OnePlus 6 Review: Right On the Money!

Summary

The OnePlus 6 is a budget-friendly powerhouse that delivers flagship-level performance for $529. With a solid build, excellent battery life, and a vibrant 1080p AMOLED display, it offers great value. The Snapdragon 845 and Dash charging provide a smooth experience, though compromises include the lack of wireless charging, weak audio, and a secondary camera that's more for depth than telephoto. While not perfect, the OnePlus 6 surpasses other phones in its price range, offering top-tier features without the premium price tag.

Takeaways

• 😀 The OnePlus 6 is a solid daily driver, with a great balance of performance and price, starting at $529.
• 😀 The OnePlus 6's value proposition lies in its ability to provide high-end features at a more affordable price compared to flagships priced around $800 or more.
• 😀 The build quality is excellent, with a sleek and solid metal frame, a glass back with a subtle s-shape, and a headphone jack.
• 😀 Key omissions include no expandable storage, no wireless charging, no stereo speakers, and no official IP rating for water resistance.
• 😀 Despite these omissions, the OnePlus 6 delivers strong performance, with a Snapdragon 845, 8GB of RAM, and great battery life.
• 😀 The battery life is impressive, with up to six hours of screen time per day and fast charging via Dash Charging.
• 😀 The 1080p AMOLED display offers great brightness and color accuracy, with an option to hide the notch for a cleaner experience.
• 😀 Oxygen OS is praised for its smooth performance, close-to-stock Android experience, and useful extra features like gaming mode and facial recognition.
• 😀 The camera offers a solid B-plus quality for a phone in this price range, though it's not on the level of flagship cameras.
• 😀 While the secondary 20MP camera is intended for depth information in portrait mode, it's not as useful as a telephoto lens or an optical zoom.
• 😀 Overall, the OnePlus 6 is an impressive phone for its price, outperforming other $500-600 Android phones and competing closely with much more expensive flagships.

Q & A

What is the key feature of the OnePlus 6 according to the review?

The key feature of the OnePlus 6 is its price, starting at $529, which offers great value in comparison to other flagship phones priced much higher.

What is the 'Law of Diminishing Returns' as explained in the review?

The 'Law of Diminishing Returns' refers to the point where additional money spent on a product yields less benefit. For the OnePlus 6, you get more value as you increase your spending up to a certain point, but after that, the benefits become less significant.

How does the OnePlus 6's build quality compare to other phones?

The OnePlus 6 has a solid and premium build quality with a metal frame and a frosted glass back. It's well-constructed with clean lines and a satisfying wedge shape. The matte black version is especially praised.

What are the missing features on the OnePlus 6 that may be considered drawbacks?

The OnePlus 6 lacks expandable storage, a second stereo speaker, wireless charging, and an official IP rating for water resistance. These omissions help reduce the cost while still maintaining performance.

How is the OnePlus 6's battery performance?

The OnePlus 6's battery performs excellently, with a 3,300 mAh capacity providing around 6+ hours of screen-on time daily. The phone also benefits from Dash Charging, which enables fast charging from 0 to 100%.

Why does the OnePlus 6 use a 1080p AMOLED display instead of a higher-resolution one?

The 1080p AMOLED display in the OnePlus 6 strikes a balance between performance, battery life, and cost. While it’s not as sharp as higher-end QHD displays, it still offers excellent quality and is more energy-efficient.

What is the significance of the OnePlus 6's notch and how does it impact the user experience?

The notch on the OnePlus 6 is implemented in a way that does not obstruct app content, and users can hide it through display settings. This approach avoids the issues faced by previous phones with notches and provides a clean user experience.

What is the performance of OxygenOS on the OnePlus 6?

OxygenOS is fast, smooth, and close to stock Android. It adds useful features like facial recognition, a gaming mode, and an ambient display while keeping the overall interface clean and unobtrusive.

How does the OnePlus 6 handle software updates?

The OnePlus 6 is included in the Android P beta program, which shows good prospects for timely software updates in the future. While it may not receive updates as quickly as Google Pixel devices, it will likely perform better than many other Android manufacturers.

How does the OnePlus 6 camera perform, and how does it compare to other flagship phones?

The OnePlus 6 camera delivers B+ performance with a 16 MP primary sensor. The camera produces detailed and vibrant shots, though it may occasionally overexpose. The secondary 20 MP camera assists with depth information for portrait mode. While not on par with the best flagship cameras, it's excellent for its price range.