OnePlus 6T vs Pixel 3 XL Revisited: Which One Is Best?

The OnePlus 6T and Pixel 3 XL are flagship android phones for OnePlus and Google, respectively. Despite their considerable differences in design and internal features, both devices can go head to head. They rank high on the list of top Android phones currently on the market. With that in mind, let’s get right into seeing what these two phones bring to the table, as well as how they fare when compared to each other.

DISCUSSION

Design

The Pixel 3 XL and the OnePlus 6T both have a metal and glass build. However, they are designed differently. The Pixel 3 XL comes with a small-sized glass plate on its back, while the remainder of its body is covered in some sort of coated metal. The OnePlus 6T has its back completely covered with glass, which reflects light in a unique way that amps up the phone design(particularly in the McLaren, Purple Thunder, and Midnight Black editions). However, it’s quite easy to drop and not as sturdy or gripped as the Pixel 3 XL.

Moving to the front design, the Pixel 3XL has a noticeably large bottom bezel and a large notch at the top of the display as well. In fact, the 3XL’s notch is one of the longest out there, If not the longest. But with the OnePlus 6T, its notch is considerably less obtrusive and is in the shape of a small teardrop. Interfacing with apps works smoothly and quickly.

In regards to size dimensions, the OnePlus 6T is narrower and shorter than the Pixel 3 XL, regardless of the 6T having a tad larger display. The 6T also has a taller display aspect ratio compared to the Pixel 3XL. However, the XL is slightly thinner, but its huge notch does not make it as physically attractive as the OnePlus 6T.

Additionally, TheOnePlus 6T is also the first smartphone in the U.S to have an in-screen fingerprint sensor, giving it a modern edge over the Pixel 3 XL’s rear positioned fingerprint sensor.

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Display

In terms of display, the Pixel 3XL has a 6.39-inch QHD+ P-OLED panel, while the OnePlus 6T comes with a 6.41-inch full HD+ Optic AMOLED display. Both displays are quite large and considerably solid, but the Pixel 3XL has less resolution than the 6T. However, the difference is not likely to be noticed by users, as both devices deliver efficient display quality. The difference is really a non-issue and can be overlooked.

The Pixel 3 XL comes with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 protection, while the OnePlus 6T has Corning’s Gorilla Glass 6. Both device displays have DCI-P3 coverage, though the Pixel 3 XL’s display also supports HDR output.

Performance

Performance is vital to the mobile phone experience. It can make the difference between the phone being an annoyance or it being a smooth, navigable device. Both the OnePlus 6T and the Pixel 3 deliver well in performance.

They both share the same Snapdragon 845 CPU, however the Pixel 3 seems to have lagging issues after a while, which was quite disappointing. Another bug with the Pixel 3 was that it quits background apps like music or GPS whenever the camera is opened. This bug was supposedly fixed, but the Pixel 3 XL still has other performance issues. On the other hand, the OnePlus 6T has fantastic performance. Its Oxygen OS software is highly optimised and its accompanying formidable hardware certainly helps. The Oxygen OS for the 6T has some helpful features, such as intuitive gesture controls, including gesture shortcuts for everyday actions. Some of these functions allow launching apps, as well as entering “Gaming Mode” which blocks off notifications to avoid interrupting your focus.

The OnePlus 6T comes in 6GB, 8GB, and 10GB RAM, while the Pixel 3 XL comes with 4GB of RAM. So, to state the obvious, the OnePlus 6T wins at performance.

Battery Life

Both phones have reliable battery specs and life. The OnePlus 6T features a 3,700mAh unit battery while the Pixel 3 XL comes with a 3,430mAh battery. To go further, the Pixel 3 XL features wireless charging, 18W fast battery charging, and QI standard. The OnePlus 6T doesn’t have wireless charging, but its dash charging is considerably faster than that of the Pixel 3 XL. Both devices have good battery life, but the OnePlus 6T appears to last longer before it needs charging. However, the battery life is ultimately determined by device “mileage” and user operation habits.

Camera

The Pixel 3 camera quality tops that of the OnePlus 6T. Although it has one less back camera than the 6T, it’s still the better smartphone camera. But it must be said that the OnePlus 6T has a robust camera setup. It’s also has a new mode known as “Nightscape” for night time shooting.

A very limited number of smartphones can match Google’s pixel camera quality, especially in low light scenarios, but the OnePlus 6T Nightscape feature appears to be somewhat of a competition for Google’s Pixel monopoly on efficient low light photography.

To add, the Pixel 3 XL camera delivers ultra wide angle selfies, which the OnePlus 6T just cannot. However, there is a way to ramp up your OnePlus 6T camera. You can install the Google camera app which gives you a port to the Google camera. The Google camera is superb; it gives you better contrast, better dynamic range, better exposure, more consistent white balance, and better detail. It works perfectly well as a replacement for the OnePlus 6T original camera, but it still doesn’t beat the Pixel 3 XL camera quality.

Essentially, the Pixel 3 XL offers the best camera quality, while the OnePlus 6T offers the best camera experience due to its solid, sturdy setup. Nonetheless, if your reason for getting a smartphone is for the camera quality, the Pixel 3 XL is the better choice.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, both the OnePlus 6T and the Google Pixel 3 XL are amazing devices, which is the norm with most of today’s flagship smartphone devices. Both phones offer unique features. If what you’re in the market for is a smartphone with high res display and stunning camera quality which functions efficiently for low light photography, the Pixel 3 XL is the one for you. If what you need is a smartphone with top performance, lasting battery and sleek design, then the OnePlus 6T is better for you.

Some other features to look at include the Pixel 3 XL’s amazing set of front facing stereo speakers, which obviously deliver better sound than the OnePlus 6T’s single speaker.  The Pixel 3 XL is also water and dust resistant. But then, the OnePlus 6T is the more affordable smartphone, with its over $200 price difference compared to the Pixel 3 XL.

Looking at everything we have weighed and compared, we are going to say that the Pixel 3 XL is a more aesthetically pleasing phone than the OnePlus 6T. However, the experience of using the 6T is more impressive than using the Pixel 3 XL.