OnePlus 6T vs Galaxy Note 9 vs Google Pixel 3: Can OnePlus Win This Battle?

Yesterday China-based smartphone maker OnePlus launched its OnePlus 6T smartphone at an event in US and today the company has launched the much anticipated phone in India. The phone comes as a mid-cycle refresh to company’s previous flagship dubbed as OnePlus 6. It’s starting price in India is set at Rs. 37,999. However, don’t mistake the phone to be an average mid-range device based on the price as it comes loaded with high-end flagship like features. Today we’ll compare the OnePlus 6T with high priced Android flagships like Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 (launched in August) and Google’s Pixel 3 (launched in September). Continue reading to find out if OnePlus can win this battle.

The comparison between the three phones will be based on several key parameters such as Design and Display, Processor, RAM and Storage, OS and Battery Life, Camera Set up and last but not the least- Pricing.

OnePlus 6T vs Galaxy Note 9 vs Google Pixel 3: Design, Display and Dimensions

The OnePlus 6T has a different design as compared to its predecessor OnePlus 6, which is especially due to the fact that it features an in-display fingerprint scanner dubbed as Screen Unlock instead of a rear mounted one and sports a water drop shaped notch instead of the iPhone X like wide notch. The chin is also much smaller in comparison to OnePlus 6. The Galaxy Note 9 is made up of glass and features the trademark Infinity display. It features a rear mounted fingerprint scanner along with a horizontally stacked dual camera set up. While, the Pixel 3 sports a glass back along with a fingerprint scanner and a single camera module. Notably, both Google Pixel 3 as well as OnePlus 6T lack 3.5mm headphone jack, so you’ll need to go through the hassle of carrying an extra accessory in case you wish to use the same.

Design is a matter of choice and in our opinion all three phones have a premium look and feel, so we leave it up to you to decide the winner in this department

In terms of display, the OnePlus 6T flaunts a 6.41-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with 1080×2340 pixel resolution and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. As mentioned earlier, the display features a waterdrop-style notch at the top and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 6. The Galaxy Note 9 features a 6.4-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity Display with 1440×2960 pixel resolution, 18.5:9 aspect ratio and 83.4% screen-to-body ratio. The display comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 layer of protection on top. While, the Google Pixel 3 bears a smaller 5.5-inch full-HD+ flexible OLED Always-on Display with 1080×2160 pixel resolution, 18:9 aspect ratio and pixel density of 443ppi. It comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on top. The Galaxy Note 9 and OnePlus 6T seems to be neck-to-neck in this department with Galaxy Note 9 having slightly slight edge due to better screen resolution and Infinity display.

In terms of dimensions, the OnePlus 6T measures 157.5×74.8×8.2 mm and weighs about 185 grams. The Galaxy Note 9 measures 161.9×76.4×8.8 mm and weighs in at 201 grams. While, the Pixel 3 145.6×68.2×7.9 mm and weighs 148 grams. So, the Google Pixel is the slimmest and the lightest of the three phones.

OnePlus 6T vs Galaxy Note 9 vs Google Pixel 3: Processor, RAM and Storage

Under the hood, the OnePlus 6T is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC along with 6GB or 8GB of RAM. There are two options in terms of internal storage- 128GB and 256GB.

The Galaxy Note 9 draws power from Exynos 9810 (2.7GHz + 1.7GHz) SoC in India. In terms of storage, the phone features 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 512GB of onboard storage. The storage capacity can be increased further up to 512GB by means of a microSD card.

The Pixel 3 is powered by a 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC along with Adreno 630 GPU and 4GB of RAM. The inbuilt storage capacity of the phone is 64GB or 128GB.

OnePlus 6T vs Galaxy Note 9 vs Google Pixel 3: OS and Batter

The dual-SIM OnePlus 6T runs OxygenOS based on Android 9.0 Pie operating system out of the box and is backed by a 3,740mAh battery with support for fast charging. The battery can provide a full day of power in 30 minutes of charge. It lacks wireless charging support though.

The Galaxy Note 9 is fueled by an impressive 4,000mAh battery with support for both fast as well as wireless charging and is shipped with Android 8.1 Oreo OS out of the box with Samsung Experience UX on top.

The Pixel 3 packs a 2,915mAh battery that is claimed to provide up to 7 hours of life with 15 minutes of charge. It runs a stock version of Android 9.0 Pie operating system out of the box.

The Galaxy Note 9 is a clear winner in terms of battery life.

OnePlus 6T vs Galaxy Note 9 vs Google Pixel 3: Camera

Let’s have a look at one of the crucial departments i.e. the camera. The Pixel 3 features a single rear camera of 12.2-megapixel with 1.4-micron pixel size, f/1.8 aperture, and a 76-degree field-of-view. The rear camera also features dual pixel phase detection, optical and electronic image stabilization and more. The front hosts a dual camera set up comprising of 8-megapixel wide-angle lens with f/2.2 aperture + an 8-megapixel lens with f/1.8 aperture.

The Galaxy Note 9 sports a horizontally stacked dual camera set up on the rear consisting of a 12-megapixel sensor with variable aperture (f/1.5-f/2.4) paired with a telephoto 12-megapixel (f/2.4) autofocus sensor with 2x optical zoom and up to 10x digital zoom. On the front, you get an 8-megapixel sensor with f/1.7 aperture for selfies and video calls

The OnePlus 6T flaunts a vertically stacked dual camera module which consists of a 16-megapixel Sony IMX519 primary sensor with an f/1.7 aperture + a secondary 20-megapixel Sony IMX376K sensor with an f/1.7 aperture. The rear camera set up is capable of recording 4K videos at 60fps and Super Slow Motion Videos. For selfies, there’s a 16-megapixel Sony IMX371 sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and 1-micron pixels. The front camera also doubles up as FaceUnlock.

Camera performance is not just about megapixels and the actual output can vary depending upon several other factors. Please refer to actual user reviews before making a purchase decision which is heavily dependent on camera output.

OnePlus 6T vs Galaxy Note 9 vs Google Pixel 3: Price and Availability in India

The OnePlus 6T price in India starts at Rs. 37,999 for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant (Mirror Black). The mid-variant i.e. 8GB RAM + 128GB storage (Midnight Black and Mirror Black) is priced at Rs. 41,999, while the top variant i.e. 8GB RAM + 256GB storage (Midnight Black) comes with a price tag of Rs. 45,999. It will be sold online exclusively via Amazon.in starting from November 1 (midnight) and will also be sold offline via Reliance Digital outlets, Croma and OnePlus’ own offline stores starting from November 3.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9’s starting price in India is set at Rs. 67,900 for the base variant and it goes up to Rs. 83,900 for the top variant.

The Google Pixel 3 is yet to go on sale in India but it is priced in US at USD $799 (approx. Rs. 58,500) for the 64GB variant and the price goes up to $899 (approx. Rs. 66,000) for the 128GB storage variant. The actual price in India won’t be exactly as converted here though. The phone is expected to go on sale in India soon.

CompareRaja’s Verdict:

The OnePlus 6T may not be completely at par with Galaxy Note 9 and Google Pixel 3 in all the aspects but it still packs some good features and provides a great value for money. If budget is your constraint then OnePlus 6T is definitely a good option for you, otherwise you can pick either of the Google Pixel 3 or Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

Please refer the quick specs comparison between OnePlus 6T, Galaxy Note 9 and Google Pixel 3 which will further simplify your decision making process.