30 PCWorld NOVEMBER 2020REVIEWS ONEPLUS 8T
brings the kind of high-end features and
innovations that fans expect without cutting
too many corners. You’re still not getting
wireless charging, which is almost a running
gag for OnePlus at this point, but you are
getting stupendous 65W Warp charging out
of the box.
While you’re missing out on a few other
“pro” features like a curved Quad HD display
and the newer Snapdragon 865+ processor,
nothing about the OnePlus 8T feels inferior to
phones costing upward of $1,200. Stacked
up against the $700 Galaxy S20 FE and $799
iPhone 12, the OnePlus 8T is once again a
true competitor.A BEAUTIFUL DESIGN
ALL AROUND
Like every other phone in 2020, the OnePlus
8T doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It has a 6.55-
inch display with a hole-punch camera androunded corners, and a glass back that isn’t
too glossy or slippery. It feels good in my
hand and pocket, and likely hits the sweet
spot for most people looking for a larger-
screen phone.
OnePlus sent me the Aquamarine Green
colorway, and I was instantly smitten. Like a
chameleon, it changes between green and
blue based on the lighting, and the color-
matched sides create a nice contrast with the
display. The camera array on the back is
derivative of the flagship Galaxy phones and
thus loses some of OnePlus uniqueness—
particularly compared to the circular array on
the 7T—but the 8T definitely ranks as one of
the nicest phones OnePlus has ever made.
The niceness continues to the front as
well. While at first glance the 8T has the same
overall look as the 8 and 8 Pro, with a left-
aligned hole-punch camera and slim bezels, a
closer inspection will reveal that the bezels
are more balanced. It’s a small thing, but
OnePlus’s use of a bendable chip-on-panel
OLED allows the top and bottom bezels to be
symmetrical, which makes a subtle but
meaningful difference.
It’s not quite as uniform as the iPhone 11,
but it’s very close, and it’s an engineering
feat that portends great things for the
OnePlus 9. The OnePlus 8T is one of the
few Android phones that feels like it was
designed inside and out with a purpose,
rather than assembled using pieces that
The OnePlus 8T keeps the excellent alert slider. somehow had to fit.