Aug 22, 2018 01:23 PM
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(Updated Aug 22, 2018 01:17 PM)
I have been a long-term OP user while being an Apple fanboy. There have been numerous reviews on OP6 so this review is from a perspective for an iPhone user who fell in love with OnePlus. Do I hate iPhones now? No - but I can confidently say that OP has made me less reliant on the Apple ecosystem. Also - this review might help someone who is considering an upgrade from the 5/5T to the 6.
Historically, I have owned every iPhone models right from the very first one to the 6S(I still own an SE). I have also owned all OP models from the OP1 to the current OP6. Yes - I'm a geek - thanks:)
I really did not need to move from the 5T but I have my own reasons. Let me get my reasons out of the way:
I am a very outdoorsy person & an avid cyclist. I needed something which won't die on me in case I get caught in a rain. As great as the 5T is, the splash resistance is just a feature which appeals to me. If OP launches the 6T - it may very well have an IP rating in the future.
I am also a photographer & the slight bump in low light performance & the OIS on the primary camera is a good feature for me.
The 0.3" bigger(6.28") screen size in the same footprint as the 5T is an added bonus
Strangely OP6 is one of the 6 non-pixel phones which are part of the Andriod P beta program which means it will be amongst the first to receive the update from Google. It also means at a platform level, OP6 is that much more closer to being a stock experience that Google felt confident to include it alongside the Pixels.
Lastly, the mundane obvious reason: ivy-leave specs with SD845 ensures that it is a very 2018 phone.
Here is a quick perspective from an Apple user:
I feel OP6 is fantastic value for money. Apple makes great phones - may not be the best value for the premium price but their software support is superb. A 4 yr old iPhone will probably function as smoothly today on the latest iOS version.
OP is trying its best to extend this reliability to its customers. The OP6 is a screamer of a phone which is total daily-driver material. That said - I always find that my office emails & meetings calendar work better on iOS. Which is why I still have an iPhone SE.
The battery life is fantastic on the OP6 - better than my iPhone. At least from the screen on time perspective, however, the standby time on the iPhone is better. Overall - Andriod has evolved over years & has become very reliable as well as consistent. Oxygen OS is my favorite skin over Andriod which packs all the essentials & knocks-off all useless features. It flies through everyday tasks, apps & heavy games. The camera is way better than say the iPhone 7/8(not the X though).
I also feel the OP6 glass built is kinda pointless - while making it more fragile to accidental drops/dings & makes it very slippery in hand. Impossible to use this phone without a case or a skin.
The weight distribution is excellent across the phone & the attention to detail is as good as Apple. In short - I feel it does almost everything as good(if not better) than my iPhone at 60% the price. In my books - that is hard to beat.
I loved the camera on my 5T - it took stunning shots(more often than not). The 6 takes it one step forward - however, it's not a leap forward. It's marginally better.
The dash-charger on the OP is by far my favorite. For what Apple charges extra. The dash charge is crazy quick & I just need 30-40min to top up my phone in the morning & I am good for the day. The battery easily lasts me for a day & I end with 20% charge. Please keep in mind that I am not an avid gamer but I do use the GPS & Bluetooth a lot. Mostly on 4G LTE most of the time.
The display is crisp & consider most iPhones(except X) are still running on 326ppi resolutions, the 400ppi on this device is an upgrade certainly for the eyes. More so - the AMOLED screen is accurate & punchy. Gets bright enough under sunlight & content consumption is pretty solid.
Call quality & signal reception is better than 5T(probably because of the glass back). 4G speeds are also excellent. Yes - Jio SIM continues to work perfectly on it.
The notch is not intrusive & I hardly notice it. Its small & its maybe half the size of whats on the iPhone X - to put things into perspective. Too many notification icons can make the space above a bit overcluttered but a simple config change in setting to hide some apps from the top bar will fix it. The buttons are tactile & reassuring. The face-unlock is every so snappy & I mostly forget that it has an equally quick fingerprint reader since 80% of the times it just locks with face. Yes - its not the most secure way but it works for my usage.
All-in-all, OP6 is a great phone for the money. Hardcore Apple fans may find it hard to adapt to. But that's more to do with Andriod than with OP6. And it may be harder to admit but the phone does everything better. It does have its shortfalls - but it does everything fine. I have the 8GB / 128GB midnight black model & it's my daily driver. I don't miss my iPhone. But I do miss Apple not having some features which the OP6 has or I hate the fact that they'd charge extra for some stuff.
What do I dislike about the OP6?
No phone is perfect. And Op6 is not an exception to that fact - but it comes pretty close.
Dual Speakers - Can't say this enough
IP67/68 ratings, please. Just for peace of mind
The secondary camera should have been telephoto
The fingerprint scanner should have been round - I just miss that from the 5T
The glass back is useless. I would have preferred metal like the 5T
A slightly larger 3500/3600 mAH battery would have been killer
As you see - these are more of wishes than complaints. And that is mostly the story of the OP6 for me. Its a great phone for the price - period.
This phone is not for Apple fanboys. It is for people who want a top tier 2018 smartphone with a realistic pricetag. It will tick off all the major checkboxes for what you need. And will serve you well over the next 2 years easily. I found it to be very reliable & stable. OP keeps sending out software updates ever so often keeping things solid on the software front.
