OnePlus 5T Unboxing and First Impressions

OnePlus, the emerging "flagship killer" smartphone brand from China, has recently made the much awaited upgrade of the OnePlus 5 official, the OnePlus 5T!

OnePlus 5T's box

The OnePlus 5T is the very first device from OnePlus to feature 2017's latest smartphone trend, a screen w/ tall and wide 18:9 screen aspect ratio and very slim side, top, and bottom bezels.

It now has a 6.01-inch FHD+ (2160 x 1080) 18:9 Optic AMOLED screen w/ Sunlight Display coming from just 5.5-inch screen size.

In addition, OnePlus has also added numerous updates to make your overall flagship killer experience better. It now has an update dual camera setup which includes a 16MP Sony IMX398 + 20MP Sony MX376K w/ PDAF and EIS at f/1.7 aperture size for brighter images, nicer zoom, and lowlight performance.

Moreover, the company boasts that it has a super fast "Face ID" feature that can unlock the phone in 0.4 seconds.

Promising? Is this the proper update to the well received OnePlus 5? Let's check it out!

OnePlus 5T Specs

Display: 6.01-inch FHD Optic AMOLED 2160 x 1080 resolution w/ 2.5D curved screen and Gorilla Glass 5 protection at 402 ppi
CPU: 2.45GHz 64 Bit Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor
GPU: Adreno 540
RAM: 6GB / 8GB LPDDR4X
ROM: 64GB / 128GB UFS 2.1
Back Camera: 16MP f/1.7 Sony IMX398 + 20MP f/1.7 Sony MX376K w/ PDAF, EIS, 2x zoom, and dual LED flash
Selfie Camera: 16MP f/2.0 Sony IMX371 w/ EIS
Battery: 3,300mAh w/ Dash Charge 4A
OS: Android 7.1.1 Nougat w/ Oxygen OS
Connectivity: WiFi, 3G, HSPA+, LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS, A-GPS, BeiDou, dual SIM
Others: Fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C, Colors: midnight black, slate gray
Sensors: Hall, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, light, compass
Dimensions: 156.1 x 75.0 x 7.3 mm
Weight: 162 g
Price: PHP 26,990 (6GB RAM / 64GB ROM) / PHP 30,990 (8GB RAM / 128GB ROM)

Disclaimer: This OnePlus 5T review unit was borrowed from Digital Walker, the official distributor of OnePlus in the Philippines for our unbiased review.

Unboxing / Accessories

USB Type-C cable and 4A Dash Charger

The box of OnePlus is still the same. But, what's inside is now better. The OnePlus 5T still comes w/ the 4A USB Dash Charger, stylish red USB Type-C data / cables with cable manager, SIM ejector tool, and plastic screen protector on top.

Case, paper docs, and SIM ejector tool

What's new? For the first time ever, OnePlus has added a clear type of TPU case to protect the phone from damages.

Build Quality / Design

Dual cam, dual LED flash, and fingerprint scanner behind

The new OnePlus 5T still has the same materials found on the regular OnePlus 5. The handset is still made out of sturdy unibody metal clad design, nice chambered edges, and extra tough Gorilla Glass 5 protection on top.

Top view

Speaker, Type-C port, mic, and headphone jack slot

Silent key and volume rocker

Power button and SIM tray slot at right

Aesthetically, the OnePlus 5T is now taller and MUCH sleeker than ever! Bezels on the sides still has the same slimness, but OnePlus made the top and bottom bezels narrower than ever.

It has a big 6.01-inch screen, but it feels like a smaller 5.5-inch phone to hold!

As a result, despite the bigger 6.01-inch screen, the OnePlus 5T still feels like a smaller 5.5-inch big phone in our hands. The Chinese brand has moved the fingerprint scanner in front at the back of the phone.

Paint finish is still GREAT, the phone is slim, curvy, and really stylish in general. The camera hump is still there though.

All buttons and ports are on easy to reach locations. It still has the useful silent key at left. Plus, OnePlus still included the STANDARD 3.5 mm headphone jack slot below.

The phone also feels great to hold, but that is only applicable if your grip is tight. Why? The paint finish still feels a bit slippery without the case.

Initial Findings

Stunning screen and camera quality

1. Finally, OnePlus has finally jumped into the 18:9 screen aspect ratio craze! Design is now sleeker than ever as we really liked the slimmer bezels. Build is still sturdy, but the camera humps could have been slimmer. As usual, even if it is still on 1080p, the type of screen that they used here is good in quality. We'll also check its new Sunlight Display tech that should improve sunlight legibility.

2. Inside, the specs still the same w/ the regular OnePlus 5. It still has the beastly yet ageing Snapdragon 835, up to 8GB RAM, up to 128GB non-expandable storage, and 3,300mAh battery.

3. Weirdly, the phone will still ship w/ Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS instead of the newer Android Oreo. It still has the intuitive Oxygen OS skin on top. Fortunately, OnePlus promised that they'll update this machine to Oreo next year.

4. OnePlus updated its dual rear cameras. It now has a 16MP f/1.7 Sony IMX398 + 20MP f/1.7 Sony MX376K w/ PDAF, EIS, 2x zoom, and dual LED flash. OnePlus ditched the optical zoom part for the hybrid zoom though. This phone can shoot up to 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 60fps, and 720p 120 fps slow motion videos as well. In front, you get the same good 16MP f/2.0 Sony IMX371 sensor w/ EIS for selfies. Quality of images and shooting speed are flagship grade so far.

5. Fingerprint scanner is quick USB Type-C works, LTE is blazing fast, gyroscsope is available, and light sensor is accurate.

Related: OnePlus 5T: First Camera Samples

As of the moment

The OnePlus 5T is refreshing! Design and screen now looks more modern than ever and it still has that flagship worthy specifications and features. OnePlus has even improved the camera specs of this beast. This could be a HUGE hit!

For our review: OnePlus 5T Review - The Polished Flagship Killer