While the OnePlus 8 has been around for around 6 months now, the OnePlus 8T is the new kid on the block packing a newer and improved set of features. But newer isn’t always better and old isn’t always gold. So let’s find out today, which of these 2 phones makes for a better buy, especially because they’re priced so similarly.
OnePlus 8T vs OnePlus 8: Build Quality & Design
The OnePlus 8T should ideally be the successor to the OnePlus 8. And in a lot of ways, it is a clear step up. Unfortunately, build quality and design isn’t one of those areas. Granted, design is a personal preference, but it’s hard to deny that the frosted glass back on the OnePlus 8 feels more premium than the glossy glass back on the OnePlus 8T. To add more fuel to the fire, the same frosted glass back as the OnePlus 8 is shared by the much more expensive
OnePlus 8 Pro while the same glossy back as the OnePlus 8T is shared by the much cheaper OnePlus Nord.
Apart from that, both these phones feel really good in the hand. Both of them have matte finished aluminium sides coupled with glass on the front and the back. Let’s look at the backs for a second. The OnePlus 8 has the camera module in the centre which is a design language that is quintessentially OnePlus. They have been putting the camera module in the centre since the OnePlus 6 and the OnePlus 8 looks like a very refined version of that design language. The OnePlus 8T on the other hand is a departure from the OnePlus design language with it’s camera module to the top left. This looks a lot like one of Samsung’s 2020 phones and I personally don’t like that. Again, design is a personal preference, and so my personal preference here is definitely the OnePlus 8.
OnePlus 8T vs OnePlus 8: Display
Flipping over to the display, the OnePlus 8T has a flat panel while the OnePlus 8 has a curved one. While the curved panel looks more premium and flagship-like, I simply cannot deny the practical benefits of having a flat display. For starters, there are no accidental touches. Then, there is no glare on the sides when you’re watching video, screen protectors are easier to find and the list just goes on and on. Flat screens on flagship phones are slowly fading away and I am so happy that OnePlus kept them alive by including a flat panel in the OnePlus 8T.
OnePlus 8T vs OnePlus 8: Display Quality
But what about the actual quality of the displays. Things couldn’t be more similar here. Both these phones have the same diagonal screen size, same resolution, same pixels per inch and almost the same screen to body ratio. The only noticeable difference is that the OnePlus 8T has a higher refresh rate at 120 Hz compared to the OnePlus 8 at 90 Hz. Frankly, that’s not much of a difference in real world use. Jumping from 60 Hz to 90 Hz was huge but 90 to 120 is not that big. But hey, since both these phones are priced very close to each other, we’ll pick the 120 Hz because you’re not paying much more for that upgrade anyway.
But actual colour quality wise, both these phones have stunning displays. Remember how Samsung used to be the King when it came to displays and no one even came close. Well, use the OnePlus 8 or the OnePlus 8T and you will realise that OnePlus did come quite close. The displays are stunning to look at with sharp and crispy details, excellent colours, and incredible vibrance. What’s more, both these phones are free of issues like black crush, red tint and more that are
found on the larger OnePlus 8 Pro. OnePlus has really done a good job with both these displays.
OnePlus 8T vs OnePlus 8: OxygenOS & Performance
Let’s talk about the software and performance section. Frankly, there is absolutely nothing to compare here. Much like the displays, both the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8T have more similarities than differences here. In this particular case, the only hardware difference is that the OnePlus 8T has UFS 3.1 storage compared to the UFS 3.0 on the OnePlus 8. Apart from that, both of these phones have the same Snapdragon 865 CPU, Adreno 650 GPU running over the exact same software. It is at times like these, that while I write this review, I wonder why did OnePlus even make the 8T when they already had the super similar OnePlus 8.
Anyway, I have used the OnePlus 8 on Oxygen OS 11 extensively and I have been using the OnePlus 8T for a few days now and the differences are negligible. Frankly, it’s like a race between 2 sports cars, except that both the cars have the same specs and the same driver. Now that we’re done with this shoddy analogy, the point is that both these phones are crazy fast. With their best in class flagship internals and the quick animations of OxygenOS, both these phones absolutely race through everything you throw at them, be it day to day stuff like WhatsApp and Instagram or heavier stuff like Call of Duty and Adobe Rush. If you’re wondering which phone to pick out of these two, my first piece of advice would be “Don’t try to pick on the basis of performance because you simply can’t.”
Also read: Best Accessories for OnePlus 8T
OnePlus 8T vs OnePlus 8: Camera Comparison
The major difference between OnePlus 8T and OnePlus 8 is the design and placement of the rear camera module. Optically, both devices sport the same sensors except an all-new 2MP Monochrome camera module on 8T. Also, for some reason the OnePlus 8T has an extra flash. Anyway, let’s compare the photos first and then the videos.
Photos
- Since the primary camera is the same on both smartphones, there is minimal difference and it lies in image processing. Stills shot on the 8T have better noise processing, fewer artefacts, and warmer tones. On the other hand, OnePlus 8 produces sharper stills with similar contrast, colors and HDR processing.
- Ultra-wide-angle camera performance is almost identical. The only differences we found were:
- The 8T has a wider FOV,
- Pictures shot on OnePlus 8 were sharper with more details.
- Moving to the portrait mode, both smartphones take fairly good portraits in terms of colors and bokeh. There are minor differences in colors temperatures. The OP 8T had some subject separation issues while shooting in low light conditions.
- Switching to the front camera, both devices produce almost indistinguishable selfies with minor white balance differences.
- Even though the Macro camera has been upgraded from 2MP on the OP8 to 5MP on the 8T, the pictures shot with both cameras are still pretty bad.
- The 8T sports an additional 2MP monochrome camera. It is there to assist the main sensor, but it can also be used to capture black and white stills. Honestly, they look pretty cool. The only downside is that they’re just 2MP.
- The Low light performance on the OnePlus 8T is a little better than the OP 8 in terms of sharpness and luminance while shooting with the primary lens. We noticed a decent amount of vignetting in pictures shot using the ultra-wide lens in Nightscape mode on the 8T.
Videos
- In terms of resolutions and frame rates, both devices are at par. They can shoot up to 4K@60fps from the rear cameras and at FullHD@30fps from the front camera.
- The footage out of both devices looks very similar in terms of colors, HDR, autofocus speed. There are some minor color temperature and exposure differences.
- Some vignetting is visible while shooting with the ultra-wide camera on the OnePlus 8T in low light conditions.
- We also found that the 8T had better OIS performance while shooting photos and videos.
As mentioned earlier, the OnePlus 8T and OnePlus 8 sport identical camera hardware and software. Moreover, both cameras are capable of shooting really good pictures and videos and have their set of minor inconveniences like software bugs. But, if you’re looking for a smartphone camera for both casual and professional use, you can’t go wrong with either of them since the camera experience provided by both of them is largely the same.
Also read: Best Cases for OnePlus 8T
OnePlus 8T vs OnePlus 8: Battery Life & Warp Charge
Talking about the battery life, we have a 4300 mAh battery in the OnePlus 8 compared to 4500 mAh on the OnePlus 8T. The OnePlus 8 has good battery life. Easily lasts a day on mid to heavy use and can be stretched to a day and a half without much effort. Roughly 5 to 5.5 hours of screen-on-time. Talking about the 8T, the battery life seems slightly better with roughly 30 more minutes of SOT. But look, the OnePlus 8 I have here is a 4-5 month old phone and the 8T here is brand new so maybe that difference is because of the fresh battery in the 8T compared to the 5 month used battery pack on my OnePlus 8.
Where the main differences arise is charging. The OnePlus 8 supports Warp Charge 30T for lighting fast charging which is one of my favourite features of OnePlus phones in general. The OnePlus 8T supports a crazy 65 Watt fast charging which makes the OnePlus 8’s fast charging look slow. No, seriously OnePlus claims that you can do a 0-100 on the OnePlus 8T in around 40 minutes and I believe them because I have seen it with my own eyes.
Now, OnePlus has managed to do this by including 2 battery packs which charge simultaneously. What that means for the long term battery health is still unknown and only time will tell how this battery fares in the long run.
But all in all, it is just great that companies like OnePlus are including better and better charging technologies in the box with every new generation of their phones when companies like
Apple with twice or thrice as expensive phones are even removing that terrible 5W charger that they used to give.
OnePlus 8T vs OnePlus 8: Fingerprint Sensor & Speakers
When we talk about biometrics, it is the same story. Great optical fingerprint unlock that works equally well on both the phones.
One tiny difference I did notice is that the haptics and speakers were slightly better on the OnePlus 8T. Not a huge difference, but a noticeable one, anyway.
OnePlus 8T vs OnePlus 8: Call Quality
Let’s talk about the phone call experience. I actually got unexpected results here. While the earpiece quality, loudspeaker and mic quality on both the phones is largely the same, I found that the OnePlus 8 held onto a signal better than the OnePlus 8T. I don’t know if it was an isolated finding in my network coverage conditions but at the same spot, the OnePlus 8 seemed to get stronger signals compared to the OnePlus 8T. This is not something that altered the experience of using these phones, just an observation that I thought I should share.
OnePlus 8T vs OnePlus 8: Which one should you buy?
To conclude, the OnePlus 8T and OnePlus 8 are very similar phones at very similar price points. The OnePlus 8T is a tad bit better in a lot of tiny areas and so, spending that extra money to get it makes sense, because while the upgrades are not huge, so is the price difference. The only thing where the OnePlus 8 truly trumps the OnePlus 8T is the flagship look and feel although that is personal preference. If in the future, there is a deal of some sort and the price difference between these 2 increases, get the cheaper one. They are both very similar and the smart choice would not be the OnePlus 8 or 8T, but saving your money.
Check OnePlus 8T Price:
Amazon (India): https://amzn.to/2IGjmdr
Amazon (US): https://amzn.to/3dLrR2D
Amazon (UK): https://amzn.to/3kesTqf
Check OnePlus 8 Price:
Amazon (US): https://amzn.to/2OXUvSA
Amazon (India): https://amzn.to/300qaZJ
