OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 3T | Should I upgrade to OnePlus 3T?

Price When Reviewed

$399

If you’ve already bought the OnePlus 3, no doubt you’re feeling more than a little hacked off with OnePlus right now. The OnePlus 3 has been on sale only since June, and already (on 15 November) the company has announced an upgraded version, the OnePlus 3T. But don’t be too angry: you still have a great phone – and many of the specifications haven’t even changed in the OnePlus 3T. And, if it makes you feel better, you paid less for the OnePlus 3 than new users will pay for the OnePlus 3T. Also see: OnePlus 3T UK release date, price, new features and specifications and our  OnePlus 3 review

With that in mind, should you even care about the OnePlus 3T? In this article we examine the key differences between OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T, and attempt to answer whether or not you should upgrade from the OnePlus 3 to the OnePlus 3T. What is the same, and what is different – we compare OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 3T.

OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 3T: What’s the same?

We know how annoyed you OnePlus 3 owners are, so let’s kick off with what’s the same to help you feel better.

• The design: Most notably, the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T fit into exactly the same chassis. Both measure 152.7×74.7×7.35mm and weigh 158g. So even though you might have the older model, no-one will know unless you tell them. In fact, we’ve illustrated this article only with images of the OnePlus 3T, because it looks the same and so we can.

• The screen: Both OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T are fitted with the same 5.5in full-HD (1920×1080,401ppi) Optic AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 4.

• The RAM: You still get to boast that your OnePlus 3 has a staggering 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM, because this hasn’t been increased in the OnePlus 3T.

• The primary camera: Well, sort of. In both the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T the company fits a 16Mp Sony IMX298. The specifications are mostly the same, but OnePlus has added sapphire glass protection and upgraded the electronic image stabilisation in the 3T.

• The software: The OnePlus 3T ships with the latest version of OxygenOS, based on Android Marshmallow 6.0.1. This will also be available for the OnePlus 3.

• The Alert Slider: We’re not sure this one is at the top of your list of must-haves, but the physical Alert Slider button that lets you switch notification priorities is present in both OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T.

• USB-C: The OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T both use USB-C for charging (and both still feature a standard 3.5mm headphone jack for audio). Other connectivity options, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, also remain the same.

OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 3T: What’s different?

• The price: While the 64GB OnePlus 3 costs £329 direct from OnePlus, the OnePlus 3T has a £70 premium at £399. The 128GB model is even more expensive at £439. That means, for now at least, the OnePlus 3 is the better-value option. Unfortunately, when stocks dry up OnePlus won’t be making any more.

You can preorder the OnePlus 3T today from O2, where contracts start at £31 per month with a £9.99 upfront charge. Meanwhile, the OnePlus 3 is available from £28 per month with no upfront charge, also via O2.

Even at £399, though, the OnePlus 3T is set to offer very good value for money. For more fantastic-value phones see our Best Black Friday Phone Deals.

• The colour: There’s a new Gunmetal colour option as well as the Soft Gold option. Both models are available in Gunmetal but only the 64GB model is available in Soft Gold – or at least it will be, slightly after launch.

• The processor: Whereas the OnePlus 3 fits the flagship-level Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, the OnePlus 3T one-ups it (and the rest of the 2016 flagship competition) with the Snapdragon 821. The 821 has a 10 percent performance increase over the 820, and is also designed to bring greater power savings, but we must say the OnePlus 3 is plenty fast enough for most users and even Qualcomm says it isn’t intended to replace the Snapdragon 820.

“Why would you introduce something to replace what many consider the best mobile processor available today? Simple, we’re not. Rather than replace the Snapdragon 820, the 821 is designed to complement and extend the competitive strengths of our Snapdragon 800 lineup,” it says.

• The battery: Battery capacity has been increased in the OnePlus 3T, but by only 13 percent – whereas the OnePlus 3 has a 3,000mAh battery the OnePlus 3T has 3,400mAh. It might make a difference to you in daily life, but we’re far more excited about its support for Dash Charge, which is OnePlus’ fast-charging technology that can offer a day’s battery life in a half-hour charge.

• The selfie camera: OnePlus has swapped out the 8Mp front camera in the OnePlus 3 for a 16Mp Samsung 3P8SP in the OnePlus 3T. This is a a fixed-focus camera with 1.0um pixels and an f/2.0 aperture, capable of capturing video at 1080p. If you’re not a selfie fan, the primary camera is more exciting, which is the same as before but with upgraded EIS and sapphire glass lens protection.

• The storage: To be fair, this could have gone in either list. The OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T both have 64GB of storage as standard, with no expansion possible through microSD. The difference is that if you need more the OnePlus 3T can accommodate this, with a 128GB option.

Also see: Best new phones and  Best OnePlus phones