How the new OnePlus 8T compares to the OnePlus 8 and 7T
OnePlus has just announced its latest smartphone, the 8T. The handset comes just a few months after the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro arrived in April, and a year after its more direct predecessor, the 7T.
With the 8 and 8 Pro still on sale (and marked as 'new' on the OnePlus website), the new 8T is aimed to fit somewhere between those two handsets, while offering owners of the older 7T a well-priced phone to upgrade to.
Here is how the new OnePlus 8T compares to the OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 8, one of the latest smartphones to launch in 2020.
OnePlus 8T vs OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 7T: Design and dimensions
OnePlus has stuck with the same recipe as far as design is concerned. The latest 8T has the same all-screen look as the 8 and 7T, complete with a hole-punch selfie camera in the top-left corner and a couple of eye-catching color options.
It is also almost exactly the same size and weight as its siblings. The new 8T measures 6.33 inches tall, 2.92 inches wide and is 0.33 inches thick. This compares to the 7T which was 6.34 inches tall, 2.93 inches wide and 0.32 inches thick – in other words, a scant 0.01 inches slimmer in every direction. Weight is down marginally from 6.70 ounces to 6.63 ounces.
The OnePlus 8 is also very close in terms of dimensions and weight, measuring 6.3 by 2.8 inches, 0.31 inches thick and tipping the scales at 6.53 ounces. Whichever way you cut it, these three phones are visually almost identical.
OnePlus 8T vs OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 7T: Display
All three phones also have the same size AMOLED screen, measuring 6.55 inches, with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 and a pixel density of 402 per inch.
However, there are two differences with the display of the new OnePlus 8T. Firstly, the screen is flat instead of curved slightly at its edges. This might lead to a slightly less premium design in some eyes, but technically means more of the screen is visible, potentially creating a better viewing experience. We are splitting hairs here though, and aren't entirely sure how much difference the flat display will really make.
More interesting (but also potentially not noticeable for the majority of users) is how the OnePlus 8T has a 120Hz refresh rate, meaning the display refreshes 120 times per second. This is up from 90Hz on the rest of the OnePlus family, and should lead to a smoother experience when scrolling through content and playing games.
It's a nice upgrade for the spec-loving fans OnePlus has attracted over the years, but we wonder how much difference it really makes, and what effect the higher refresh rate has on battery life.
OnePlus 8T vs OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 7T: Processor, RAM and storage options
OnePlus is selling two versions of the 8T in Europe, but only the more powerful of the two in the US. The lower model has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the top-tier version of the OnePlus 8T has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, putting it on par with the best flagship smartphones of 2020 (although we don't yet know how much RAM the iPhone 12 Pro has).
Speaking of the iPhone 12, while that phone has 5G in both its sub-6GHz and mmWave forms (in the US), the OnePlus 8T only goes with the former, and misses out on the faster mmWave 5G technology. This means customers of Verizon, whose 5G network currently only uses mmWave, will have to make do with 4G LTE with this handset.
The OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro also have 5G, but the 7T from last year makes do with 4G.
Both versions of the 8T are powered by the Snapdragon 865 processor, as also found inside the 8 and 8 Pro, but it's an upgrade from the Snapdragon 855+ of the 7T.
Charging speed has always been a OnePlus party piece, and this is true again with the new 8T. The company's Warp Charge technology is now rated at 65W, a big increase on the WarpCharge 30W system of the OnePlus 8.
For the 8T, this means charging from 1 percent to 55 percent takes just 15 minutes, according to OnePlus. A full charge should take less than 40 minutes. OnePlus made a point of the 8T coming with its new 65W charger in the box, a day after Apple said it is no longer including chargers in the boxes of its iPhones, in a bid to reduce waste and pollution from manufacturing.
Although the flagship OnePlus 8 Pro has wireless charging, the new 8T misses out on that particular feature. The battery of the 8T is 4,500mAh, making it slightly larger than that of the OnePlus 8 (4,300mAh) and 7T (3,800mAh).
OnePlus 8T vs OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 7T: Camera system
OnePlus hasn't done much in this department. The 8T still has the three-lens system users of the 8 and 7T will be familiar with, complete with a 48-megapixel standard lens, 16MP ultra-wide lens, and 5MP macro lens. That last lens is up from 2MP on the OnePlus 8, and replaces the 12MP telephoto lens of the 7T.
For the 8T, OnePlus has added a 2MP monochrome sensor, which gathers extra data alongside the other lenses to take photos with a new black-and-white mode in the camera app. This feels like a lot of effort when there are simpler ways to turn color photos black-and-white using software, and adding a dedicated sensor has been done before, by the likes of Huawei.
As such, for now the OnePlus 8T's rear camera feels a lot like that of its stablemates. And it's a similar picture with the front camera, which is 16MP on all models.
OnePlus 8T vs OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 7T: Additional features
The new 8T has the same in-display fingerprint reader as other models of OnePlus, and it is also charged using the same USB-C port. There is no headphone jack, just like the others, and video capture is 4K.
OnePlus 8T vs OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 7T: Color options
The new 8T is offered with two color options of Lunar Silver and Aquamarine Green. The regular 8 us offered in Interstellar Glow and Glacial Green, and the 7T can be had in Glacier Blue or Frosted Silver.
OnePlus 8T vs OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 7T: Price
Being a year old now, the OnePlus 7T has been reduced from $599 to $449. The OnePlus 8 can now be had for $599, and the new 8T is $749. The range-topping 8 Pro is now only slightly more, at $799 (down from $899).
