Google charges for the Pixel, it would not hurt. Google has got Android and the Pixel 3's hardware, but there's no replacement for more horsepower, and the OnePlus 6T has gotten that to a high degree.

Pixel 3That was evidenced by the OnePlus 6T's performance in Geekbench 4, where the 8GB version of the device outscored the Pixel 3 by about 1,300 points in the multicore portion of the test: 8,972 to 7,684. The 3DMarks SlingShot Extreme OpenGL ES 3.1 graphics benchmark presented similar results that favored the OnePlus: 5,183 to 4,396.

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The Pixel 3 is a fast phone, but the OnePlus 6T is faster. And while the difference may not be noticeable – you are always very fresh – in the long term, getting a handset with 6GB or 8GB of RAM seems like a better way to future-proof your investment, and will ensure it's equipped to run future apps and software updates.

Winner: OnePlus 6T

Battery

The OnePlus 6T's 3,700-mAh battery far exceeds the capacity of the 2,916-mAh pack in the Pixel 3. The difference shown in our battery test, where the OnePlus 6T clocked in 10 hours and 30 minutes of continuous streaming LTE – approximately 2 hours longer than the Pixel 3 fared.

Pixel 3The Pixel 3 still has one small advantage, though: it supports wireless charging. And if you spring for Google's $ 79 Pixel Stand, the Pixel 3 actually charges more than 10 watts. When using other third-party chargers, it defaults back to 5 watts. However, Google says that many people will soon launch 10-watt pads approved to work with the Pixel 3's unique specifications.

Still, it longevity trumps everything when it comes to phone batteries, and for that, the OnePlus 6T gets the overall nod.

Winner: OnePlus 6T

Software

Like the Pixel 3, OnePlus' latest handset ships with the newest version of Android preinstalled. However, OnePlus' Oxygen OS skin adds some more features, like intuitive gesture controls than Android 9 Pie. There's also Gaming Mode to block notifications when you're in the heat of battle, and gesture shortcuts for common actions like capturing screenshots and launching apps.

OnePlus 6TOxygenOS really is the only Android front-end that feels like speedy and easy to use as Google's own. However, the Pixel 3 is guaranteed to receive updates for a full three years following release (compared to two for the OnePlus 6T), and OnePlus has no answer for the Pixel 3's Intuitive Call Screen feature, which uses Google Assistant to stop telemarketers from wasting your time.

Call Screen is the kind of groundbreaking feature with real-world relevance that we would like to have, and it's a big reason why

Winner: Pixel 3

Price and Availability

It's no contest. One could make the argument that the Pixel 3 is a better phone than the OnePlus 6T. But is it $ 250 better? That's a much tougher call.

It seems too good to be true, but you can, in fact, nab to 6GB OnePlus 6T for $ 549. Adding another $ 30 double the storage to 256GB, while the 256GB model with 8GB of RAM costs $ 629. That's still below the Pixel 3's $ 799 asking price.

Better yet, the unlocked version of one of the four major carriers (sorry, Sprint). T-Mobile customers can actually buy the 6T through their carrier's retail rentals.

The Pixel 3 is available unlocked, too, and can also be taken to many different networks. Amongst others, it is exclusive to Verizon and Google's own Project Fi service. Aim at $ 799 for a 64GB model and $ 899 for 128GB, it does not get anywhere near the value OnePlus is delivering.

Winner: OnePlus 6T

Winner: OnePlus 6T