OnePlus 6 Long-Term Review: Consistent performer

If you’re here reading about the OnePlus 6, you likely know that its successor is close to launch. The OnePlus 6T already has a teaser live on Amazon India, ads starring Amitabh Bachchan on air, and much in the form of rumors and leaks already out and about. But it’s still at least a month away from launch, if not more. Therefore, the go-to OnePlus device for the time being remains the OnePlus 6.I’ve been using the OnePlus 6 since it launched in India, and it’s been my primary driver for the last four months. While the smartphone is largely the same on the outside save for minor signs of use, things have changed on the software front. And additionally, the OnePlus 6 has shown consistency in the way it works. Here’s my long-term review of the OnePlus 6.Software triumph Although OnePlus may have dropped the ball with its devices prior to the OnePlus 3, it’s shown significant improvement since then. The company took a fewmonths to get the OnePlus 3, 3T, 5 and 5T onto Android oreo, but was still among the early manufacturers to pull off the feat. With the OnePlus 6, the company has outdone itself. I’m on the OxygenOS Open Beta program for the OnePlus 6, and already have Android 9.0 Pie running on the phone.

And speaking of the Open Beta program, it’s only been getting better with time. Although theoretically less stable than the general release versions, it’s proven to be rather safe and usable in the long run. I had even used the developer preview version of Android P before the general release and ‘Pie’ christening, and the Open Beta versions are a significant improvement over that.Each version has brought changes and improvements, and at the time of writing, I have the phone on Open Beta 3, which just brought parallel app compatibility to Ola, Uber and Telegram, among other changes. Considering the level of stability, it’s safe to say that a stable release based on Android Pie isn’t far away for the OnePlus 6, complete with gesture controls and the new OxygenOS UI that have already been previewed on the Open Beta program. Performance champ A smartphone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and up to 8GB of DDR4X RAM was never going to be a slouch, and four months later it continues to perform at the same levels. The phone continues to perform well on AnTuTu, and performance remains top-notch in all aspects. Whether it’s multi-tasking, video editing or heavy gaming, I’ve put the OnePlus 6 through a lot, and it hasn’t let me down.3.5mm jack will be missed OnePlus has already confirmed that the 6T won’t have the 3.5mm jack, so if you have a nice pair of wired headphones that you want to keep using with your phone, the OnePlus 6 will remain your best choice from the company going forward. Indeed, it’s something I often find myself using purely for the convenience of it. As nice as Bluetooth is, there are times when it’s just quicker and easier to plug in a pair of earphones and get on with whatever you need to listen to. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Dash Charge is fantastic. Despite being the same technology for the last two years (even the chargers are entirely the same), it’s still among the fastest charging devices in the market today. It’s possible that OnePlus could introduce wireless charging with the 6T, but Dash Charge remains a practical and genuinely useful feature on the devices. Camera – slightly better While the camera on the OnePlus 6 has been decent enough from the start, it’s gotten a bit better thanks to software updates. Low-light performance is marginally better, while sharpness and color tones have been maintained. There’s also a marked improvement in video quality over the last four months. Camera performance isn’t on par with high-end phones, but it’s certainly capable enough for the price of the phone. Unfortunately though, the improvements aren’t as significant as they have been with the OnePlus 5 and 5T; OnePlus seems to have plateaued with its camera development.