OnePlus 5T vs iPhone X

CHINESE PHONE MAKER OnePlus officially unveiled the 5T this week, it's latest mid-range smartphone that takes on the likes of the iPhone X with its flagship-challenging specs.

We've pitted the OnePlus 5T against the iPhone X to see if the smartphone has what it takes to challenge its big-name rivals.

Design
OnePlus 5: 156x75x7.3 mm, 162g
iPhone X: 143.6x70.9x7.7mm, 179g

Despite their difference in price, both the OnePlus 5T and iPhone X are premium-looking devices. Like the OnePlus 5 before it, the 5T boasts a unibody aluminium shell, similar to that seen on the iPhone 8. Unlike its predecessor, the 5T boasts an all-screen design around the front, which has seen the fingerprint scanner shifted to the rear of the device.

The iPhone X also removes Apple's long-used Touch ID sensor in favour of a bezel-less (well, almost) design, but rather than placing it on the rear, Apple has removed the scanner altogether in favour of its newfangled Face ID tech which the firm claims is the most accurate and secure face authentication tech available.

The OnePlus 5 debuts 'Face Unlock', which uses more than 100 unique identifiers to unlock the OnePlus 5T and it reads them using the phone's standard front-facing camera. While OnePlus' solution is perhaps not as accurate as Face ID, which beams 30,000 infrared dots onto a user's face, some early reviews claim it's faster than Apple's offering.

Elsewhere, design-wise, the iPhone X features a premium all-glass design surrounded by a metal frame. It also offers a 'microscopic level' of waterproof protection, according to Apple, whereas the OnePlus offers no protection against the elements.

In terms of colours on offer, the iPhone X will be made available in Space Grey and Silver, while the OnePlus 5T is available in Midnight Black only.

Display
OnePlus 5T: 6in 1080x2160 optic AMOLED display (401ppi)
iPhone X: 5.8in Super Retina (2436x1125, 458ppi) OLED edge-to-edge display

The 6in screen on the 5T is the biggest display on a OnePlus handset yet. The resolution improved slightly on the OnePlus 5's, giving it the same 401ppi pixel density, but this fails to match the iPhone X which offers a 458ppi Super Retina resolution.

Still, the OnePlus 5T's 18:9 screen doesn't feature Apple's now-signature 'notch', which can only be a good thing.

Both displays utilise OLED tech, which means both should offer up a similar level of clarity and brightness. They also both pack similar software features, with the iPhone X arriving as the first iPhone to feature Apple's TrueTone, which adjusts the white balance to suit your environment, and the OnePlus 5 offering a new mode called 'Sunlight Display' that "adapts to harsh light to facilitate a great viewing experience."

Hardware and storage
OnePlus 5T: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 CPU, 8GB RAM, 64GB or 128GB storage
iPhone X: A11 Bionic CPU, 3GB RAM, 64GB or 256GB storage

The OnePlus 5T, like most of this year's Android flagships, packs Qualcomm's 10nm Snapdragon 835 CPU, which OnePlus has paired with a hefty 8GB RAM. While we're yet to benchmark the smartphone, it's unlikely many will have complaints when it comes to performance.

The iPhone X, on the other hand, features Apple's new A11 CPU, which comes with paired with an Apple-built GPU. This six-core CPU is divided into two low-performance cores and four high-performance cores, with the regular cores being 25 per cent faster than the previous A10 chip, and the high-performance cores being up to 75 per cent faster than the A10 SoC. According to Apple, and subsequent benchmark scores, it's the fastest mobile SoC on the market today.

Storage-wise, the OnePlus 5T comes with either 64GB or 128GB built-in, while the iPhone X offers a choice of 64GB or 256GB. Neither phone offers a built-in microSD port.

Software
OnePlus 5T: Android 7.1.1 Nougat
iPhone X: iOS 11

It's always difficult pitting iOS against Android, because almost everyone knows which operating system they'd rather use.

The iPhone X, naturally, will ship running iOS 11. This brings with it some features that will only be available on the pricey flagship, including Face ID, animated emoji (or 'Animoji'), new gestures for navigating home and multitasking, and portrait lighting and selfie modes.

The OnePlus 5T runs Android Nougat, but the firm is promising a speedy upgrade to Google's newer Oreo software. The firm is also claiming that OxygenOS will also see some improvements on the 5T, promising a "refined" software experience that's "faster, cleaner and more customizable" than those offered by rival manufacturers.

This is thanks to OxygenOS' new platform, that enables a more streamlined software development process, resulting in faster, more consistent updates.

Cameras
OnePlus 5: Dual 20MP + 16MP (f/1.7), 16MP front-camera
iPhone X: Dual 12MP (f/1.8 and f/2.4) with OIS, 7MP front-facing

Both the OnePlus 5T and iPhone X offer dual camera setups, and on paper at least, the cheaper 5T comes out on top with its dual 20MP and 16MP cameras, compared to Apple's two 12MP sensors.

While this is a near identical setup to that seen on the OnePlus 5, the 5T's secondary camera comes equipped with a larger f/1.7 aperture which should make for improved low-light photography. The firm also claims that its Intelligent Pixel Technology will see the secondary camera merges four pixels into one, reducing noise in low-light environments and enhancing clarity, while a new Portrait Mode will make your selfies less fuzzy, or something.

OnePlus trumps Apple when it comes to the front-facing camera too, packing a 16MP sensor compared to a 7MP lens.

Battery
OnePlus 5T: 3,300mAh battery, Dash Charge support
iPhone X: 21 hours quoted talk-time, fast charging, wireless charging

The OnePlus 5T packs the same 3,330mAh battery as the OnePlus 5, which we found easily made it through an entire day. There's also Dash Charge support included, which OnePlus claims equip you with enough juice for the day after just 30 minutes.

The iPhone X also offers fast charging support, but is also the first iPhone to support wireless charging, a feature not offered by the OnePlus 5T, While Apple hasn't coughed on the size of the battery inside the iPhone X, it has said that it'll last two hours longer than the iPhone 7 and will get you 21 hours of talk time.

Price
OnePlus 5T: From £449
iPhone X: From £999

With pricing starting at £449 for the 64GB model, you could get two OnePlus 5T handsets for the price of one iPhone X with change to spare.

Verdict
Despite the glaring price difference, the OnePlus 5T and iPhone X are fairly evenly matched on paper. Both sport full-screen designs, both offer dual camera setups and, although Apple claims its offering is the most accurate, both feature face-scanning technology.

While it's unlikely the OnePlus 5T will convince any users to cancel their iPhone X order, it - on first impressions, at least - unprecedented value for money. µ