The OnePlus 6 is a great looking phone and has all the specs you could want, as we saw in the first part of the review of this much sought-after phone. But all the hardware in the world won’t guarantee a good experience unless it works well in tandem with the software. Over the years and with each successive iteration of the OnePlus smartphone, we’ve seen it evolve and improve until it seems like it’s become the fastest phone around.

The iPhone X, Google’s Pixel phones and a few Huawei phones are also fast and smooth in a buttery sort of way, but the OnePlus has also made advances in the speed department so much so that it’s difficult to tell how much faster it really is with each new version. Sure, you can run a battery of tests, but in real life use, it’s quite simply more than fast enough.

It isn’t surprising that OnePlus is confident about the ability of its smartphone to deliver on speed, which is why they chose a ‘The Speed You Need’ tagline this time around.

Delivering on speed

But since it can hardly get very much faster, one can’t help wondering what OnePlus plans to do moving forward, given that its phone is already very future-proof and doesn’t slow down in particular after long usage.

On top of the latest publicly available version of Android, OnePlus uses its own customised skin, Oxygen OS, to bring in distinctive features. What techies love about this is that the company holds back from tampering so badly with Android as to make it unrecognisable, avoiding stuffing it with features, apps and bells and whistles. Still, there are annoyances mixed in with welcome changes.

With Oxygen OS 5.1.5 on the new OnePlus 6, the over-discussed notch on the top-middle of the screen can be made to look like a regular black bezel. Though there are some murmurs about one being thicker than the other. For the most part, all this looks fine and doesn’t intrude after a while. But to accommodate the notch and make the screen more roomy, compromises have been made such as removing the battery percentage number and users miss that. This, like many other little things, are likely to be tackled in upcoming updates.

Over-the-air updates are by all indications going to be regular on this device. A recent one brought additional features to the camera, security patches and bug fixes. But until several updates are done with, there are a few things that still look unfinished. Various issues are being discussed on the OnePlus forum online and these include WiFi speeds being limited on some networks, Bluetooth 6 connectivity problems and the use of Bluetooth in cars.

The Shelf, a swipe-left on the home screen that is OnePlus’ quick access space for the user to get to contacts, most-used apps and more, is much the same as it was whereas it perhaps should have evolved somewhat. The Alert Slider, the hardware switch that allowed for do-not-disturb schedules and priority settings, now has Silent, Vibrate, and Ring and still doesn’t allow user customisation for any other function.

Intuitive gestures

As a OnePlus user, it’s a good idea for you to take a look at the settings and not be afraid to experiment with options. While OnePlus devices are a favourite with those who like technology to begin with, word of mouth has made the phone popular among the general public as well. But many tend not to delve into the various options for customisation. There are some gestures, for example, that are interesting and convenient. In the Buttons option in Settings, you will find a set of features for navigation that get rid of the home button and the back and recent apps buttons as well. Instead, these functions can be achieved with a quick swipe, making the phone feel even faster and more intuitive to use. Other options like double tapping to wake up the phone or drawing a letter on the sleeping screen to trigger off a specific app, are also nice to use. The OnePlus 6, like some of its predecessors now, has a fast face unlock and also the more secure unlock with fingerprint (sensor now moved to the back) so that you can easily set up and use your own favourite way of accessing the phone.

Access to Android P (beta version) is available for the OnePlus 6, but not advisable for regular users. There are features that don’t work as they should and in these early days it’s best to leave it to developers. OnePlus also has some features that are similar to those coming up in Android P and how the associated functionalities will work remains to be seen.

OnePlus has quite a community in which feedback aplenty is there for the company to act on. Typically, they listen and incorporate suggested changes where they can. That is something reassuring for users who may be encountering problems.

On the whole, while the software still needs finishing touches, it gives the user an experience that far exceeds most other Android phones that are insecure about their ability to stand out from the competition and end up overdoing the software. Like the hardware on the OnePlus 6, the software too is in on the value for money equation.

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