OnePlus 6: Robust performance wrapped in an elegant package

● The OP6 features a 6.28- inch full HD+ Optic AMOLED panel. ● The smartphone runs on the latest SD 845 chipset.

The OnePlus 6 is a substantial upgrade of the previous model. It rocks a flagship Qualcomm chipset with a good amount of RAM and storage and wears a higher price tag — ` 34,999 for the base 6GB/ 64GB variant and prices go up to ` 44,999 for the Avengers special edition with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM.

The OP6 ditches metal and embraces a premium Gorilla Glass 5 curved glass rear panel. The glass- metal- glass sandwich has been carefully sealed to make it weather resistant and should hold up well for daily water resistance.

On the front is a full HD+ Optic AMOLED panel measuring 6.28- inches with tons of high contrast with vibrant colours, which produce almost- natural tones. There’s a notch and noticeable chin. The notch can be hidden but is used by notification elements every time.

With the OP6, the SD845 chipset marks its debut in India. Oxygen OS atop Android 8.1.1 Oreo makes an appearance too. The user interface is fast and zippy, with no lags or stutters noticeable to the naked eye. Casual as well as resource- intensive games are also a no- brainer for this beast. Oxygen OS offers gesture- based navigation for moving around the interface. OnePlus’ Face Unlock is also present here and is one of the fastest facial recognition systems we have seen in the recent times.

When it comes to optics, a 16MP + 20MP Sony sensor setup with apertures of f/ 1.7 each are present. The primary 16MP is assisted by OIS + EIS and now gets a slightly larger 1/ 2.6- inch sensor — 19 per cent larger than the OP5. In daylight, the OP6 shoots great photos — there’s ample detail and colour, with appreciable contrast. However, low light performance suffers a tad, with a noticeable loss in details. The camera can now also shoot slow- motion videos up to 480fps@ 720p.

The 3300mAh battery does manage to keep the OP6 alive for a day under heavy usage scenarios. OnePlus’ Fast ( Dash) Charging will top it up within an hour flat.

On a broader note, OnePlus has finally made a smartphone that appeal to the geeks and casual users alike. It hits the sweet spot that premium smartphone looks for the right amount of aesthetic desirability without compromising everyday performance.