Should OnePlus3 owners upgrade to the OnePlus 5T?

Yes, the upgraded OnePlus 5T is indeed out barely five months after OnePlus launched their flagship OnePlus 5. Understandably, that left a few OnePlus 5 users miffed since the new phone offered better features at exactly the same price. 

While it makes no sense for OnePlus 5 users to upgrade, things aren't that simple when it comes to OnePlus 3 owners now. 

I, having resisted the first two flash sales finally succumbed to the temptation and did indeed buy the OnePlus 5T which arrived (as its predecessor had) a day ahead of schedule. 

I've had the luxury of using it for a few days and using both 64GB/6GB versions of OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 5, can offer an objective view on the all-important question plaguing OnePlus 3 users:

Should OnePlus3 owners upgrade to the OnePlus 5T?

There is no denying the OnePlus3 was a huge hit when it released. Even in an avalanche of new companies, both Indian and foreign, the OnePlus3 was a class apart from the start, right from build quality to the amazing Dash charging that most of us had never experienced before to the mobile speed and quality of pictures and music (good & great, respectively). Did I forget anything about the mobile? Oh yes, call quality was pretty good too! 

I was among the first wave of users who bought the OnePlus3 in mid-2016 (after my flagship Sony Z5 had become extremely slow and heated up quickly a year after purchase, not allowing me to use the camera at all) and today, as 2017 ends, I and fellow OnePlus3 users can vouch that the phone remains as fast as ever with no lag at all. The battery is a tad weaker after constant abuse by me but again, nothing to worry about as I just need 20 minutes of charging at any point of time to return a low 30 % to a high 80 %.

So what changes do I find in the OnePlus 5T that would make me recommend it over its older brother?

Bigger screen for the same mobile size!

I hesitated when I heard the OnePlus 5T had a 6 inch screen because I personally felt 5.5 inches was the apt size for a mobile phone and dreaded having an even longer phone jutting out my shirt pocket. I was wrong, of course. 

OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 5T.
The difference in mobile size is minimal even though the screen is clearly larger in the OnePlus 5T.

OnePlus has given you a phone which is almost exactly the same size and instead chosen to do away with the bezels on the edges to such an extent that you have a rich, 6 inch  AMOLED display that is truly vibrant.

Amazing battery life

For me, this is the clinching factor above all else. I expected a larger display to suck up the battery and the OnePlus 5T offers 3300 mAh vs the 3000 mAh on the OnePlus 3. I had a chance to try it out right on day one, when I took part in a houseboat event in Kannur. As the day progressed, I took well over a 100 shots on the camera in a nice hot and humid day. I attended calls, took videos and yes, checked the internet too alongside GPS navigation. Never charged it in between. 

When all was said and done and it was time to head home in the evening, I looked at the battery life at 5 pm - 68% still remaining even after such a long active day! If you are one of the OnePlus 3 family, you know the battery is a tad weak by now. Can you imagine doing all this and using just 32 % at the end of it all?

Camera is da bomb!

Well, another major thing in favour of OnePlus 5T is the dual camera. While I love the OnePlus 3, I am the first to admit that my 2 year old Sony Z5 had a far superior camera when it came to photos. The OnePlus 3 had a tendency to be a bit unsteady especially where auto-focusing was concerned. In comparison, the OnePlus 5T has a superb camera and yes, the depth feature is beautiful. 

Without and with the 'Profile' effect of the OnePlus5T camera.
Image has been cropped to size.

OnePlus has acknowledged they can do even better and are still looking to improve the OnePlus 5T camera with future updates. For now, this camera offers better low light performance than even the OnePlus 5 while sacrificing a bit in (optical) zoom features. It does come with refined Electronic Image Stability (EIS) for better video / image stabilisation.

Other features:

• Face Unlock is insanely fast. I honestly did not realize it was doing it at times. Of course, the minus point is that it does not fare that well in low light conditions so do set up the Pattern Unlock as well as Fingerprint Sensor. I thought I would not like the latter placed on the back of the mobile but to be honest, I don't even notice it now. Like the OnePlus 3, this is a super-quick sensor, unlocking in barely a fraction of a second.

The changes between the OnePlus 3 and the OnePlus 5T are more obvious in the back - the dual camera and the FingerPrint Sensor make the latter stand apart.

Performance is snappier than the OnePlus 3, thanks to the new Snapdragon 835 chipset. But then the OnePlus 3 was hardly ever slow, was it?

Oxygen Operating System remains minimalistic and is a blessing with minimal bloatware.

Single metal chassis, better ergonomics alongside more familiar aspects like a 3.5 mm audio jack and the trusty Alert Slider (from which you can set the mobile to SILENT/RING from the comfort of your pocket) round up this premium product.

And that price? For a premium phone, (with discounts using certain banks and Amazon Kindle credit bundled in), the company surprised everyone by pricing the OnePlus 5T exactly the same as the OnePlus 5. 

So what's the verdict?

Moment of truth. If you are a OnePlus 3 user, chances are you love your phone. And you are as conflicted as I was, watching the OnePlus 3T, the OnePlus 5 and now the OnePlus 5T arrive. You wonder if it is worth the upgrade when your phone is doing as well as it is, especially with talks already on for a possible OnePlus 6 coming soon.

  (The company certainly knows what it is talking about when it says 'Never Settle.' ) 

Well, I personally feel the OnePlus 5T makes a wonderful premium phone and yes, it is indeed worth upgrading even for OnePlus 3 users. Feature-rich and a delight at all levels, the OnePlus 5T is well worth the money it quotes.