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OnePlus 6 Smartphone Review

Superb for the sixth time. OnePlus sticks to its high release rate, releasing the successor of the OnePlus 5T after just 6 months: The OnePlus 6. The Smartphone now has a new SoC, a new glass back, a notch and the cameras are supposed to have been improved as well. In our review, we find out whether or not a quick switch is worth it.
Update: OxygenOS 5.1.9 with improved camera quality and other fixes has been released.
OnePlus 6

The OnePlus 6 is the latest offshoot of the Chinese Corporation that is a subsidiary of BBK Electronics, which the smartphone brands Oppo and Vivo also belong to. The changes compared to its predecessor are already apparent from the exterior, since both the front and the back of the flagship phone are made of glass.

The OnePlus cell phone is powered by Qualcomm's fastest SoC. The Snapdragon 845 offers a lot of performance, as we have already examined in detail in the Sony Xperia XZ2, among others. In addition, it comes with 6 or 8 GB of RAM depending on the configuration, and buyers can choose between 64, 128 or 256 GB of internal storage. The entry-level model is still relatively cheap at 519 Euros (~$605) and at 619 Euros (~$722), even the largest configuration is still significantly cheaper than most of its competitors on release. However, the price will stay the same throughout the entire sales cycle. For the first time, OnePlus also distributes the smartphone directly through Amazon.

We were glad to see that OnePlus has kept the audio jack for their latest generation phones. The display has slightly grown in size, but the measurements of the case are almost unchanged compared to the OnePlus 5T. However, the notch is new. The manufacturer has also supposedly improved the dual-camera, and the specifications sound promising. The image sensor's size has increased by 19 percent; it is fitted with a nominally strong f/1.7 aperture and once again comes with optical image stabilization. Additionally, the OnePlus 6 is one of the few smartphones able to capture Ultra HD video at 60 frames per second. The Slow-Motion mode offers HD resolution at 480 FPS.

The competition of the self-proclaimed flagship killer consists of everything of distinction. In the review, it will have to hold its own in comparison to the Huawei P20 ProGalaxy S9+LG V30Apple iPhone XGoogle Pixel 2 XL, Sony Xperia XZ2, HTC U11 PlusXiaomi Mi Mix 2s and the Razer Phone. The Honor 10 has become an even stronger competitor in terms of price.

Update 8/4/18: OnePlus has released a new update. Details can be found in the software section.

OnePlus 6 (6 Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 8 x 2.8 GHz, Cortex-A75 / A55 (Kryo 385)
Graphics adapter
Memory
8 GB 
Display
6.28 inch 19:9, 2280 x 1080 pixel 402 PPI, capacitive touchscreen, 10 multi-touch points, Optic AMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glas 5, glossy: yes
Storage
128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash, 128 GB 
, 2 lanes, 116 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: USB and 3.5mm audio jack, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Hall, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, electronic compass, sensor hub, Glonass, BeiDou, Galileo, USB OTG, Wifi Direct, Miracast,
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0, GSM/GPRS/Edge (850, 900, 1.800 und 1.900 MHz), UMTS/WCDMA/HSPA+ (Band 1/2/4/5/8/9/19), CDMA (BC0/BC1), LTE Cat. 16 (FDD: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/29/30/32/66/71, TDD: 34/38/39/40/41), Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.75 x 155.7 x 75.4 ( = 0.31 x 6.13 x 2.97 in)
Battery
12.5 Wh, 3300 mAh Lithium-Ion, Quick charge up to 20 watts
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 16 MPix (Sony IMX 519, 1.22 µm, OIS, EIS, DCAF, f/1.7, Ultra-HD-Video) + 20 MPix (Sony IMX 376K, 1.0 µm, f/1.7, PDAF)
Secondary Camera: 16 MPix (Sony IMX 371, 1.0 µm, EIS, Fixed-focus, f/2.0, Full-HD-Video)
Additional features
Speakers: Mono speaker, Keyboard: virtual, Screen protector, protective shell, charger, USB cabel, SIM tool, safety information, quick start guide, OxygenOS 5.1, 24 Months Warranty, aptX and aptx HD, RGB notification LED; Bandwidth (download/​upload): 1000Mbps/​150Mbps (LTE); SAR values FCC: 1,26 W/kg (Head), 0,9 W/kg (Body); SAR values EU: 1,33 W/kg (Head), 1,38 W/kg (Body), fanless
Weight
177 g ( = 6.24 oz / 0.39 pounds), Power Supply: 111 g ( = 3.92 oz / 0.24 pounds)
Price
529 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case – OnePlus 6 with glass surfaces and very sturdy case

While the predecessor, the OnePlus 5T, still had small bezels above and below the display, with the OnePlus 6, the manufacturer relies on a display which occupies almost the entire front. However, in the middle, on the front there is the controversial notch, a black area accommodating the ear speaker, front camera and sensors. Standard notification symbols are displayed to the left and to the right of it. The upper area around the notch can be hidden completely if desired, albeit at a cost to the available display area. A very small chin remains below the screen. CEO Carl Pei has defended the notch in the run-up to the release with the argument that 90% display area on the front would not be possible otherwise.

OnePlus departs from the aluminum unibody of the predecessor for this generation and now uses glass surfaces. A common argument from manufacturers is that it allows for improvements in terms of antenna reception strength and due to the current demand for transfer speeds, metal could not be used for the back at all anymore. The new case with its glass back is available in three color variants: Glossy black, matte black and within the next couple of weeks a white version with golden highlights is supposed to be released as well.

As with the predecessor, the manufacturer has retained the simple elegance with the OnePlus 6: Our test device in Mirror Black looks very sleek with its shiny back that is curved at the edges, but still remains fairly subtle. The HTC U12 Plus with its semi-transparent and red color variants attracts much more attention in that regard. It remains to be seen what OnePlus will present in the coming months.

The smartphone rests in the hand comfortably and transitions between the materials can hardly be felt at all. All in all, the OnePlus 6 comes across as a very high-quality device that, at 177 grams (~6.2 oz), achieves a good balance between light-weight and worth. The case is utterly robust and yields to neither pressure nor twisting. While the OnePlus 6 lacks any kind of IP certification, it is protected against splashing and being submerged in water for a short amount of time thanks to waterproofing and special materials. However, OnePlus explicitly advises against underwater usage.

The OnePlus 6 fared fairly well in first torture tests.

OnePlus 6
OnePlus 6
OnePlus 6 Mirror Black
OnePlus 6 Mirror Black
OnePlus 6 Midnight Black
OnePlus 6 Midnight Black
OnePlus 6 Silk White
OnePlus 6 Silk White
OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5T
OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5T
OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5T
OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5T
 
 
OnePlus6
OnePlus6
OnePlus6
OnePlus6
OnePlus6
OnePlus6

Size Comparison

158.1 mm / 6.22 inch 73.8 mm / 2.91 inch 8.5 mm / 0.3346 inch 189 g0.4167 lbs156.6 mm / 6.17 inch 73.9 mm / 2.91 inch 9.7 mm / 0.3819 inch 188 g0.4145 lbs157.9 mm / 6.22 inch 76.7 mm / 3.02 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 175 g0.3858 lbs153 mm / 6.02 inch 72 mm / 2.83 inch 11.1 mm / 0.437 inch 198 g0.4365 lbs155.7 mm / 6.13 inch 75.4 mm / 2.97 inch 7.75 mm / 0.3051 inch 177 g0.3902 lbs156.1 mm / 6.15 inch 75 mm / 2.95 inch 7.3 mm / 0.2874 inch 162 g0.3571 lbs155 mm / 6.1 inch 73.88 mm / 2.91 inch 7.65 mm / 0.3012 inch 174 g0.3836 lbs150.9 mm / 5.94 inch 74.9 mm / 2.95 inch 8.1 mm / 0.3189 inch 189 g0.4167 lbs151.7 mm / 5.97 inch 75.4 mm / 2.97 inch 7.3 mm / 0.2874 inch 158 g0.3483 lbs143.6 mm / 5.65 inch 70.9 mm / 2.79 inch 7.7 mm / 0.3031 inch 174 g0.3836 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Features - OnePlus 6 only supports USB 2.0

Not much has changed in terms of features for the OnePlus 6. While the USB port possesses the newer Type-C connector style and can be used to connect external input devices or storage media (OTG), it continues to be limited to transfer speeds as per the USB 2.0 standard. Similarly, the interface does not support video output.

There are models with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, 8 GB/128 GB or 8 GB/256 GB. This wide range of memory configuration options at the very least puts the OnePlus 6 at eye level with its high-end competition, even if not every color variant is available with every memory configuration.

However, even the latest 6 does not offer expandable storage through a microSD card. An FM radio tuner and an infrared blaster are absent as well. In turn, it has fast gigabit LTE with a broad frequency coverage and dual-SIM, ac-WiFi with MIMO antenna technology, NFC as well as up-to-date Bluetooth 5.0.

Bottom: 3.5 mm jack, microphone, USB Type-C port, speaker
Bottom: 3.5 mm jack, microphone, USB Type-C port, speaker
Top: Microphone
Top: Microphone
Left: Volume control, SIM slot
Left: Volume control, SIM slot
Right: Alarm slider, standby button
Right: Alarm slider, standby button

Software – Close to stock Android and with the latest security patches

OnePlus has installed Android 8.1 on the smartphone, at the date of testing; the security patches are from May 1st 2018 and thus very recent. In the past, the manufacturer had always been known for their rather fast updates.

Despite the fact that OnePlus has modified the user interface by using their own launcher, the difference to stock Android is minimal: When swiping right, instead of the standard Google search, users are greeted by a configurable screen with the most recently used contacts and most used apps; widgets can be placed here as well. There is also a system-wide dark theme and a couple of additional settings.

The user interface is pleasantly minimal otherwise and the manufacturer does not install any bloatware either. In our test device, a generous 116 GB of 128 GB can be used as data storage.

Update 8/4/18: OnePlus has released OxygenOS 5.1.9 (342 MB), which is supposed to improve camera quality for both, the main as well as the front-facing selfie camera, which now features a beauty mode. In addition, Google Lens has been integrated in the camera. Communication features have also received some updates. Among others, the phone now supports group MMS and Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth stability have been improved. VoLTE and VoWifi on Telia Finland are now officially supported, and gesture detection has been optimized. Google’s security patches have been updated and are now as of July 1st, 2018.

Software OnePlus 6
Software OnePlus 6
Software OnePlus 6
Software OnePlus 6

Communication and GPS – The OnePlus 6 is once again a world phone

The OnePlus 6 supports 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and thus all of the current Wi-Fi standards. Overall, the OnePlus 6 has significantly faster transfer speeds when compared to the OnePlus 5T when it comes to receiving data: Here, OnePlus' last smartphone was a full 37% slower. However, in terms of sending data, it performs slightly worse than its predecessor, altogether its performance is close to the average of high-end smartphones. Subjectively, surfing the web with the OnePlus 6 using Wi-Fi feels very fast: Web pages load very quickly, pictures appear with a very small or no delay at all and scrolling feels smooth. Close to the router, full signal strength is available, 10 meters (~33 ft) away and through 3 walls the signal strength drops to between 3/4th and half, but pages still load as quickly as they do in close proximity to the router.

With 25 LTE bands supported, the OnePlus 6 is a real world phone, meaning that connecting to the LTE network should be possible in almost every country on earth. The maximum download speed is 1.000 MBit/s and the maximum upload speed is 150 MBit/s, here the Samsung Galaxy S9+ or the Sony Xperia XZ2, for example, offer even more speed with up to 1.2 GBit/s download. In practice, this difference is negligible since LTE networks in many countries can barely reach transfer speeds of around 30-40 MBit/s in real world scenarios. Even under ideal circumstances, a maximum of 500 MBit/s is possible in Germany using the Vodafone network. We tested the reception using the German E-net in and around the city: Here, 3/4th signal strength is available even indoors, the OnePlus 6 even managed to hit 4G+ at certain points, which is something that the predecessor that we tested at the same place with the same SIM card, was unable to do. The download speed of 23 MBit/s in a quick test is a good result, the OnePlus 5T reaches about the same transfer speed here.

According to Qualcomm, using LTE through both SIM cards at once should be possible, but the data transfer of the SIM card was always interrupted in our test when we made a call.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
LG V30
Adreno 540, SD 835, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
703 MBit/s +15%
OnePlus 5T
Adreno 540, SD 835, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
650 MBit/s +6%
Sony Xperia XZ2
Adreno 630, SD 845, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
633 MBit/s +3%
OnePlus 6
Adreno 630, SD 845, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
612 MBit/s
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
Mali-G72 MP18, Exynos 9810, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
519 MBit/s -15%
Apple iPhone X
A11 Bionic GPU, A11 Bionic, 64 GB eMMC Flash
456 MBit/s -25%
iperf3 receive AX12
Apple iPhone X
A11 Bionic GPU, A11 Bionic, 64 GB eMMC Flash
939 MBit/s +54%
Sony Xperia XZ2
Adreno 630, SD 845, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
669 MBit/s +10%
LG V30
Adreno 540, SD 835, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
657 MBit/s +8%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
Mali-G72 MP18, Exynos 9810, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
652 MBit/s +7%
OnePlus 6
Adreno 630, SD 845, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
609 MBit/s
OnePlus 5T
Adreno 540, SD 835, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
386 MBit/s -37%
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s -38%
GPS test indoors
GPS test indoors
GPS test next to a window
GPS test next to a window
GPS test outdoors
GPS test outdoors

The GPS module, of course, also supports other satellite networks like GLONASS, Galileo or BeiDou. It is not able to locate us inside of rooms with a concrete ceiling, not even at the window. Outdoors however, it very quickly achieves a good geolocation accuracy of within 5 meters (~16 ft). The device quickly and reliably locates us on Google Maps and the compass very accurately shows our viewing direction.

We take the OnePlus 6 with us on a bike ride and also bring the professional navigation system Garmin Edge 520 along for comparison. Here, the OnePlus 6 shows convincing results and while it does not determine our position perfectly in the area with the pedestrian and bicycle bridge with the round ramp, it does a much better job than the professional device. The OnePlus 6 also describes the way to and from the bridge fairly accurately, while the Garmin nav messes up here, too.

The OnePlus 6 is absolutely recommendable for people who rely on their smartphone for navigation purposes.

GPS Garmin Edge 520 – Overview
GPS Garmin Edge 520 – Overview
GPS Garmin Edge 520 – Grove
GPS Garmin Edge 520 – Grove
GPS Garmin Edge 520 – Bridge
GPS Garmin Edge 520 – Bridge
GPS OnePlus 6 – Overview
GPS OnePlus 6 – Overview
GPS OnePlus 6 – Grove
GPS OnePlus 6 – Grove
GPS OnePlus 6 – Bridge
GPS OnePlus 6 – Bridge

Telephony and Call Quality - Does the OnePlus 6 offer VoLTE?

Telephony app, dark theme
Telephony app, dark theme

The telephony app is a minimally adjusted variant of Google's standard app that comes with Android. For example, it gives users the option to send a short reply via SMS when they are unavailable or automatically adds the international area code of the user's country in roaming zones. Interesting: The OnePlus 5T had an activatable feature called noise cancellation; the OnePlus 6 lacks this option. We inquired with the manufacturer whether this means that the feature is always on or if it has been scrapped. We will update the review with the answer as soon as we get it. The topics VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling are somewhat irritating ones with OnePlus, at least for German customers: OnePlus and the carriers both point fingers at each other since it does not work, even though the device should technically support it. Here, we asked OnePlus for an official stance on the issue as well, and we will update the review with the answer as soon as possible.

The Call Quality of the smartphone is good: The integrated earphone reproduces the voice of the conversational partner quite clearly; at maximum volume, minimal booming can be heard at most. There is some quiet static in the background at maximum volume, but that is just nit-picking to the extreme. Our voice is transmitted clearly and precisely as well, even very loud voices do not cause booming and quiet voices can be heard well, too. The conversational partner can be heard very intelligibly through the speaker phone, the cell phone is also fairly loud. When we speak very quietly ourselves, the microphone only captures parts of what was said, but as long as you talk somewhat clearly, the speech transmission is very good here as well.

Cameras - With a larger sensor and OIS against darkness

Picture taken with front camera
Picture taken with front camera
Camera app
Camera app

Not all that much has changed compared to the predecessor OnePlus 5T. The front camera is technologically identical, has a resolution of 16 MP and once again relies on the Sony IMX 371 image sensor. The lens only has a fixed-focus, but it is equipped with an electronic image stabilizer (EIS). Additionally, it supports HDR and has a Beauty mode and a full-featured portrait mode. The quality of the images is decent, although a lack of sharpness can be seen when fully zoomed in.

The dual-camera on the back has been refined slightly. The resolution stays unchanged at 16 and 20 megapixels respectively. While the secondary, higher resolution optics remains unchanged, the main camera has been upgraded with a new Sony IMX 519 sensor that is about 19 percent larger than the IMX 398. The nominal aperture of f/1.7 is once again rather large and the pixel size climbs to 1.22 µm. The latter is supposed to lead to slightly better pictures in low-light situations, but it does not manage to match the raw technical specifications of the Galaxy S9+ or the Huawei P20 Pro. The 16 MP lens is now backed up by an optical image stabilizer (OIS), which not only improves pictures in low-light scenarios, but also video recordings taken while moving. The image quality is good. In daylight, there are barely any differences compared to the predecessor. While the OnePlus 6 captures the environment slightly better than the iPhone X, the Apple smartphone is more convincing and able to outclass the OnePlus 6 in close shots. In the dark, improvements over the 5T can be observed as well, but they are not able to match the quality of the iPhone X.

The OnePlus 6 is now capable of recording Ultra HD video (3,840x2,160 pixels, 16:9) at up to 60 frames per second, but this feature is limited to 5 minutes. If 30 FPS are sufficient, the maximum possible recording time becomes twice as long. The manufacturer also actively advertises the slow-motion feature. Although its capabilities fall far behind those of the competition. Full HD video can be recorded at up to 240 FPS and the smaller HD format at up to 480 FPS, whereas the Galaxy S9+ offers 960 FPS HD video and the Xperia XZ2 even 960 FPS Full HD video. Furthermore, the slow-motion feature of the OnePlus 6 is limited to one minute, which yields a six minute video.

The image quality of the video recordings is good as well. The OIS steadies the image during faster panning and on the go. We also liked the audio, which is captured in stereo. However, the microphone is very sensitive to wind.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images
ColorChecker: The bottom half of every box represents the original color.
ColorChecker: The bottom half of every box represents the original color.

We also took a look the optics' performance under controlled lighting conditions. The color representation on the ColorChecker Passport is mostly strongly saturated, with only the greens appearing a little pale and the whites faintly gray.

We like the depiction of the test chart. The sharpness in the center of the picture is high and just a couple of small details cannot be captured. Neither the color transitions nor dark text on a dark background are a problem for the OnePlus 6. Sharpness decreases towards the edges, but not by an extraordinary amount.

Reference card photographed
Reference card photographed
Reference card detail

Accessories and Warranty - Lots of accessories for the OnePlus 6, both included and in Accessories Shop

OnePlus fast charge power adapter
OnePlus fast charge power adapter

Aside from the quick charge device, which has a nominal output of 20 watts (5 volts, 4 amperes), OnePlus includes a sleek red-white charging cable, a SIM tool, a protective shell and the usual manuals and informational documents. A screen protector that is hard to remove has also been applied to the display. It creates some frictional resistance when dragging the finger over the screen, but does not otherwise impact the handling of the phone. From a design perspective, the screen protector looks fairly subtle except for around the notch.

The OnePlus accessories shop is well-stocked as usual, although the accessories are not exactly cheap: A new fast charge power adapter costs 33 or 38 Euros (~$38 or ~$44), since you can choose the length of the USB cable. The charger costs 20 Euros (~$23) without a cable. Flipcases, protective shells and covers are available for 22 - 32 Euros (~$26 - ~$37), and the popular bumper cases are once again available in real wood, Kevlar fiber or the new nylon variant.

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless are wireless headphones, although they do not get by entirely without cables: They are connected to a small battery, which hangs around the neck. Their backs are magnetic and deactivate the speakers as soon as they snap together. The headphones are water-repellent and can be used through the smartphone's Google Assistant, allowing you to directly access its commands. The battery charges particularly fast, and is supposed to last for 5 hours after 10 minutes of charging. The Bullets Wireless will be available in the near future and they are supposed to cost just under 70 Euros (~$82).

OnePlus gives 24 months warranty, in addition there is the vendor warranty, should you choose not to purchase the smartphone from OnePlus directly. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Handling – Many gestures and a hardware slider

Alarm slider settings
Alarm slider settings
Facial recognition settings
Facial recognition settings
Gesture settings
Gesture settings

OnePlus uses Google's GBoard as the default keyboard app, which makes for reliable typing on the large display. The smartphone reacts very quickly to inputs.

The Android menu buttons are software buttons, their position can be swapped from the menu and various actions can be mapped to pressing a symbol for a little longer or pressing it twice, for example turning off the display or enabling voice search.

A facial recognition is situated next to the fingerprint sensor on the back that is easy to find thanks to the slight indentation it sits in and is able to unlock the phone from standby quickly and reliably. The former, of course, does not work as well as that of Apple's iPhone X, but at least it no longer gets fooled by a simple picture on the display of a phone. The smartphone first has to be unlocked to activate the facial recognition capabilities, which means that the camera is not permanently active, which should make people with privacy concerns happy. The facial recognition method is more reliable than using the fingerprint sensor, at least in our experience with the OnePlus 6, and all in all it is still less secure. Furthermore, it takes slightly longer for the smartphone to unlock, especially since you have to press the standby button beforehand, while the fingerprint sensor unlocks the smartphone directly.

The touchscreen's handling is great despite the applied screen protector, it reacts extremely quickly and without delay and is very sensitive all the way to the edges.

OnePlus facilitates the use of numerous gestures that can be used to navigate the device: The screen can be activated by double tapping it, if the smartphone is laid down on its screen, it mutes itself or the fingerprint sensor can be used to take pictures.

The smartphone can be set to vibrate or completely silent through a hardware slider on the right side of the case. As with the standby and volume hardware buttons, it feels very high-quality and great to use.


Keyboard portrait mode
Keyboard portrait mode
Keyboard landscape mode
Keyboard landscape mode

Display - Optical-OLED with a notch

Subpixel array
Subpixel array
Display mode settings
Display mode settings

The display of the OnePlus 6 has grown to a sizeable 6.28 inches and has an aspect ratio of 19:9. As with the iPhone X, a notch can be found at the top of the panel. The resolution has been expanded slightly and now totals 2,280x1,080 pixels, which amounts to a high pixel density of 402 PPI, making it exactly the same as the OnePlus 5T's. Other manufacturers such as Samsung or LG equip their flagship smartphones with even higher resolution displays. The manufacturer once again utilizes OLED as the screen's display technology, which creates brilliant black values and an amazing contrast ratio.

In our preview, we assumed that the measured values of the new phone would be on a similar level as those of its predecessor. This would be a meager result, especially in direct sunlight, since we were unable to detect an increase in luminance with an activated light sensor on the OnePlus 5T. This is something we did observe on the P20 Pro and the iPhone. As it happens, this matches up with test results of the OnePlus 6: The light sensor does not cause an increase in display brightness. The display's brightness is about the same as the predecessor's, the OnePlus 6 only reaches a moderate 437 cd/m², whereas the Sony Xperia XZ2 and the Apple iPhone X shine with even brighter displays. The illumination of 87% is a little less than that of most devices in the comparison, but still sufficient for relatively homogeneous color fields.

As with the OnePlus 5T and the Samsung Galaxy S9+ we observed low frequency flickering at 236 Hz across almost every level of brightness. It is used to reduce the brightness of OLED displays for the human eye, but can cause headaches for sensitive people. The response time of the display is rather low and should even satisfy gamers.

429
cd/m²
441
cd/m²
471
cd/m²
419
cd/m²
430
cd/m²
456
cd/m²
412
cd/m²
425
cd/m²
448
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 471 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 436.8 cd/m² Minimum: 2.24 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 430 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.3 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 2.4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
97.4% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.28
OnePlus 6
Optic AMOLED, 2280x1080, 6.28
Sony Xperia XZ2
IPS, 2160x1080, 5.70
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
Super AMOLED, 2960x1440, 6.20
LG V30
OLED, 2880x1440, 6.00
Apple iPhone X
Super AMOLED, 2436x1125, 5.80
OnePlus 5T
AMOLED, 2160x1080, 6.01
Screen
26%
15%
-48%
34%
6%
Brightness middle
430
630
47%
565
31%
432
0%
600
40%
425
-1%
Brightness
437
632
45%
571
31%
428
-2%
606
39%
423
-3%
Brightness Distribution
87
96
10%
96
10%
87
0%
94
8%
92
6%
Black Level *
0.44
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.3
1.5
35%
2.3
-0%
4.18
-82%
1.2
48%
2.1
9%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
4.6
4.3
7%
4.8
-4%
8.53
-85%
3
35%
3.4
26%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.4
2.1
12%
1.9
21%
5.3
-121%
1.6
33%
2.5
-4%
Gamma
2.28 96%
2.17 101%
2.16 102%
2.33 94%
2.23 99%
2.32 95%
CCT
6160 106%
6513 100%
6332 103%
7487 87%
6707 97%
6455 101%
Contrast
1432

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 236 Hz

The display backlight flickers at 236 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) .

The frequency of 236 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

We took a closer look at the color accuracy of the OnePlus 6's OLED panel with the help of a spectrophotometer and the CalMAN analysis software. Hereby, we focused on the DCI-P3 and the sRGB color space profiles.

The OnePlus 6 achieved decent results, even though most high-end competitors have a higher color accuracy. The color deviations are slightly higher when using the DCI-P3 mode and can definitely be seen with the naked eye. The depiction of skin colors and blues is slightly too bright. The Color balance is a little too warm. The color representation is better when using the smaller sRGB color space and the color deviations become few and far between, the color balance stays somewhat warm though, which can be adjusted to your liking in the settings. The OLED display looks very nice in day-to-day use.

CalMAN color accuracy – DCI P3
CalMAN color accuracy – DCI P3
CalMAN color space – DCI P3
CalMAN color space – DCI P3
CalMAN grayscales – DCI P3
CalMAN grayscales – DCI P3
CalMAN saturation – DCI P3
CalMAN saturation – DCI P3
CalMAN color accuracy – sRGB
CalMAN color accuracy – sRGB
CalMAN color space – sRGB
CalMAN color space – sRGB
CalMAN grayscales – sRGB
CalMAN grayscales – sRGB
CalMAN saturation – sRGB
CalMAN saturation – sRGB

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
3.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ ms rise
↘ ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 9 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ ms rise
↘ ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 9 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

While the OnePlus 6 opposes sunlight with an enormous contrast ratio, it still lacks luminance particularly on bright days. Unfortunately, the OnePlus phone has no automatic luminance increase such as the Galaxy S9+ or the P20 Pro. Add to this a reflective surface which hinders the ability to read the display in sunlight and users will find themselves looking for shade quite quickly.

Outdoor use – light sensor
Outdoor use – light sensor
Outdoor use – maximum brightness
Outdoor use – maximum brightness
Outdoor use – medium brightness
Outdoor use – medium brightness
Outdoor use – minimum brightness
Outdoor use – minimum brightness

As expected, the viewing angles of the OnePlus 6 are very good. The OLED panel shows no color inverting even at extreme angles. Only the brightness decreases slightly and the display starts to show a faint green tint.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance – The OnePlus 6 is a powerful smartphone

The OnePlus 6 uses Qualcomm's fastest SoC to date, the 8 core Snapdragon 845 with a core clock of up to 2,800 MHz. This processor is used in devices like the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S and the Sony Xperia XZ2 as well. It also makes the OnePlus 6 one of the fastest available smartphones currently available on the market, the jump in performance compared to its predecessor is substantial. Depending on the benchmark, our test device even outperforms the iPhone X. That said, the difference in performance at such a high level are unlikely to be felt, the device feels like it runs very well regardless.

We are particularly like the short system startup time, for example when restarting the device or turning it off over night: The prompt for the PIN code appears after less than 20 seconds, if entered successfully, the fully functional interface is available after 2-3 seconds; the OnePlus 5T starts within a similarly short amount of time.

The Adreno 630 is used as the graphics unit. Not only does it support OpenGL ES 3.2 but also DirectX 12 and is thus future proof in terms of gaming for the next couple of years. The OnePlus 6 easily crushes Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus when it comes to modern games, the two achieve more similar results in older games, at least according to benchmarks. It also outperforms its predecessor in every single benchmark with an advantage of between 20 and 30%.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
230421 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
225663 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
222290 Points -4%
LG V30
173749 Points -25%
Apple iPhone X
197851 Points -14%
OnePlus 5T
172124 Points -25%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (162183 - 242953, n=23)
225534 Points -2%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
266686 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
266981 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
250577 Points -6%
Apple iPhone X
256297 Points -4%
OnePlus 5T
214815 Points -19%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (246366 - 299878, n=27)
277434 Points +4%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
9630 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
9319 Points -3%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
5822 Points -40%
LG V30
6854 Points -29%
OnePlus 5T
7739 Points -20%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (7998 - 13211, n=26)
10123 Points +5%
Average of class Smartphone (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +57%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
8282 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
8069 Points -3%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
5319 Points -36%
LG V30
5603 Points -32%
OnePlus 5T
6595 Points -20%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (7360 - 9868, n=27)
8368 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +31%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
4308 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
3738 Points -13%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
3302 Points -23%
LG V30
2702 Points -37%
Apple iPhone X
3737 Points -13%
OnePlus 5T
3678 Points -15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (3291 - 4693, n=26)
4111 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +32%
System (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
8228 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
8402 Points +2%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
6413 Points -22%
LG V30
4238 Points -48%
Apple iPhone X
10281 Points +25%
OnePlus 5T
5872 Points -29%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (4417 - 8613, n=26)
7644 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +17%
Memory (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
3799 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
2193 Points -42%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
2625 Points -31%
LG V30
2091 Points -45%
Apple iPhone X
1219 Points -68%
OnePlus 5T
3845 Points +1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2193 - 5296, n=26)
3649 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +64%
Graphics (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
7949 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
7868 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
6370 Points -20%
LG V30
5949 Points -25%
Apple iPhone X
9248 Points +16%
OnePlus 5T
6100 Points -23%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (5846 - 8001, n=26)
7797 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +75%
Web (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
1386 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
1346 Points -3%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
1109 Points -20%
LG V30
1009 Points -27%
Apple iPhone X
1682 Points +21%
OnePlus 5T
1329 Points -4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (1009 - 1613, n=26)
1344 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +7%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XZ2
2464 Points
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
3776 Points
LG V30
1900 Points
Apple iPhone X
4265 Points
OnePlus 5T
1962 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2272 - 2500, n=27)
2416 Points
Average of class Smartphone (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XZ2
8510 Points
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
8963 Points
LG V30
6078 Points
Apple iPhone X
10255 Points
OnePlus 5T
6670 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (7754 - 9231, n=27)
8705 Points
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XZ2
14362 Points
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
6202 Points
LG V30
8016 Points
OnePlus 5T
8000 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (10876 - 14489, n=25)
13578 Points
Average of class Smartphone (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
62241 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
62926 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
39745 Points -36%
LG V30
34139 Points -45%
Apple iPhone X
64169 Points +3%
OnePlus 5T
42022 Points -32%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (34855 - 65330, n=27)
61139 Points -2%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
81269 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
80233 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
46610 Points -43%
LG V30
55271 Points -32%
Apple iPhone X
112489 Points +38%
OnePlus 5T
58097 Points -29%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (53794 - 85487, n=27)
80548 Points -1%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
34191 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
35856 Points +5%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
26226 Points -23%
LG V30
14601 Points -57%
Apple iPhone X
25633 Points -25%
OnePlus 5T
21348 Points -38%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (15614 - 37475, n=27)
33322 Points -3%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
6304 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
6378 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
3895 Points -38%
LG V30
4738 Points -25%
OnePlus 5T
4816 Points -24%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (4363 - 6454, n=27)
5811 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3495 Points -45%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
8252 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
8122 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
4637 Points -44%
LG V30
5895 Points -29%
OnePlus 5T
5791 Points -30%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (5637 - 8312, n=27)
7763 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3845 Points -53%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
3452 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
3642 Points +6%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
2496 Points -28%
LG V30
2808 Points -19%
OnePlus 5T
3031 Points -12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2124 - 3668, n=27)
3115 Points -10%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
2989 Points -13%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
4673 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
4693 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
3256 Points -30%
LG V30
3635 Points -22%
Apple iPhone X
3138 Points -33%
OnePlus 5T
3758 Points -20%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (3197 - 4734, n=27)
4388 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2665 Points -43%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
5212 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
5122 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
3582 Points -31%
LG V30
3903 Points -25%
Apple iPhone X
3463 Points -34%
OnePlus 5T
4016 Points -23%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (3488 - 5246, n=27)
4919 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2655 Points -49%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
3432 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2
3630 Points +6%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
2469 Points -28%
LG V30
2931 Points -15%
Apple iPhone X
2361 Points -31%
OnePlus 5T
3068 Points -11%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2118 - 3703, n=27)
3217 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3119 Points -9%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
60 fps
Sony Xperia XZ2
60 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
60 fps 0%
LG V30
60 fps 0%
Apple iPhone X
59.4 fps -1%
OnePlus 5T
60 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (58 - 89, n=27)
62.1 fps +4%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
83 fps +38%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
150 fps
Sony Xperia XZ2
150 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
147 fps -2%
LG V30
113 fps -25%
Apple iPhone X
177.4 fps +18%
OnePlus 5T
113 fps -25%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (98 - 152, n=28)
142.5 fps -5%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=178, last 2 years)
244 fps +63%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
58 fps
Sony Xperia XZ2
59 fps +2%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
45 fps -22%
LG V30
35 fps -40%
Apple iPhone X
58.5 fps +1%
OnePlus 5T
53 fps -9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (33 - 75, n=27)
54.4 fps -6%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=179, last 2 years)
71 fps +22%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
66 fps
Sony Xperia XZ2
82 fps +24%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
74 fps +12%
LG V30
59 fps -11%
Apple iPhone X
88.2 fps +34%
OnePlus 5T
60 fps -9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (54 - 83, n=27)
73.1 fps +11%
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=179, last 2 years)
138 fps +109%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
54 fps
Sony Xperia XZ2
55 fps +2%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
24 fps -56%
LG V30
19 fps -65%
Apple iPhone X
44.1 fps -18%
OnePlus 5T
37 fps -31%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (21 - 59, n=27)
45.3 fps -16%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=179, last 2 years)
59.9 fps +11%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
56 fps
Sony Xperia XZ2
60 fps +7%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
47 fps -16%
LG V30
40 fps -29%
Apple iPhone X
48.9 fps -13%
OnePlus 5T
41 fps -27%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (32 - 61, n=28)
53.9 fps -4%
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=179, last 2 years)
96.7 fps +73%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
32 fps
Sony Xperia XZ2
33 fps +3%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
14 fps -56%
LG V30
13 fps -59%
Apple iPhone X
27.7 fps -13%
OnePlus 5T
23 fps -28%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (13 - 37, n=27)
27.7 fps -13%
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 117, n=179, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +34%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
35 fps
Sony Xperia XZ2
35 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
28 fps -20%
LG V30
24 fps -31%
Apple iPhone X
31.8 fps -9%
OnePlus 5T
25 fps -29%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (25 - 35, n=27)
33.4 fps -5%
Average of class Smartphone (2.9 - 166, n=179, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +67%
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal - offscreen Overall Score (sort by value)
OnePlus 6
1169 Points
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
1481 Points +27%
Apple iPhone X
1702 Points +46%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (1169 - 1201, n=5)
1179 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (177 - 6114, n=61, last 2 years)
2145 Points +83%

Legend

 
OnePlus 6 Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Qualcomm Adreno 630, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Sony Xperia XZ2 Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Qualcomm Adreno 630, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus Samsung Exynos 9810, ARM Mali-G72 MP18, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
LG V30 Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (8998), Qualcomm Adreno 540, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Apple iPhone X Apple A11 Bionic, Apple A11 Bionic GPU, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
OnePlus 5T Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (8998), Qualcomm Adreno 540, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash

Currently, the OnePlus 6 is one of the fastest smartphones when it comes to browsing the web as well: Web pages and pictures are displayed very quickly, even if not quite as fast and fluidly as on the Sony Xperia XZ2 or the iPhone X. Even if it is just nuance, the two devices are ahead of the OnePlus 6 in benchmarks.

We also loaded up Google's complex HTML 5 game “Interland” on the OnePlus 6. The web page was displayed very quickly and the game ran smooth as silk.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Apple iPhone X (IOS 11.1.1)
224 Points +155%
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 414, n=3, last 2 years)
194.9 Points +122%
Sony Xperia XZ2 (Chrome 65)
89.5 Points +2%
OnePlus 6 (Chrome 66)
87.7 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (22.5 - 90.9, n=25)
80.3 Points -8%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (Samsung Browser 7.0)
69.6 Points -21%
OnePlus 5T (Chrome 63)
66.5 Points -24%
LG V30 (Chrome 62)
52.9 Points -40%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Apple iPhone X (IOS 11.1.2)
35255 Points +107%
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33525 Points +97%
OnePlus 6 (Chrome 66)
17026 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 (Chrome 65)
16774 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (3991 - 18275, n=28)
15153 Points -11%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (Samsung Browser 7.0)
14760 Points -13%
OnePlus 5T (Chrome 63)
12509 Points -27%
LG V30 (Chrome 62)
10506 Points -38%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
LG V30 (Chrome 62)
3630 ms * -48%
OnePlus 5T (Chrome 63)
3096 ms * -27%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2154 - 11204, n=28)
2905 ms * -19%
OnePlus 6 (Chrome 66)
2445 ms *
Sony Xperia XZ2 (Chrome 65)
2394 ms * +2%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (Samsung Browser 7.0)
2060 ms * +16%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1653 ms * +32%
Apple iPhone X (IOS 11.1.2)
718 ms * +71%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Apple iPhone X (Safari Mobile 11.0)
354 Points +40%
Sony Xperia XZ2 (Chrome 65)
262 Points +4%
OnePlus 6 (Chrome 66)
252 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (96 - 291, n=23)
246 Points -2%
OnePlus 5T (Chrome 63)
181 Points -28%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (Samsung Browser 7.0)
164 Points -35%
LG V30 (Chrome 62)
138 Points -45%

* ... smaller is better

The OnePlus 6 is equipped with rapid UFS 2.1 storage and its read and write times are similar to those of the predecessor. The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus's storage is still slightly faster, but the difference is marginal. The LG V30 shows that being much slower is an option too. All things considered, the OnePlus 6 looks great in this discipline and is able to match the storage read and write speeds of more expensive devices.

OnePlus 6Sony Xperia XZ2Samsung Galaxy S9 PlusLG V30OnePlus 5TAverage 128 GB UFS 2.1 FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
-5%
4%
-27%
-3%
140%
432%
Sequential Read 256KB
726
679
-6%
819
13%
669
-8%
699
-4%
765 ?(427 - 1011, n=111)
5%
1467 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
102%
Sequential Write 256KB
201.4
198.7
-1%
204.9
2%
193.2
-4%
203.4
1%
293 ?(13.6 - 719, n=111)
45%
1077 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
435%
Random Read 4KB
137
149.4
9%
129.7
-5%
78.2
-43%
138.1
1%
152 ?(92.6 - 239, n=111)
11%
241 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
76%
Random Write 4KB
21.8
17
-22%
22.74
4%
10.21
-53%
20
-8%
130.2 ?(18.2 - 290, n=111)
497%
265 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
1116%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
34.25 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
79.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
62.8
76 ?(13.4 - 88.3, n=43)
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
30.12 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
67.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
47.2
59.6 ?(8.4 - 72.4, n=43)

Games – 60 FPS gaming and a dedicated gaming mode

The OnePlus 6 enables 60 FPS gaming without issues in most games. The extreme setting of PUBG Mobile runs at only 60 FPS when selecting minimum details; with maximum details the game only runs at 30 FPS, but it still looks smooth. The other high-end games we tested such as “Arena of Valor” or “Shadow Fight 3” run at a smooth 60 FPS. Simpler games like “Angry Birds 2” are not a problem for the OnePlus 6 either.

The controls are a real joy thanks to the very precise touchscreen: Even the very small menu buttons of PUBG Mobile can be pressed without any problems. The gyroscope works flawlessly.

The OnePlus 6 comes with a dedicated game mode, which can be found in the "advanced" section of the settings. Here, a battery saving mode can be activated to limit the resolution and frame rates of games, calls can be put directly on speaker phone and notifications can be suppressed. Additionally, a network acceleration mode can be activated and the automatic brightness adjustment can be turned off. Apps have to be added manually in order to activate the game mode.

Game test Arena of Valor
Game test Arena of Valor
Game test Shadow Fight 3
Game test Shadow Fight 3
Game test PUBG Mobile
Game test PUBG Mobile
Arena of Valor
 SettingsValue
 min60 fps
 high HD60 fps
  Your browser does not support the canvas element!
Shadow Fight 3
 SettingsValue
 high60 fps
 minimal60 fps
  Your browser does not support the canvas element!
PUBG Mobile
 SettingsValue
 Smooth60 fps
 Balanced40 fps
 HD30 fps
  Your browser does not support the canvas element!

Emissions – Some throttling and a weaker speaker

Temperature

GFXBench battery test
GFXBench battery test

The OnePlus 6 heats up significantly under continuous load, especially at the top of the front, reaching up to 45.3 °C (~113.5 °F). This is very noticeable and can become uncomfortable during the summer, when putting the smartphone in your pocket after prolonged use. The rise in temperature can be barely felt during idle: The maximum of 30.5 °C (~86.9 °F) is a very moderate value.

A slight decrease in performance by a good 10% is unavoidable for the OnePlus 6 when it is under load for a prolonged period of time. We were able to observe this fact in the GFXBench battery test Manhattan 3.1, which repeats the same sequence for 30 cycles and logs the frame rates. However, this dip in performance is far smaller than that of the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus or the Sony Xperia XZ2.

Max. Load
 45.3 °C
114 F
40.2 °C
104 F
36.9 °C
98 F
 
 43.3 °C
110 F
40.1 °C
104 F
37.5 °C
100 F
 
 42.3 °C
108 F
39.2 °C
103 F
36.9 °C
98 F
 
Maximum: 45.3 °C = 114 F
Average: 40.2 °C = 104 F
35.7 °C
96 F
37.8 °C
100 F
42.5 °C
109 F
35.5 °C
96 F
37.4 °C
99 F
38.7 °C
102 F
35.8 °C
96 F
37.6 °C
100 F
39.3 °C
103 F
Maximum: 42.5 °C = 109 F
Average: 37.8 °C = 100 F
Room Temperature 21.7 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 40.2 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 45.3 °C / 114 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 42.5 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.8 °C / 86 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heatmap back
Heatmap back
Heatmap front
Heatmap front

Speakers

Speaker test pink noise
Speaker test pink noise

The speaker is installed on the left on the bottom edge, as was the case with its predecessor, and is once again a mono speaker. The small speaker tends to sound scratchy at maximum volume, which causes singing in particular to sound somewhat unpleasant. Here, the speaker of the OnePlus 5T sounds far warmer and more well-rounded. Both speakers struggle with classical music, although OnePlus' last smartphone allows for better differentiation between individual instruments than the OnePlus 6. The speaker of our current test device is a bit quieter than the predecessor's as well. In a direct comparison, we much prefer the speaker of the OnePlus 5T, especially at maximum volume.

While we did write in our preview that OnePlus would enable audio output both through USB Type-C and the 3.5 mm audio jack, the output through USB Type-C did not work in our test, neither with a 3.5 mm adapter nor with a USB Type-C headset.

If you wish to connect headphones, you can use the conventional 3.5 mm plug, which creates a hassle-free audio output with good quality. The OnePlus 6 does not have a Hi-Res audio certification, sound effects for headphones can be set through Dirac HD Sound, which also has an equalizer. These settings can be found under "Audio & Vibration".

The OnePlus supports Bluetooth 5.0, which enables faster transfers, a higher range and likely improved audio quality due to an increased packet size. While there are currently few devices that support Bluetooth 5.0, the standard is downward-compatible. Bluetooth pairing works quickly and without any issues, the audio quality is good.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2022.924.32524.224.13125.1254022.230.25027.739.96317.420.78017.517.210014.918.61251419.516014.732.120012.243.425013.649.531513.153.940010.857.25009.754.26309.357.18009.66210008.26612508.168.11600869.920007.771.325007.875.131507.874.440007.869.450007.864.463007.857.480008.159.7100008.157.9125008.147.9160008.129.2SPL57.920.681.6N9.90.343.5median 8.2median 57.2median 62.6Delta3.9151935.240.732.946.337.244.431.748.639.648.928.337.627.329.926.933.726.732.92445.520.955.320.956.619.559.118.568.417.564.917.567.415.766.215.87016.672.715.873.815.474.415.575.91679.315.8781671.816.371.516.371.416.272.416.464.716.446.328.686.31.165.5median 16.4median 68.42.27.7hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseOnePlus 6OnePlus 5T
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
OnePlus 6 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 62.6% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 62.6% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 62.6% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (108.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 85% of all tested devices in this class were better, 0% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 95% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 5% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

OnePlus 5T audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.9% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 14% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 78% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 35% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 57% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life – OnePlus 6 with low energy consumption and great battery running times

Energy consumption

Not much has changed in terms of energy consumption compared to the OnePlus 5T, only the OnePlus 6's average energy consumption during idle is significantly lower. On the flipside, average energy consumption of the OnePlus 6 under load is higher than that of the predecessor. The smartphone consumes 8.6 watts at max, which is very close to the 5T.

All in all, the OnePlus 6 is a rather economical smartphone, the only one that is even more economical is the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus. The energy consumption of the turned off test device or of the test device in standby does not leave anything to be desired either.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.1 / 0.3 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.6 / 1 / 1.6 Watt
Load midlight 4.3 / 8.6 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
OnePlus 6
3300 mAh
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S
3400 mAh
Sony Xperia XZ2
3180 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
3500 mAh
Apple iPhone X
2716 mAh
OnePlus 5T
3300 mAh
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
-43%
-39%
11%
-44%
-2%
-33%
-24%
Idle Minimum *
0.6
0.75
-25%
0.72
-20%
0.68
-13%
1.03
-72%
0.58
3%
0.862 ?(0.42 - 1.8, n=26)
-44%
0.891 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
-49%
Idle Average *
1
2.25
-125%
2.21
-121%
0.95
5%
2.4
-140%
1.44
-44%
1.728 ?(0.67 - 2.9, n=26)
-73%
1.448 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
-45%
Idle Maximum *
1.6
2.26
-41%
2.22
-39%
1.09
32%
2.6
-63%
1.53
4%
2.07 ?(0.87 - 3.5, n=26)
-29%
1.63 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
-2%
Load Average *
4.3
4.89
-14%
4.6
-7%
4.58
-7%
2.96
31%
3.17
26%
4.87 ?(3.56 - 7.41, n=26)
-13%
5.57 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-30%
Load Maximum *
8.6
9.6
-12%
9.34
-9%
5.16
40%
6.6
23%
8.54
1%
9.27 ?(6.2 - 12.3, n=26)
-8%
8.27 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
4%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Even though we have not yet finished all of our battery tests, we can already tell that the OnePlus 6 seems to have inherited the very good running times of its predecessor and even surpasses them by a small margin. The battery capacity is the same as the OnePlus 5T's: It holds up to 3,300 mAh. This is enough for 12:42 hours in the Wi-Fi test, which is the best result of all devices in the comparison. The smartphone even lasts 30 minutes longer while watching movies.

In day-to-day use, you usually barely have to worry about the running time of the OnePlus 6: Even at 20% charge, the battery will last for a day when using the device sparingly. For non-hardcore mobile gamers, charging the smartphone every two to three days is sufficient. OnePlus does not offer additional energy saving modes aside from the default Android energy saving mode and a per-app battery consumption limit.

We are already acquainted with the large, sleekly designed charger from the predecessor. It has a maximum nominal output of 20 watts and still carries the Dash logo, even though this is no longer OnePlus' official name for their quick charge technology, after numerous companies lodged an appeal against a trade mark registration. Currently, the technology is simply called OnePlus quick charge or fast charge and still offers incredibly fast charging speeds: After the battery test, it only took a little over an hour to charge our OnePlus 6 from 0% to 100%, after just 15 minutes yields enough charge to make it through the day with economical usage. The quick charge technology is fantastic for people who often quickly charge their smartphone just before leaving.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
30h 06min
WiFi Websurfing
12h 42min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
13h 11min
Load (maximum brightness)
4h 06min
OnePlus 6
3300 mAh
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S
3400 mAh
Sony Xperia XZ2
3180 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
3500 mAh
OnePlus 5T
3300 mAh
Apple iPhone X
2716 mAh
Battery Runtime
-6%
-19%
-19%
-1%
-25%
Reader / Idle
1806
1678
-7%
1402
-22%
1343
-26%
1754
-3%
1292
-28%
H.264
791
718
-9%
722
-9%
674
-15%
799
1%
634
-20%
WiFi v1.3
762
716
-6%
679
-11%
521
-32%
718
-6%
564
-26%
Load
246
239
-3%
159
-35%
237
-4%
257
4%
180
-27%

Pros

+ very high-quality case
+ very slim software suite
+ very fast internet
+ gigabit LTE
+ accurate GPS
+ good speech quality
+ very good cameras
+ good selection of accessories
+ many usability settings
+ huge amount of performance available
+ economical energy consumption
+ very good battery life
+ very fast quick charge

Cons

- no IP certification
- no microSD card reader
- display slightly too dark and flickers
- throttling under load
- noticeable increase in temperature

Verdict – The OnePlus 6 is worth a buy

Review: OnePlus 6
Review: OnePlus 6

The OnePlus 6 is a very high-quality smartphone, offering high-end features at a great price-performance ratio. However, its lower price is not a coincidence: OnePlus completely disregards the VR topic, which is reflected in the display technology as well, where the FHD+ resolution has to suffice. Generally, there does not seem to be any advancements in terms of the panel, the notch is purely a matter of taste. We would have wished for something similar to Apple's True-Tone display or a 120 Hz panel. The departure from the aluminum unibody follows a trend as well, but does not grant the OnePlus cell phone wireless charging capabilities. Likewise, instead of a faster transfer standard that could offer more features such as video output or a desktop mode, USB 2.0 is relied upon.

OnePlus instead relies on the core competencies of a smartphone and equips its latest smartphone with more speed, storage that is both bigger and faster, up-to-date software and a good camera. However, the advancements compared to the predecessor are marginal as well. Battery life is about the same as the predecessor's, which, despite not being a surprise, is still nice since the OnePlus 5T was a real long-runner already. Additionally, it comes with a lightning-fast quick charge technology, which we already know from the OnePlus 5T, but no longer carries the name Dash Charge (name had to be changed due to licensing conflicts).

OnePlus once again produces an excellent smartphone. Foregoing some high-end gimmicks, the OnePlus 6 does a great job of combining high performance with a low price.

In summary, OnePlus once again delivers a very good smartphone. But the competition in this area is increasing. The Honor 10 with its aggressive price (starting at 399 Euros RRP) in particular is nothing to be scoffed at and the soon to be available Asus ZenFone 5z as well as the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s play in the same league both in terms of technology and price.

OnePlus 6 - 05/29/2018 v6(old)
Daniel Schmidt & Florian Wimmer

Chassis
91%
Keyboard
70 / 75 → 94%
Pointing Device
94%
Connectivity
47 / 60 → 79%
Weight
90%
Battery
95%
Display
89%
Games Performance
69 / 63 → 100%
Application Performance
73 / 70 → 100%
Temperature
87%
Noise
100%
Audio
64 / 91 → 70%
Camera
87%
Average
81%
90%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Daniel Schmidt & Florian Wimmer, 2018-05-30 (Update: 2020-05-19)