Android Central: OnePlus 3 vs. OnePlus 3T: Which phone should you buy in India?

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

OnePlus 3 vs. OnePlus 3T: Which phone should you buy in India?

Unable to decide between the OnePlus 3 and the newer OnePlus 3T? We're here to help.

OnePlus moved away from its usual summer release window last year by unveiling the OnePlus 3T in November — five months after the launch of the OnePlus 3. The OnePlus 3T is a mid-cycle refresh, offering a slightly faster SoC, 128GB storage option, larger battery, and a new front camera, accompanied by a minor price bump to the tune of $40.

OnePlus has since discontinued the older OnePlus 3 in most markets, and is now selling just the 3T. However, that isn't the case in India, where both the OnePlus 3 and 3T are up for sale on Amazon, OnePlus' exclusive sales partner in the country.

The OnePlus 3 is available for its launch price of ₹27,999 ($410), with the newer OnePlus 3T debuting for ₹29,999 ($440). The OnePlus 3 is sold in Graphite and Soft Gold color options, and the OnePlus 3T is available in a Gunmetal variant along with the Soft Gold option. Below are the major differences.

Category	OnePlus 3T	OnePlus 3
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 Quad-core 2.35 GHz Adreno 530 GPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Quad-core 2.2 GHz Adreno 530 GPU
Storage	64/128GB	64GB
Front Camera	16MP 3P8SP, 1-micron pixels f/2.0, fixed focus 1080p video	8MP IMX179, 1.4-micron pixels f/2.0, fixed focus 1080p video
Battery	3400 mAh Non-removable	3000 mAh Non-removable
Colors	Gunmetal Soft gold	Silver Soft gold
Price	$439 (64GB) $479 (128GB)	$399 (64GB)

Newer hardware, same software

Visually, the OnePlus 3T is identical to the OnePlus 3. The OnePlus 3 didn't break new ground with its minimalist aluminum design, but it set the bar for other mid-range phones thanks to its execution.

The craftsmanship and premium design made the OnePlus 3 stand out in this segment, and the same holds true for the OnePlus 3T. If anything, the gunmetal color option makes the phone look even more gorgeous.

Along with hardware similarities, both phones are on the same update cadence, and run the same version of OxygenOS. Both devices have picked up the Nougat update, and the user interface is clean and devoid of any bloat.

You do get a lot of customizability in the form of gestures, a system-wide dark mode, and other additions, but for the most part, OxygenOS is uncluttered and a lot of fun to use.

Similar camera, larger battery

The back camera is the same on both the OnePlus 3 and 3T, but it's the front camera where you'll notice a difference between the two devices. The OnePlus 3T has a 16MP sensor up front, an upgrade from the 8MP unit on the OnePlus 3. Photos from the rear camera are identical on both devices, and although the front camera is of a higher resolution on the OnePlus 3T, it doesn't lead to better photos.

OnePlus 3 on the left, OnePlus 3T on the right.

The 3400mAh battery on the OnePlus 3T is 13% larger than the 3000mAh unit on the OnePlus 3, and it makes a difference in day-to-day usage. There were times when the battery life on the OnePlus 3 was flaky, but the OnePlus 3T lasted a day consistently without fail.

In situations where you need to top up the phone quickly, you can turn to Dash Charge. OnePlus's proprietary charging tech is amazing, offering ridiculously-fast charging times. The only drawback is that you need to carry the OnePlus charger to use it.

Dash Charge offloads a bulk of the charging circuitry to the charger, and as a result you won't get lightning-quick charging speeds without it. That said, you can it to rejuvenate your other devices around the house, since it's backwards compatible with regular USB charging standards.

Which should you buy? OnePlus 3T

If you're looking to buy a OnePlus phone, it's an easy choice: just get the OnePlus 3T. The OnePlus 3 turned out to be one of the best mid-range phones of 2016, and the updates to the OnePlus 3T make it an even more compelling device.

For under ₹30,000, there isn't a handset available today that offers as much as the OnePlus 3T. The 128GB variant is costlier at ₹34,999, and if you're one to store a lot of media locally, the higher-storage variant is a better option considering the phone doesn't have a microSD slot. Either way, you're buying the best mid-range phone available in the market today.

See at Amazon