OnePlus has this almost cult-like following (in the best way possible). That community came together because they’re into devices that offer premium performance for less. The OnePlus 8T is a flagship through and through and while it’s certainly pricier than from when OnePlus started, it does feel more like “OnePlus” versus their recent flagship offerings.

Made official today after appearing in numerous leaks, the OnePlus 8T’s focus is a speedy and smooth experience.

Ultra Fast

How fast can your phone juice up? Probably pretty fast, but it’s not “a day’s power in 15 minutes” fast. That’s the promise of the Warp Charge 65. The 65W is promising lasting power for less than the duration of an anime episode.

It also uses twin-charging tech so you can completely fill-up the 4500mAh battery in only 39 minutes. Astonishing.

Ultra Smooth

Our time together with our smartphones is mostly spent interacting with the display. So it’s only right that it feels smooth, fast, and responsive. Apart, of course, from being absolutely a joy to behold — all 6.55-inches of it.

That display is 120Hz Fluid AMOLED. If you’ve been keeping up with the tech trends you’d know what this entails — smooth, fast, and responsive. It also earned an A+ rating from DisplayMate.

Ultra Power

They didn’t really call it Ultra in the keynote but we’re trying to stay consistent here. Inside the OnePlus 8T is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G SoC.

That’s the best that Qualcomm has to offer at the moment. It’s also present in all the major Android flagships that have come out of the 2nd half of 2020… if you’re still able to keep track of the dates, that is.

That means you’re getting the same chip that promises a superior gaming experience, an intuitive AI, and dual-mode NSA + SA 5G and Wi-Fi 6 support for faster, more reliable data speeds.

Ul… Okay Cameras

The quad-camera system that sits on the upper-left back side of the device has a lot more in common with midrangers than flagships today.

The main camera is 48MP and is flanked by a 16MP Ultra Wide Angle camera, a 5MP macro lens, and a 2MP monochrome camera. Up front is a 16MP selfie shooter.

It’s a tad uninspiring on paper but of course we’ll have to take our own samples to judge for ourselves.

Steady Design

OnePlus phones look stylish and understated. The same is true for the OnePlus 8T. It’s available in two colors: Aquamarine Green and Lunar Silver.

The Aquamarine Green evokes the look of a glossy glass back without being an extreme fingerprint magnet. The Lunar Silver, meanwhile, has a matte-frosted finish.

A new UI

ONE UI… err… OxygenOS 11 is the biggest redesign yet and it’s been divisive. The changes might feel jarring to long-time fans of the vanilla flavor infused in the overall breathability of the OxygenOS.

It now more closely resembles ONE UI, which isn’t exactly a bad thing now with the strides that Samsung has made on its own Android skin.

The important things to take note of are that this is the first non-pixel phone to get Android 11 straight out of the box, and the overall smooth and free-flowing feeling of the OxygenOS of old will be retained.

OnePlus Buds Z

Also launched during the event is the OnePlus Buds Z — another TWS offering from OnePlus. They’re equipped with 10mm dynamic drivers all to deliver a more than satisfactory sound.

It claims to provide up to 20 hours of playback time with a 10-minute top-up lending you three hours of untethered listening.

The OnePlus Buds Z comes on white and has a polished seashell pattern. There are three silicone sizes for the eartips so you can find the right fit. It’s also IP55 rated which means it can withstand sweat so you can use it for your workout sessions.

Pricing and availability

OnePlus 8T

• Aquamarine Green with 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM is priced at SG$ 899.

• Lunar Silver with 12GB RAM and 256GB ROM, and is priced at SG$ 1,099.

• The phone will be available for exclusive pre-order on Lazada from October 17 to 23. 2020. Customers will receive a OnePlus 8T Bumper case (worth SG$ 39.90) through the pre-order.

• The phone will be available across Singapore starting October 24 2020, at OnePlus Lazada and Shopee online flagship store.

OnePlus Buds Z

• The OnePlus Buds Z comes in White and is priced at S$99. It will be available starting November 2020.