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#7DayReviewChallenge justinmullet’s OnePlus 5T Review Nov 22, 2017

  1. justinmullet
    The Lab - OnePlus 5T Reviewer Nov 22, 2017

    justinmullet , Nov 22, 2017 :
    The-Lab-–-OnePlus-5T-Edition_780.jpg

    One Plus 5T: Unboxing

    I’ve often wondered why an unboxing holds so much appeal for myself and many others. In that same thought, I’ve considered why brands attend to so much detail in their packaging and presentation. I believe the purpose lies in the power of perception. Consider a friend you’ve made, and how the first impression of that person made an impact on how you viewed that person or related to that person as time went on. First impressions cast a positive outlook or a negative outlook, and through that lens we make our first judgements as we evaluate that person or product. With those thoughts in mind let’s talk about OnePlus and how successful they were in shaping my first impressions.

    Queue the excitement!

    Feeling the knife tip cut through that last piece tape, or popping the seal on the top folds of the box is a satisfying feeling. It was no different for me when I opened the box, knowing what was inside. Peering inside you’ll find a simple white box with the red OnePlus logo centered at the top, and a large but subtle digit, a “5” embossed on the center. Upon opening the box, you’ll find the main product, front and center with little extra room in the box to distract. The packaging is simple and to the point. No complaints yet.

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    Underneath the phone is a removable tray which when removed, reveals a: quick start guide, sim card removal tool, dash charger, USB-C cable, and a dark tinted, yet transparent silicone case. Throughout the entire package are consistent design choices that point back to OnePlus as a brand: minimal and simple font choice, clean lines, and sharp contrast between the familiar red and white. It’s not a mystery as to what you’re unboxing, and this is a good thing. Keeping the 5T front and center helps accomplish the goal of creating a positive first impression. The rest of the packaging plays it safe and relies mostly on the strong design of the 5T to create that positive first impression. So while there are no significant unboxing surprises, there are also no choices that detract from the 5T or OnePlus as a brand.

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    Well done OnePlus. I’ll be reviewing the 5T through a positive lens thanks to your presentation of the device.

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    What questions do you have as I continue to explore the phone?

    Thanks for reading! More to come.
     
    #1
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  2. justinmullet
    The Lab - OnePlus 5T Reviewer Nov 24, 2017

    Stickied Post
    justinmullet , Nov 24, 2017 :
    Day 2: Design/Display Day.

    design1.jpg

    Like I mentioned in the unboxing, having the 5T phone front and center upon opening the box is not a bad thing. Pulling it out and turning it on for the first time gives no doubt that it is a premium phone. The way the front and back edges of the phone slant as they meet each other, makes the device feel thin and surprisingly secure in the hand despite being smooth aluminium. Compared to the LG G4 which was one of my previous daily drives, this phone is in an entirely different class. The 5T doesn’t flex or creak and feels completely solid in the hand. Upon first impression, the design and build of the 5T gives no doubt of it’s premium build.

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    The next thing that caught my attention about the build was the buttons. I’ve heard other tech reviewers mention buttons in their reviews but never really payed attention. I was always skeptical that buttons could be good or bad enough to mention in a review. However, after just a few hours with the 5T, I knew I had to mention them. They’re tall enough to make them easy to find and when pressed, offer the perfect amount of resistance and “click”. I do have one critique about the buttons however. While I love functionality that the alert slider gives, I have not found it natural or effortless to slide when holding the phone with one hand. Without a case, it’s much easier but I often found myself pressing the power button on the opposite side of the phone. With a case (I’m using the red silicone case from OnePlus seen in the unboxing), it’s even harder to slide, and often I simply hold the phone with two hands and slide it with my fingernail rather than fumble around with it. Over time I expect this button to become more natural, but until this point it’s not something I can consistently get right without looking.

    design4.jpg

    I haven’t done a design review justice without talking about the screen. The 5T boasts an 18:9 aspect ratio screen that has become a common denominator among 2017 flagship phones. I absolutely love the thin bezels allowing for a large screen in a relatively small frame. From what I have been able to tell the screen has excellent brightness and beautiful dynamic color range. Upon first turning it on, it stands out and looks beautiful. However, while I understand the choice OnePlus has made in keeping the screen resolution at 1080p, perhaps for increased battery life, and lower price, I must say I can tell the difference between it and my LG G4 from 2015.The difference between the 401 ppi of the 5T, and the 538 ppi of the LG G4, results in icons that are not quite as crisp on the edges, and text that just feels a little soft. I work on a 4K laptop, and have been used to those resolutions for a while. An average user may not notice this, but a 1080p screen in 2017 feels just a little behind. I predict that I will get used to it, and if the battery life and performance remains top notch in the coming months, I’ll be able to forgive this choice for the duration of the phone. However, I would not expect OnePlus to remain at 1080p for it’s next launch.

    As a package, the 5T is beautifully designed, and it’s undoubtedly apparent that OnePlus took full attention to detail. The fingerprint sensor is placed in the perfect spot, and looks and feels durable. Also, I may be weird, but I kind of like camera bumps and the one on the 5T looks great! In summary, the 5T has a simple yet beautiful design that doesn’t get in the way of everyday functionality.
     
    #29
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  3. justinmullet
    The Lab - OnePlus 5T Reviewer Nov 25, 2017

    Stickied Post
    justinmullet , Nov 25, 2017 :
    Day 3: Camera Review

    Please note that the photos presented below were not edited in anyway other than cropping and/or resizing to fit here in the forums. They are as accurate a representation of the camera's ability as I was able to get.

    Also: Fair warning.This part of the review is long! I got a little carried away. :)

    Open up the 5T's camera app and you are presented with a few options. On the top are four options: self timer, HDR modes, aspect ratio, and flash options. above the shutter button is a small 1x button that you can be used to toggle the zoom quickly to 2x. Video mode, and portrait mode are available by swiping to the left or right on the main screen. By swiping up from the bottom you are presented with additional options including: Video, Photo, Portrait, Slow motion, Pro Mode, Time-lapse, and Panorama. Overall, the app is mostly intuitive and easy to use. When you launch the camera, it takes you to the automatic photo mode, set to HDR (auto), which I assume the majority of people will use. The camera is fast and there is not perceptible shutter lag. In almost all situations I've encountered, the auto-focus is fast and accurate.

    Auto Mode (default camera)
    With those things out of the way, let's jump right into photo quality and the HDR mode that is built in to the main shooter. There are four options: HDR off, HDR auto, HDR on, and HQ.
    [​IMG]
    In this example, you can see that the HDR mode helped to brighten the shadows in the foreground, and looks as if it applied a "tonemapping" effect to the clouds.

    [​IMG]
    In this example it's hard to tell a strong difference between the modes, although in a busy scene like this, I think the HDR (off) mode did the best job.

    At first glance, it can be hard to tell the difference between HDR(auto) and HDR(on) and occasionally even with HDR (off). I believe what's happening on HDR(auto) is that the camera is choosing when to turn HDR on or off. In my testing I haven't been able to tell if the HDR has a sliding scale of how much of the effect is applied. So far, I have not impressed with the HDR mode base on how it handles light. Although as I will present below, I am also not impressed with it based on how it handles sharpness. The actual “look” that you get with HDR is up the individual preference, however the sharpness issue as you’ll see below is unacceptable, and I can’t see myself turning on HDR mode in the future.

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    There has been no editing of any kind to these photos, other than enlarging a portion of the photo to show the sharpness and detail.

    As you can see in the above examples the HDR mode drastically reduces sharpness in some situations, to the point where the photo is nearly unusable in comparison to the non-HDR photo. Also, in my opinion the HDR mode does not make a more pleasing photo in terms of balancing highlights and shadows. I'll be curious to see what a software update could do to fix this. In case you think all photos taken in auto HDR mode are bad, let me show you the following two "low light" evening shots. They turned out incredibly well in my opinion and were just quick snapshots.

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    Taken in auto mode: (ISO 1250, 1/50 sec.)

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    Auto mode: (ISO 500, 1/100 sec.)

    The following photo was taken in the main camera mode with HDR off.
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    Capable of retaining great details!

    Before we move on to the other camera modes I want to talk briefly about the "zoom". OnePlus has kept the zoom button front and center in it's camera app. OnePlus first introduced this in the "5" when it debuted it's dual lens technology, include a 2x telephoto lens in addition to it's normal lens. In the 5T however, the second lens is an additional standard lens and does not offer an increased focal length. I'm disappointed both by the decision of not including the telephoto lens, and by the decision to keep the 1x zoom button. Essentially when users push the zoom button, the camera is just zooming digitally, and resulting in a photo with half the details. In an interesting decision by OnePlus, the camera software automatically up-scales the photo taken at 2x zoom, to math the resolution of photos taken at the 1x position. The resolution of both standard and zoomed photos is: 3456 x 4608 (when shooting in 4:3 mode). Below I have attached a side by side comparison of a photo that was taken at the standard zoom beside a photo taken with the digital zoom. I then manually up-scaled the original photo taken at standard zoom to match the in camera up-scaling. These photos were both taken with HDR off, and no additional adjustments were made before or after capture on either photo. You can see the results below.

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    It's a close call, but I prefer the original photo that I enlarged/cropped myself. The digitally zoomed photo lost detail in the branches next to the sky.

    Except for a quick share on social media, I would encourage all users to not use it. It feels slightly dishonest by OnePlus to keep it there and market it, after they removed the lens that actually provided those results. The 1x button is nothing else than a way to digitally zoom, which can already be achieved by pinching your fingers on screen.

    If you can hang in there with me, I want to share one more cool feature that one of you guys mentioned on this thread. That is burst mode! I absolutely love how this works, and think it's a brilliant software design. By simply holding down the shutter button, the camera takes 20 full resolution photos in very rapid succession. As seen from the screen shots below, it's very easy to select and save the photos you want, without filling up your gallery with unwanted shots.
    [​IMG]

    Pro-Mode + Portrait Mode + Panorama

    I am very glad OnePlus decided to add a Pro-Mode. As a photographer, it's something I'll use a lot of the time. I know I'm in the minority, but it's nice to see them consider us with these features. By default the auto mode on this camera seems to overexpose slightly in certain conditions. This is quickly corrected by holding your finger down on screen and pulling down to adjust the exposure compensation. If you want to correct this using Pro-Mode however, you have many options at your disposal. Below is a comparison shot from auto mode to pro mode.

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    Something I found frustrating on the auto mode, was the 5T's difficulty focusing on small things in front of the lens. Below is an example that shows this. I tried every way possible to get the camera to focus on the white berry, but it would absolutely not do it, even when I adjusted angles, used the 2x digital zoom, and touched the white berry on the screen. Finally, I had to open Pro-Mode to take the shot. With manual focus I had plenty of room to spare and could've focused even closer to the berry that I did. In auto mode, the camera just couldn't find it. You'll notice this in the video footage linked below. In one scene I was trying to get the camera to focus on a small leaf/stalk and it just couldn't do it.
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    The 5T also shoots in RAW in the Pro-Mode, but to be honest I'll need more time with the files to let you know how good they are. My first impression is that they are too flat, and way overcompensate for the shadows leaving you with over exposed images to work with. In my few minutes adjusting them, they were much harder to edit than the RAW files from my LG G4 from a few years ago. I'll have to let you know more on this later.

    In the few days since I've had the phone, I have not been able to take a single photo using portrait mode that I'd be happy enough to keep. I want to have more faith in it so before I speak out against it too much, I'm going to give it some more time. Below is a photo of a sign in my solo outing this afternoon.

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    At least to my eye, the edges of the sign look really muddy and unprofessional. Maybe it's not meant to work on things that contrast this much with their surroundings. I'll keep trying, but as of now I'm unimpressed.

    The panorama mode worked as expected, and produces very good results. The "stitching" of the grass in this photo is near or at perfect. It processed very speedily, and let me get on with my shooting.

    [​IMG]

    I know that I haven't covered the front facing camera at all in this review, but I can say from my short use with it that it does a really nice job, especially when given a good amount of light. If you have specific questions on the front facing camera, please ask and I'll do my best to answer.

    Video

    The video did not blow me away like I had hoped it would, and I think the main reason for this is the lack of optical image stabilization. The EIS (electronic image stabilization) works surprisingly well in most situations. It does not handle quick intentional movements, or long slow continuous movements very well. On quick intentional movements the EIS acts like it is trying to keep up, and in long slow continuous movements, it doesn't know when you are stopping or starting and feels very proactive, sometimes resulting in intentional movements being hindered.

    I was also surprised that I had no options for adjusting white balance of my video. Also, I would've preferred they added a manual video mode that allowed some adjustments to the shutter speed, iso, and focusing. I had gotten used to my LG G4 which allowed for all of this. For creative video use, the 5T is severely lacking functionality. For everyday use, I think most users will be happy.

    The video below was shot in 4K and put together to show the capabilities of the camera. It was not edited, stabilized, or color graded in anyway. It is straight out of the camera footage. The camera was handheld on every shot.



    Let me know what you guys think! There's a lot to cover, and I'm sure I left some out so don't hesitate to ask questions!

    Just because I am a photographer, I need to share one "edited" photo with you all before I sign off. Enjoy! :)
    [​IMG]
     

    Attached Files:

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  4. justinmullet
    The Lab - OnePlus 5T Reviewer Nov 26, 2017

    Stickied Post
    justinmullet , Nov 26, 2017 :
    Day 4: Performance

    One of the most important aspects of a smartphone should be it’s ability to get things done quickly and easily. For example there are times when I need to quickly navigate somewhere, ask Google a question, take a snapshot of a fleeting moment, or reference an app while traveling. There is little more frustrating than needing your phone to do something quickly, and then watch it freeze up or reboot. If you have used or still use an older phone you may be able to relate to this frustration.

    Without listing benchmark scores, technical specs, or other more objective data, I’m happy to report that the OnePlus 5T is the fastest phone I’ve ever used. In my few days with the phone, it has never let me down, crashed, or delayed when opening an app or settings menu. Taking photos is nearly instantaneous, and even opening the camera happens instantly with a double tap on the power button. I’ll talk more about charging in a future review, but this phone even charges quickly! Everything it is meant to do, it does quickly!

    I’ve never been too keen on pin numbers to unlock a phone, so I’ve often opted to have no security at all. The entire game changes with this phone. Between the lightning fast and accurate fingerprint scanner, and the all new facial recognition feature, unlocking my phone has never been faster or more fun. Setup on both the fingerprints and face unlock was easy and quick. The fingerprint scanner is so accurate and quick, I’m worried that I’d be disappointed by any other manufacturers attempt at this. My wife and I own the new Ipad (2017) with a fingerprint scanner and on average it takes me a couple tries and some adjusting in order for it to read and unlock. With the 5T, you barely tap your finger on the sensor and the phone unlocks. The same accuracy and speed can be said for the face unlock feature. Even in a dark room with 20% screen brightness the phone recognizes me and unlocks instantaneously. As you know from my previous reviews, I’m not hesitant to state when a feature is missing, or a promise is not fully delivered. I’m being completely honest when I tout the praises of the unlock features. Performance like this will sell the 5T!

    In conclusion as I mentioned previously, the OnePlus 5T is the fastest phone I ever used, and as a result it makes it easier to overcome other shortcomings that it has. Much can be said when a phone “just works” every single time you pull it out of your pocket.
     
    #51
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  5. justinmullet
    The Lab - OnePlus 5T Reviewer Nov 28, 2017

    Stickied Post
    justinmullet , Nov 28, 2017 :
    Day Five: Dash Charge/Power Consumption Day

    Thanks for all the positive comments and messages on my previous reviews. It means alot! Testing and writing an honest review is more difficult that I first thought, but I am enjoying the challenge.

    Today is the charging and power consumption day. Without beating around bush, I have been continually impressed and pleased with the battery performance and charging ability of the 5T. In the screenshots below you’ll see an example of a day’s power consumption.

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    The day started at home, with light usage of checking social media, email, and light usage of the camera. Then for a good portion of late morning and early afternoon my phone was in the pocket of my ski jacket as I hit the slopes at the local resort. I used the phone intermittently on the chair lifts, and about 15 minutes over lunch time. After the ski resort, I pulled the phone out a few times at a restaurant for dinner. By night time the phone was at 29% battery with nearly 3 hours of screen on time. Most of the screen on time was at full brightness since it was being used during the daylight hours, outside in cold temperatures and bright snow. Although the screen on time is not extremely high, it was in conditions that were taxing to a battery. Namely: cold temperatures (-5 to 5 degrees Celsius), full screen brightness, and limited cell reception. I have not had to worry a single time in the past week about running out of power to complete the day.

    I helped purchase the OnePlus 3T and the OnePlus 5 for my in-laws who asked me for a phone recommendation. Now a year from the 3T, and 6 months from the 5, both of them still tout the Dash Charging. They don’t have to worry about battery, since they know that only 15 minutes of charging will give them more than enough juice to finish the day. Dash charging has also changed the way I charge my phone. I used to make sure my phone is on the charger overnight, so I would have a full charge in the morning. Now, if the 5T is anywhere above 30-40% battery life, I feel confident leaving it off the charger overnight, and the plugging it in when I wake up. By the time I leave for work, the 5T is at or near 100% battery, giving me plenty for the day.

    Today, after a light day of use, the 5T was at 50% battery life, with 2 hours and 16 minutes of screen on time. On weekdays while I’m at work, I would definitely not consider myself a “power user”. However, I’ve had phones in the past that struggle to last all day with more than 2 hours of screen on time. To have the 5T at only 50% in that same scenario is definitely worth being excited about. Also, I’ll end on one last note. If you have never used USB-C, it is a much needed improvement from micro-USB. It feels sturdier and more solid, and being able to plug it in on either side is an added benefit. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to plug a phone in after dark, and fumbled around with the cable until I figured out which side was up. USB-C takes care of this small, yet noticeable inconvenience.

    If you’re looking for performance and battery life, and charging speed, I can’t recommend the 5T enough!
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2017
    #67
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  6. justinmullet
    The Lab - OnePlus 5T Reviewer Nov 29, 2017

    Stickied Post
    justinmullet , Nov 29, 2017 :
    Day 6: Oxygen OS

    History

    Every since my first smartphone, the OG Motorola Droid, I have loved the customization options that Android provided. Very soon after I bought the OG Droid, I began experimenting with custom ROMS and kernels, opening the door to even more customization. My journey of rooting, customizing, and overclocking phones continued well into my days with the Galaxy nexus, and even as recent as my LG G2 a few years ago. A stock android experience was always pinnacle in my mind as to what made an awesome Android phone. When OnePlus launched and began using one of my favorite ROMs, Cyanogenmod, I was thrilled. I thought, “How cool for a legit phone company to use a ROM that valued the aesthetics of stock android, but opened the door for all kinds of useful customizations”. It seemed almost too good to believe it was true. I followed the development of OxygenOS closely, and agreed with nearly every decision OnePlus made as it developed software for its phones. That brings me to the 5T and current version of OxygenOS based on Android version 7.1.1.

    Design
    *Sorry for the inaccurate colors in the GIFs below. In order to keep file sizes down, the colors got a little messed.

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    I applaud OnePlus for valuing the aesthetic qualities of stock android. Google has made great choices in the design of it’s OS, and it’s been great to see many app developers embracing the design choices that Google has been pushing since it began publishing its design language for developers to follow. Because OnePlus has largely chosen to embrace the design of stock android, OxygenOS is also a beautiful software. I like how OnePlus has given the user options to customize, but has mostly defaulted to a stock Android experience out of the box. This gives every user a great slate to start with, and then plenty of options to explore in order to personalize the phone.

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    The launcher is nicely designed, and I do find the dock on the left to be a handy place to have recent apps, and favorite/recent contacts. However, I have become so used to the Google (used to be Now) panel on the left of my home screen, that I am often swiping left hoping to reach that panel. It would be nice to see an option in the OP launcher to include the Google Feed.

    [​IMG]

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    Many things could be written about the OS, but I am going to simply note a few of my favorite aspects and customizations as seen below.
    1. Alert Slider - This feature is partly hardware and partly software. In the short time I’ve had the phone this has become a very handy feature. I love being able to instantly know and see by the button position that all sounds will be muted. On the other hand, it’s also nice to see that the phone is set to ring, and I know I will be notified if needed.

    2. Extended Screenshots - I know this is not uniquely an OxygenOS feature, but the inclusion of extended screenshots is a nice feature and one I know I’ll use occasionally to quickly screenshot an article, social media post, or comment thread to send to a friend.
      [​IMG]
    3. Display Settings - In addition to the typical screen settings, OxygenOS lets you choose between a default, light, and dark theme. They also let you choose the default accent color seen throughout the OS. In the screenshot of my quick settings menu, you can see I chose the light theme with the default blue accent color. There is also the option for “Lift up display” which wakes the screen when you pick the phone and gives you the time, date, and last notifications received. The design of this screen is really nice and looks great with the 5T’s screen.
      [​IMG]
    4. Buttons - Button customizations is the last major item I’d like to talk about. Being able to customize buttons, or choose double tap or long press options on the bottom nav bar makes it clear that OnePlus values “function” as highly as they do “form”. The double tap power button for the camera is a simple yet amazing function. At the end of the day, a phone needs to work for you. Having one with beautiful hardware and software design is an added bonus.

    Overall, I am very pleased with OxygenOS. Paired with the hardware design of the phone and the wonderful phone, it’s hard not to love this phone the longer you use it. As I said in a previous section, the 5T is the also the fastest phone I have ever used. When you can marry each of these elements: hardware, software, and performance, you have a phone that is hard to criticize. When these essential things come together, look beautiful, and work well with one another, it makes the less desirable aspects of the phone much easier to accept. OxygenOS is the piece of the 5T that pulls everything together, and OnePlus has done a fine job in their quest to provide functional and high performing software.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Nov 29, 2017
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  7. justinmullet
    The Lab - OnePlus 5T Reviewer Dec 1, 2017

    Stickied Post
    justinmullet , Dec 1, 2017 :
    Day 7: Conclusion Day

    To summarize in one sentence: The OnePlus 5T is a great phone.

    The longer I use it, the more I like it. Below you will find a list of the pros and cons covering the most important aspects of the phone. I sincerely hope each of my prior reviews, along with this conclusion can help you make a good choice when considering the 5T for your next phone.

    Pros:
    • Performance: Like I said in my performance review, the 5T throughout my 7 days of using it, has been the fastest phone I have ever used. It flies through any task that I give it. Everything about this phone feels fast. From the moment you pick it up and touch the fingerprint sensor, or tilt it toward your face and watch it unlock, it becomes apparent that this device has the speed of a cheetah packed into its slim body. Play music, multi-task using split screen, record video, navigate through busy intersections, communicate with the Google Assistant, play Monument Valley. No matter what you ask this phone to do, it will accomplish without breaking a sweat. When life is busy, you don’t have time to wait for your phone. Thankfully with the 5T you won’t need to.

    • Design: The design choices OnePlus made on the 5T have grown on me in my seven days of using it. I love the placement of the fingerprint sensor on the rear of the phone. It feels natural and easy to find with either hand. I typically unlock it with my index finger, and it works just as fast from both sides. Another little thing that I like are the slightly rounded corners and edges of the screen. It feels very polished. Oh, and talking about the screen. I am completely fine with the choice to only go with a 1080p resolution. In my initial review, I didn’t overly like it. However, after using the phone for a week it hasn’t bothered me at all. I’m also hooked on the 18:9 aspect ratio, and this would be hard to leave if I switched to a phone without it.

    • OxygenOS: You can read my review of the OS to find more of my thoughts. However, I find the OS to be the perfect balance between stock android, and allowing for customization options. I like being able to make small tweaks and adjustments to personalize the experience. The only critique would that OnePlus would give the option for the Google Feed to be on the left panel of the home screen in the default launcher.

    • Battery and Dash Charging: I have yet to run out of battery power with this phone, or even get close to it. I’m not a “power user” by any means, but that doesn’t mean I have run out of battery power on older phones. The 5T works efficiently, and when you do need a charge, the included Dash Charger gets you back up and running in a just a short time. Until you’ve used something as fast as Dash Charging, it’s hard to see what you’re missing.

    Cons:
    • Camera: My only disappointment with the 5T comes by the way of it’s camera, or perhaps the software that runs the cameras. So far, I have not seen results that warrant the removal of the telephoto lens of the OnePlus 5. When using the stock camera app in auto mode, I have consistently found the close up details of the photos to be muddy and have the “watercolor” effect. After I wrote the camera review, I experimented with using the Google camera (apk) via side loading the app. I found the experience to be very buggy on the 5t. When it did work however, the resulting images were much sharper and retained greater detail than the OP5t’s camera app. However, the google camera left a subtle pink shade across the top of the photo (when shot in portrait vs landscape) that was noticeable even when the photos were edited. My initial results with the camera have not been as great as expected. I’m hoping that future software updates can improve the results!

    A final aspect of the phone that I thought I should mention is the speaker. It is a downward facing single speaker on the bottom edge of the phone. I intentionally left this out of the “cons” portion of the summary. It gets very loud, and I do not find it to be significantly bothersome or inadequate. I often listen to podcasts while driving, and don’t always plug my phone into my car stereo. The speaker gets loud enough that I can easily listen to a podcast while driving, and depending on the road conditions only need to go to about 75% volume.

    I also did not mention that lack of android Oreo in my cons section. I do not personally find this to be a deal breaker, and am happy to receive the Oreo update, when OnePlus gets it out.

    Final Conclusion

    In conclusion, I find the OnePlus 5T to be an excellently designed and beautiful piece of hardware and software. For those that want a top tier phone without spending $800 or more USD, than this is the phone to buy. The design, build quality, and 18:9 screen fully place this phone in the midst of 2017’s best flagships. If OnePlus could improve the consistency of the camera quality with a software update, then this phone would be hard to beat. I will continue to recommend OnePlus and the 5T to friends who are looking for a new phone!

    I’d like to thank the OnePlus community for your interaction, and appreciate each of you who took the time to read my reviews. Thank you![/QUOTE]
     
    #71
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  8. Wasim_Mohammad
    Gingerbread Nov 23, 2017

    #2
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  9. GopalB.
    Nougat Nov 23, 2017

    GopalB. , Nov 23, 2017 :
    Nice to see the reviews from other reviewers as well...
    Photos are awesome...
     
    #3
    Alvie and justinmullet like this.

  10. smartbuddy
    Ice Cream Sandwich Nov 23, 2017

    smartbuddy , Nov 23, 2017 :
    Short and crisp review with very beautiful pics!
    What camera did u use, is it a DSLR or OnePlus? :p
     
    #4
    Phi_ and justinmullet like this.

  11. ajshanker
    Ice Cream Sandwich Nov 23, 2017

    ajshanker , Nov 23, 2017 :
    I really dig that red silicon case. It looks dapper! Does that also come free with the Box?
     
    #5
    justinmullet likes this.

  12. justinmullet
    The Lab - OnePlus 5T Reviewer Nov 23, 2017

    justinmullet , Nov 23, 2017 :
    No, the red case is sold separately. It feels very premium and adds some boldness to the phone!
     
    #6
    dareknowak, dsmonteiro and ajshanker like this.

  13. eye842
    Lollipop Nov 23, 2017

    eye842 , Nov 23, 2017 :
    Great presentation and nice pictures.

    I am puzzled why OnePlus don't need you lot to do an audio review so that's one thing I would like to read about when you get to the overall review.
     
    #7

  14. dsmonteiro
    Community Consultant Staff Member Nov 23, 2017

    dsmonteiro , Nov 23, 2017 :
    Stunning pictures! :hearteyes:
     
    #8
    NeVeR_SeTTLe and SoniaB like this.

  15. Alvie
    The Lab - OnePlus 5T Reviewer Nov 23, 2017

    Alvie , Nov 23, 2017 :
    The pictures you've uploaded here are so beautiful, I can't wait to see the rest of your review - particular the camera part.
     
    #9
    NeVeR_SeTTLe and SoniaB like this.

  16. aris
    Jelly Bean Nov 23, 2017

    #10

  17. iNtEnSePL
    KitKat Nov 23, 2017

    iNtEnSePL , Nov 23, 2017 :
    Well, many of you praise pictures taken, and my feeling is exactly opposite.

    1. Pictures with "decoration" - come on, do we really need to see a rope (lasso), a hand watch and some book (is it?). This is a phone review, not a christmas tree, keep it simple and to the point please :)
    2. Pictures with "filters" - I expect from the reviewer to show me how the "thing" looks like, not how he likes to throw it at insta. From what I see you know how to make pictures. Adding unnecessary "flair" doesn't help it at all. The silicone case ain't red, the box ain't red - but hey, they are red (beautifully red) in reality...

    ... even my sRGB OP3T screen doesn't help much ...
     
    #11
    Nvidiance, Themurtuza, Plenkske and 2 others like this.

  18. G_plusone
    Marshmallow Nov 23, 2017

    G_plusone , Nov 23, 2017 :
    Me too was wondering about the rope.
    The trade mark oneplus red is a little off.
    Nice photos and the phone looks good with the red case.
     
    #12
    iNtEnSePL likes this.

  19. iNtEnSePL
    KitKat Nov 23, 2017

    iNtEnSePL , Nov 23, 2017 :
    you mean the pumpkin orange one right?
     
    #13
    G_plusone likes this.

  20. G_plusone
    Marshmallow Nov 23, 2017

    #14

  21. iNtEnSePL
    KitKat Nov 23, 2017

    iNtEnSePL , Nov 23, 2017 :
    that must be limited edition, but OnePlus didn't make it for Halloween
     
    #15
    G_plusone likes this.

  22. SoniaB
    Nougat Senior Moderator Nov 23, 2017

    SoniaB , Nov 23, 2017 :
    Bah Humbug! There, now we have covered Christmas too and the rope is representative of a wreath :rolleyes:

    @justinmullet I really enjoyed reading your initial thoughts on the unboxing and your unboxing experience with the 5T.
    Thanks for sharing and I look forward to your next instalment.
     
    #16
    Alvie and iNtEnSePL like this.

  23. iNtEnSePL
    KitKat Nov 23, 2017

    iNtEnSePL , Nov 23, 2017 :
    I didn't say that I didn't enjoy reading the review, nor that @justinmullet hasn't got photo skills. I just commented on the photos - what is on them, not how they generally look. Generally they are really nice - but not for the review IMHO
     
    #17
    SoniaB likes this.

  24. David Y.
    OS Product Marketing Staff Member Nov 23, 2017

    David Y. , Nov 23, 2017 :
    Keep up the good work!
     
    #18
    justinmullet, NeVeR_SeTTLe, dsmonteiro and 1 other person like this.

  25. iNtEnSePL
    KitKat Nov 23, 2017

    iNtEnSePL , Nov 23, 2017 :
    @SoniaB What I mean exactly, I prepared a small comparison of a generally good photo, and of a good product photo.
    Both are nice, but they serve different purpose. Nice photo on the left, photo presenting the product well is the photo on the right.
    upload_2017-11-23_11-14-23.png
    edit: the PRODUCT is the lingerie, to cut it before some people get carried away ;)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 24, 2017
    #19
    SoniaB and Plenkske like this.

  26. sujithkumarsr
    Eclair Nov 23, 2017

    #20
    justinmullet likes this.

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