HTC U12+ vs OnePlus 6: Which is best?

HTC U12+ vs OnePlus 6: Which is best?

It’s been a busy few weeks for major smartphone releases, and the OnePlus 6 and HTC U12+ are two of the biggest of the bunch. If you’re trying to decide between these two handsets right now, which is most deserving of your money? Here’s what we think, based on our review experiences with both phones.

Design: Notch or not?

With a screen notch on the front and glass on the back, the OnePlus 6 isn’t the most distinctive phone out there. Still, for a sub-£500 phone, it’s rather elegant and sleek. On the other hand, the layered “Liquid Glass” finish on the back of the HTC U12+ is nice but otherwise is lacks anything to make it really stand out. But if you hate notches, then your decision is already made here. That said, you can “hide” the OnePlus 6’s notch via a software setting, which puts the black status bar on either side. Verdict: OnePlus 6

Screen: Both big, but different

This one’s a tricky decision. The HTC U12+ has the higher-resolution Quad HD (2880×1440) 18:9 display, which means the 6in panel packs in more pixels and looks a hair crisper. But it’s an LCD screen, so it lacks the deeper blacks and incredible contrast of OLED. The OnePlus’s 6.28in AMOLED screen looks fantastic but it’s a lower-resolution 1080p (2280×1080) 19:9 display. That said, the difference isn’t dramatic in person, plus we found the HTC U12+’s screen to come up short on brightness. Verdict: OnePlus 6

Camera: Not the sharpest shooters

Neither of these cameras is the best of the best in the smartphone world today, but they’re both pretty good dual-camera options overall, albeit with some caveats. The HTC’s HDR processing is superb but in automatic mode the colours can be blown out and there’s a frustrating hint of shutter lag. Night shots are stronger on the OnePlus, and while colours can be overdone, photos are punchy and packed with detail, plus it handles skin tones well. Given its price, the OnePlus remains a good shooter despite its deficiencies. Verdict: Draw

Performance: All even

You can’t get much more even than this: both phones rock a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chip along with 6GB RAM in the base model. You can bump up to 8GB RAM in a pricier model of the OnePlus 6, but 6GB is more than enough for a smartphone today. And overall, these phones are very comparable, despite differently-skinned takes on Android Oreo. They’re both super-fast and entirely capable of handling games, apps, media, and whatever else you might throw at them. Verdict: Draw

Battery and storage: Mixed results

The HTC U12+ has a slight advantage when it comes to total battery capacity, with 3500mAh versus 3300mAh in the OnePlus 6 – but somehow it comes up short. Maybe it’s the higher-resolution panel or just some much-needed optimisation, but the U12+ drained quickly in our testing and heavy users may routinely need top-ups before bedtime. Meanwhile, the OnePlus 6 came exactly as expected: it can give you a day and a smidge with solid usage. Both phones offer 64GB in the base model but only the HTC U12+ has a microSD slot for expandable memory. Verdict: Draw

Perks: Squeezy does it?

Squeeze the U12+’s Edge Sense pressure-sensitive sides and it’ll pull up Google Assistant or launch the camera, although you might find yourself triggering them accidentally more often than intentionally. It’s nifty but not exactly a reason to buy the HTC. The OnePlus 6 keeps the 3.5mm headphone port while the HTC U12+ loses it. On the other hand, the HTC U12+ has a proper IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, while the OnePlus 6 offers some unclear level of water resistance but probably isn’t primed for a trip into the pool. Verdict: Draw

Verdict: OnePlus prevails

Despite its high-end components, the HTC U12+ has odd deficiencies with the screen, camera, and battery life, and a somewhat ho-hum design to boot. The OnePlus 6 has a couple camera qualms too, but otherwise holds its own when it comes to power, design, screen quality, and battery life. It’s a fantastic handset at a price that is incredibly compelling compared to the competition. It wins this comparison outright, but it’s also the much better value. Winner: OnePlus 6