OnePlus phones used to be my go-to recommendation — not anymore

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OnePlus phones used to be my get-to recommendation — non anymore

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Recommending an Android phone used to be so easy. While Tom's Guide has its list of best Android phones for all style of budgets, my default reply to "what phone should I get?" has been: "the latest OnePlus phone." Not anymore.

Now making such a recommendation is no longer so like shooting fish in a barrel. In fact, I think it's downright difficult. OnePlus now has a suite of phones, some of which are no longer priced as keenly as the "flagship killers" that came earlier them.

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And with the likes of Samsung, Google and Apple all offering flagship phones (or at least those with flagship features) at or beneath the $800 mark, OnePlus' traditional upper-mid-range smartphone stomping ground is looking increasingly crowded.

 Adieu to the flagship killer

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I've been using OnePlus phones since the OnePlus 5, so I was rather late to the party. But I came in when the visitor had refined OxygenOS to be a lite reskin of Android and have handsets that sported near all of the features of flagship phones; wireless charging was i of the few omitted features, but proprietary super fast charging made up for that.

And every OnePlus phone I've used since delivered serious flagship performance, thanks to the latest Snapdragon viii-series fries and plenty of RAM. And all have had impressive screens and a build quality that snapped at the heels of Apple and Samsung.

These OnePlus phones came with prices that undercut iPhone, Pixel and Galaxy handsets of the same year, by several hundred dollars (in my example British pounds). So that meant it was piece of cake to see past the camera functioning of OnePlus phones, which has long been adept to very good only never quite up at that place with full Android flagships, and easily fly the OnePlus flag.

Even when I was testing the latest high-end phone, when someone asked if they should get information technology, I'd merely respond they're probably better off with OnePlus. And that'due south coming from someone who frickin' loves flagship phones.

OnePlus phones not but offered screaming performance, a quality handset and plenty of storage for a skilful cost, they also introduced new tech before than mainstream brands. The OnePlus 6 had the teardrop notch, the 6T had an optical under-display fingerprint scanner and the OnePlus 7 Pro brought in a 90Hz refresh rate and pop-upwards selfie photographic camera. OnePlus was ahead of Samsung and left Apple tree in the dust when information technology came to pushing the envelope.

Speaking of the Pro, that's when things started to change for OnePlus. In 2019 there were non two OnePlus phones across 12 months merely four: the OnePlus 7 Pro and standard vii and so the OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro. They all came with solid specs and prices that undercut the likes of the Galaxy S10, but every bit they weren't as affordable as they used to exist; the $500 price bespeak was well in the rear view mirror.

A yr later and the OnePlus 8 Pro arrived (aslope the somewhat forgettable OnePlus 8) and brought in not only flagship specs only a flagship price. It delivered on its promises, with wireless charging and a camera assortment that traded blows with the Milky way S20 and iPhone 11 Pro.

It was good to see OnePlus finally merely make a true flagship. Simply then it had no flagship killer per se, as the OnePlus 8 was good yet more expensive than before and didn't necessarily offer the specs needed to torpedo rival Android handsets. And information technology was easily overshadowed past its Pro sibling.

However, when I heard OnePlus wasn't making a "T" version of the 8 series, I got excited equally the next phone could combine the best bits of the latter 8 Pro yet deliver a keenly-priced handset akin to the flagship killers of yore. In my OnePlus 8T review i found that wasn't the case.

It's a good phone only it launched at $749 in the U.S. and was arguably beaten by the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE with its splendid specs list and cameras, and the Google Pixel 5 with its class-leading brace of cameras, both of which cost nether $700 at launch.

The OnePlus 8T is still a lovely phone, only it didn't accept that certain something that made OnePlus phones so special a couple of years before; it's software wasn't as overnice every bit earlier, performance was slick simply not stunning, and the cameras were rather disappointing. Subsequent updates have improved the 8T but given the choice I'd accomplish for the Pixel 5 first.

At present in the year 2021, we take the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. While both are excellent phones, they most certainly don't accept the flagship killer credentials OnePlus phones used to have, and that's a piffling sad for a long-time fan and catchy for a tech announcer looking for piece of cake phone recommendations.

 OnePlus: A lot more phones equals perchance also many

(Paradigm credit: Hereafter)

Going full flagship is one thing, just OnePlus hasn't fabricated things easier across the board either. While the OnePlus Nord looked like an exciting render to making well-equipped phones for budget prices, information technology arguably missed the mark.

The Nord is proficient, offering a lot for its price. But if you desire a solid smartphone that has a solid camera and wonderfully clean software for $400 or less so it'south pretty difficult to not recommend the Google Pixel 4a. It doesn't help that the Nord isn't available in the U.S. either. Nor will its successor, the OnePlus Nord 2, arrive on American soil.

However, the Nord was just tip of the spear for a range of affordable OnePlus phones. Now we accept the OnePlus Nord N10 5G, the OnePlus Nord N200 5G and OnePlus Nord CE. These are all good, or shaping upwards to be good, budget smartphones offer decent specs like a 90Hz refresh rate display and acceptable to adept performance.

Sounds good? Well information technology is until you compared these phones against a suite of affordable handsets that have also embraced the more-for-less philosophy. There's the Realme GT with its 120Hz display and Snapdragon 888, Realme 8 5G, the Motorola Moto g100, Moto Chiliad Power, Redmi Note ten Pro and the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G.

These phones offer some flagship specs, or features that were flagship-grade 12 months ago, for prices under (and in lot of cases well under) $500. And so OnePlus' current and adjacent budget Nord phone faces a lot of stiff competition in this segment too.

Now, I can't blame OnePlus for introducing a suite of phones to the market, nor practise I call up it'southward losing its mode. Rather, OnePlus is seemingly becoming more Samsung like, offer a myriad of phones to a variety of markets.

I'1000 certain that makes good business organization sense to folks better at metaphorical bean counting than I. But information technology doesn't change the feeling that the OnePlus I once raved about is no longer the OnePlus of today.

All filler, no killer

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And that makes me sad as I feel that OnePlus, every bit successful as it now is, has lost its secret sauce. I feel no i smartphone maker now makes a proper flagship killer Android phone that blends impressive specs, performance, design and clean software in i handset.

Xiaomi makes phones with serious specs at good prices, but it doesn't offer the software experience or hardware design (arguably, as dazzler is in the eye of the beholder) that OnePlus can. And America has said a resounding "no'' to letting Xiaomi handsets be sold on its shores.

Samsung'south Galaxy S20 Fe is great but it'south still $700 and its One UI isn't quite as clean as I'd similar it to exist. The Pixel 5 offers the best iteration of Android around, but it's lacking in proper ability and a 120Hz refresh rate.

Information technology'south non likely, just I'd beloved to see OnePlus return to its roots and only make i or 2 phones per yr that are truly the all-time they can be for their price. Market place factors and semiconductor shortage won't make that easy.

But if OnePlus could tap into its closer partnership with sibling company Oppo, then perchance we could encounter the return of the OnePlus flagship killer. The Oppo Find X3 Pro offers a serious rival to the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, so OnePlus doesn't need to give parent company BBK Electronics some other flagship phone.

Rather, OnePlus could apply Oppo's camera and image processing expertise, alongside the production lines they already share, to deliver a flagship killer handset OnePlus fans used to become wild for, however also help tackle some of the camera shortcomings of those phones.

Every bit it stands, the future still looks bright for OnePlus. I only hope it manages to retain the core of what fabricated it slap-up rather than just become another Samsung.

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Roland Moore-Colyer is U.K. Editor at Tom'southward Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion manufactures. He often writes almost gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he's too got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be institute wandering effectually London, oft with a look of marvel on his face.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/oneplus-phones-used-to-be-my-go-to-recommendation-not-anymore

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