OnePlus India came down to Chandigarh today for the T over Tea event showcasing the latest flagship OnePlus 5T for a hands-on experience for the fans. I and many other local OnePlus 5T enthusiasts got together with Vikas Aggarwal (GM at One Plus India), to talk about this amazing smartphone and how it came into existence. Read on to find out all that happened!

This is the second time in 3 years that OnePlus has visited Chandigarh to meet its fans. Being a predominantly online entity, OnePlus wanted to interact more with the community in person and listen to what we, as buyers, think about the brand. Until now, the phone has been going on sale in short duration sales online only. The charming OnePlus 5T with all its beauty was made available to the audience and it sure feels awesome to grab one, ask me!

Amidst all the action, Anubha Prakash (One Plus Corporate PR Lead) answered a few of my long-standing questions about the product. Here’s how it went.

Wasn’t the launch of the 5T model rushed, considering that OnePlus 5 just recently came out?

We don’t call it a launch, rather a refresh to the OnePlus 5. The latter sold out real quick and we were already planning a bezel-less phone to hit the market but because the product wasn’t ready at that time, we went ahead with the release of OnePlus 5. We believe that the latest technology should be made available to the masses as soon as it is ready for production instead of making tactical delays just for the sake of competition. The current market trend that has apparently swung in the favor of large-screened smartphones also influenced the decision. After all, OnePlus wants its fans to get the best when they deserve it and not when the market calls for it.

Does One Plus plan on making more budget options like the OnePlus X?

Probably not. Our audience has really liked the flagship features such as the Snapdragon 835 and the dual cameras that the OnePlus lineup has been offering till yet. The budget option was not appreciated a lot by the masses and OnePlus was quick to realize that. Customer feedback is the soul of our product strategy and we wish to continue making high-end phones that beat the competition like anything.

What are the developments about OnePlus 6?

I really don’t know at this moment. We’ll update you soon about it as the progress takes place.

One Plus 5T Hands-On!

As I said earlier, One Plus 5T is a serious beauty to hold in your hand. The UI feels smoother than ever and the much-criticized 5.9-inch display size is not at all difficult to fit in your palm. It was easy for me to swipe down the status bar and toggle to the settings icon, as I would do on the OnePlus 3T. The screen quality really hits you when you closely look at it. It’s phenomenal, to say the least. Punchy colors and a great overall contrast.



We tested the low-light camera as well, in the dimly lit interior of the place. The results were as amazing as they are proclaimed to be.

The metallic rear carrying the finger-print sensor feels rather premium for a phone of this price range. I know OnePlus doesn’t compromise on the quality but I can easily say that this is iPhone level stuff.

Although it would have been great to test an action-packed game on the device, I didn’t get a lot of time with the phone to do so. In its initial out-of-the-box state, OnePlus 5T handled my rapid UI fiddling perfectly. It would most probably handle a heavy game too!

Catching Up With Vikas Aggarwal

Vikas was glowing happy while talking to us about the product. He briefly apologized for the fact that OnePlus hasn’t been in this part of the country much and asked me what did the localites think of OnePlus as a brand.

“Since the past two years, the people of the region have developed a keen interest in the brand. I guess you need more offline outlets but yes, OnePlus has really grown as a brand.” I replied.

Then came the most difficult question for Vikas from the audience. Why has 5T been launched for the same price as of OnePlus 5? We, who have bought it, feel as if our device has been instantly outdated!

To which he explained, “It’s not like that we wanted to out-run OnePlus 5 from the lineup but we wanted to offer our best product at a price that our customers deserve to buy. Adding two thousand more bucks just because it is a new release doesn’t add up to OnePlus’ ideology. With 5T, you get the option to opt for the much-hyped bezel-less display and a combination of better cameras but the performance can still be enjoyed in OnePlus 5”

Vikas is on-point stating the pricing fact that disturbed a number of OnePlus 5 owners. It’s more about the user preferences than a marketing stunt. Selling a device for an unnecessarily higher price doesn’t really make sense anyway, does it?



See Ya Time

The event wrapped up with some delicious snacks and cups of Tea, complementing the cold weather here in the city. All of the attendees received a NEVER SETTLE emblem-ed Tee from the One Plus Team, and I personally would like to thank them for the gesture!



One Plus is now available on Amazon.com for a great price, check it out now! >>