Hi guys, it's MTG here, and this video will be all about the OnePlus 6.
I've had a chance to use this as my main phone for most of the past month now, and today
I'm going to give my comprehensive review, talk to you about pleasant surprises, and
things I don't like so much.
Stick around to the end of the video to see why I believe this was the most important
smartphone launch of the year.
Let's get right into it.
256 Gigabytes of storage, 8 Gigabytes of RAM, and a high quality, dual-camera system.
This is all packaged into a device that has a near-bezel-less 6.3 inch AMOLED display,
and is held together by an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass 5.
If we simply looked at the design and specs on paper, there are only a handful of flagships
out right now that could match it spec for spec.
I always like to emphasize that specs aren't everything when it comes to smartphones, but
admittedly at first glance, the OnePlus 6 looks extremely impressive both on paper,
and definitely in the hand.
The construction of the phone feels very solid in the hand, and personally, I really like
the matte look of the midnight black color variant.
It also doesn't smudge nearly as much as a typical glass phone would.
The fact that you're watching this review tells me that you probably already knew that
the OnePlus 6 had very impressive specs, and you just want to hear what it's like to own
one, so that's what the rest of this video will be focused on.
From the moment I took the phone out of its box, this OnePlus 6 has been a tale of pleasant
surprises.
And the first pleasant surprise, was it's display.
Because of the Pixel 2 XL and its OLED issues, I was still worried about the display quality
even when I knew it was an AMOLED panel.
But the OnePlus 6 does not disappoint at all.
Everything that I could want to do on my phone looks great.
Images look clear with good colors, and text looks crisp and is easy to read.
Even if some people hate the notch with a passion, you can easily hide it in a very
seamless way thanks to the AMOLED display.
And when you maximize YouTube videos, it stops the maximizing right before the notch, which
I really like.
Durability is an aspect that I don't talk about much on this channel, but in this instance
it is a very pleasant surprise.
I don't know if it is because this OnePlus carbon fiber case I use on the OnePlus 6 is
especially slippery, or if it is because I have just been more clumsy with my phone,
but I have actually dropped the OnePlus 6 more than any of the other smartphones I have
tested.
For aesthetic purposes, I elected to also remove the screen protector from the phone,
so it has been especially vulnerable.
But gladly, every single time I dropped it, whether it be on wood or tile, face flat,
or on its corner, it has survived completely unharmed, even if it is a very minimal case.
And knowing the types of drop tests that OnePlus put through this phone, it is really paying
off, because with the OnePlus 6, they have a surprisingly very durable phone.
Having come from phones that I didn't think had terrible battery lives in the S9+, Pixel
2 XL and iPhone X, the battery life was also a pleasant surprise.
It lasts about as much as the OnePlus 5T, which given the larger screen, is actually
pretty impressive given that it has the same 3300 mAh battery capacity as its predecessor.
I've never had issues with the OnePlus 6 lasting the day, even with heavy use.
Also on the nights where I forgot to charge it, it surprised me with its impressive standby
time.
I can go to bed with around thirty percent, and wake up with about 27 to 28 percent.
When I do have to charge it, it does suck sometimes that I don't get to place it down
on a wireless charger, I'll get more into that later, but the included dash charger
charges the phone so fast that I don't miss the convenience of wireless charging too much.
A feature that I don't think gets talked about enough is the alert slider on the side of
the phone.
The alert slider can switch between ring, vibrate, and silent, and the fact that it’s
textured and has the perfect amount of resistance, makes it so easy to switch between modes even
when the phone is in my pocket.
Especially recently, people are becoming less inclined to carry around a dedicated camera
because of how good the quality of our smartphone cameras have become.
OnePlus knew this and put a really good, dual-camera system on its latest flagship.
Just like last year, I still don't fully understand the full utility of the second camera, as
it isn't an extra wide-angle or a telephoto camera.
But instead, according to OnePlus, helps with the portrait mode that people have grown very
fond of.
The OnePlus 6 doesn't have the best camera of any smartphone, but it is up to par with,
and even tops, some of the best smartphone cameras out right now in important aspects
like high-dynamic range and lowlight performance.
Simply put, you will not be disappointed by the camera on this phone.
To see more of how the phone compares to the best of the best, check out the various in-depth
camera comparisons that I already have up on the channel with the S9+, P20 Pro, Pixel
2 XL and iPhone X.
But all of what I just mentioned wouldn't mean anything if the software experience was
lacking.
Fortunately, Oxygen OS, or OnePlus's Android skin, is very minimal, and is very close to
stock Android.
Daily use has been great.
The phone, and its minimal animations, zips through different menus and apps with ease.
And although there are those rare instances where the phone stutters or misses a beat,
for the most part, the software and overall usability of the OnePlus 6 has been very pleasant.
And it should also be noted that it will get the latest software updates very fast
Before I get into the one feature I like the most about the OnePlus 6, I'm going to get
into some of the things that I don't like so much about this phone.
First off, the single, down-firing speaker gets covered very easily.
And even when its not covered, it sounds mediocre, at best.
The volume gets loud, but the sound comes out very tinny, and isn't comparable to the
speakers found on other flagships.
Another thing I don't like, which I touched on earlier, is the fact that despite it having
a glass back, it still does not support wireless charging.
I'm someone who likes to keep wireless chargers in various places around my space, so it is
really convenient for me to just set a phone down to charge it.
Lastly, despite the fact that OnePlus has taken extra measures to seal the phone during
production, the phone is not IP rated water or dust resistant.
So it doesn't give me the piece of mind that say an IP67 or IP68 rating on other phones
would provide.
But all of the things I just mentioned get overshadowed completely by the feature I love
most about this phone, the price.
Throughout the entire video, I judged and reviewed the phone without thinking about
the price or the bang for your buck, but if I completely ignore the price, I would be
ignoring the feature that makes the OnePlus 6 the most important smartphone launch of
the year.
The top-notch specs, great display, and pleasant surprises that come with the OnePlus 6, all
come in a package that starts at just $529 dollars, or about half the price as some of
the flagships that it is competing with.
If you couldn't tell already, the OnePlus 6 has really impressed me.
It is one of the best designed phones out right now, and has some of the most impressive
specifications.
It is the most important phone launch of the year because it shows consumers and manufacturers
the type of phone that is possible for just around $500.
OnePlus is no longer just the best budget phone manufacturer, they have begun to create
smartphones that really do compete with the Samsungs and Apples of the world.
I would highly recommend the OnePlus 6 to a lot of people.
Let me know what you thought in the comment section.
Make sure you're subscribed and have the notification bell clicked to see the new P20 Pro camera
comparisons I have planned.
That's all I had to talk about today, and as always, thanks for watching, and I will
see you in the next video.