Just a few months after the release of the OnePlus 3, the company has released a followup that’s designed to take things to the next level: the OnePlus 3T. The device boasts a few key improvements over the original OnePlus 3, most notably when it comes to processing power. But is the bump to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor worth the upgrade? And if you’re in the market for a new smartphone, should you spend the extra cash on a new phone, or simply opt for the less powerful one? Here, we compare the OnePlus 3 and the like-minded OnePlus 3T to see which is right for you.
As you can probably see, the two phones are very similar aside from a few key differences. The biggest one? Probably the fact that the OnePlus 3T features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor instead of the Snapdragon 820 found on the OnePlus 3. You might be wondering how much of a difference this makes in real life, and that’s a fair question.
Turns out, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 is really just an overclocked version of the 820. What this means is that it runs at a higher frequency and thus can process more in a shorter amount of time. According to Qualcomm, the 821 offers a 10-percent increase in performance over the 820, which gives phones equipped with the new chip a slight edge. It won’t make a major difference when it comes to performance, but power-hungry users will likely notice the difference between the two chips. If you have a phone with a Snapdragon 820, however, there’s really no need to upgrade.
The OnePlus 3T also boasts an extra storage option. Now, instead of being stuck with 64GB of RAM, you can opt for 128GB. Most people probably won’t need that much storage, especially the more cloud-savvy users, but having the option is certainly nice.
The upgraded processor and additional storage option represent the only big differences in the performance department. Both phones still sport 6GB of RAM, which is great considering the fact that 6GB is well ahead of most flagships. The OnePlus 3T has a slight edge here, though.
Design
The design of both phones is nearly identical — they’re both 7.4-millimeters thick and tout the same dimensions. That doesn’t mean they’re overly thin, but they’re not bricks either. If you’re looking for an ultra-thin device you won’t feel in your pocket, however, neither of the two phones is probably the right choice for you.
The only difference in the design department is that the OnePlus 3T is available in a few new colors. The original device was only available in Graphite, but the 3T is available in Graphite in addition to Gunmetal and Soft Gold. The additional color options probably won’t make or break it for most people, but it’s nice to have the additional options.
