Best OnePlus phones in different categories — budget, camera, and more

OnePlus doesn’t have as many phones in its lineup as Samsung, LG, and most other manufacturers, but there are still enough of them available to complicate your purchase decision. Which OnePlus model to go with depends on several factors including your budget as well as the specs and features that matter to you. To help you out, we’ve listed the best OnePlus phones you can currently get in different categories, which should hopefully help you decide which one is right for you. Let’s dive in.

Best OnePlus phones:

1. OnePlus 8 Pro — best OnePlus camera phone
2. OnePlus 8 5G UW — best OnePlus 5G phone
3. OnePlus 7T — best budget OnePlus phone
4. OnePlus 7T Pro and 7T — best full-screen phones
5. OnePlus 6T — best cheap OnePlus phone

Editor’s note: We’ll be updating this list of the best OnePlus phones regularly as new models launch.

1. OnePlus 8 Pro — best OnePlus camera phone

OnePlus’ latest phone is the best option for those who are into photography. It has the best camera setup of all OnePlus phones released to date. The handset sports a 48MP main sensor, a 48MP wide-angle camera, and a 12MP telephoto lens. It also comes with a Color Filter camera, which is a 5MP shooter that uses a special filter to allow the phone to see different spectrums of light. You can learn more about it in our OnePlus 8 Pro review at the link.

Read next: OnePlus 8 buyer’s guide — Everything you need to know

Most people will be happy with the images taken with the phone, although the phone isn’t as good at night photography as the Pixel 4. But there’s more to OnePlus’ flagship than the camera. It’s one of the most powerful handsets on the market, packing the Snapdragon 865 chipset under the hood along with as much as 12GB of RAM. You also get a large 120Hz display, dual-SIM support, and a fantastic software experience.

The OnePlus 8 Pro even has an IP68 rating and supports wireless charging. But you don’t get a headphone jack or a microSD card slot.

OnePlus 8 Pro specs:

2. OnePlus 8 5G UW — best OnePlus 5G phone

If 5G speeds are what you’re looking for, the OnePlus 8 is your best option. We’re specifically referring to the OnePlus 8 5G UW model that’s exclusive to Verizon and supports mmWave spectrum. The regular OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro that are available on the company’s website are also 5G enabled, but they only support sub-6 5G connectivity.

Read next: The best OnePlus 8 alternatives

The weirdly-named device is powered by the Snapdragon 865 chipset, sports three rear cameras, and has 8GB of RAM. The battery comes in at 4,300mAh and supports 30-watt charging that gets it to 100% in a little more than an hour.

Aside from the faster 5G speeds, the OnePlus 8 offers less than the Pro model when it comes to specs and features. But it is cheaper as well as a little bit smaller and lighter, which is something many will appreciate.

OnePlus 8 specs:

3. OnePlus 7T — best budget OnePlus phone

The 7T is currently OnePlus’ best budget phone. That doesn’t mean it’s the cheapest one, it just means that it offers the best value for money in our opinion.

It’s not the latest phone OnePlus has on offer, but it’s still a great option for demanding users. It packs the Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset under the hood, has three rear cameras, and sports a 90Hz display with a small waterdrop notch. These are just some of the things that make it one of the best OnePlus Android phones you can get.

The interesting thing about the 7T is that the vast majority of our readers prefer it over the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, according to our survey. The bad news is that you can’t get the unlocked model in the US at the moment, but the T-Mobile variant is available. You can get an international model of the phone on Amazon that comes unlocked, but it costs a bit more.

OnePlus 7T specs:

4. OnePlus 7T Pro and 7 Pro — best full-screen OnePlus phones

If you’re looking for a full-screen experience, the OnePlus 7T Pro and 7 Pro are right up your alley. Both have a pop-up selfie camera that replaces the more traditional notch or punch-hole.

There aren’t a lot of differences between the two phones.

The 7 Pro is the the older model, but there aren’t really a lot of differences between the two phones. The 7T Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 855 Plus, while the OnePlus 7 Pro packs the Snapdragon 855 chipset under the hood. The 7T Pro also has a slightly larger battery and comes with more base storage and RAM. Other than that, the two phones are identical.

Which phone to get largely depends on where you live. OnePlus only sells the 7 Pro through its website in the US, while in countries like the UK only the 7T Pro is available. The international version of the 7T Pro is available in the US via Amazon, though, but it is on the expensive side.

OnePlus 7T Pro specs:

OnePlus 7 Pro specs:

5. OnePlus 6T — best cheap OnePlus phone

The last OnePlus model on this list is the 6T, which was announced back in 2018. Despite being almost two years old, it’s still a great handset. It’s also the cheapest phone you can still buy from OnePlus, although you can’t get it in every country anymore.

The phone has a 6.41-inch Full HD+ display, the Snapdragon 845 chipset, and two rear cameras. The battery comes in at 3,700mAh and supports 20-watt charging. Other specs and features include an in-display fingerprint scanner, a small waterdrop notch, and Android Pie that can be upgraded to the latest version of Google’s OS.

Since this is an older device, availability is limited. The phone is currently out of stock on OnePlus’ US website, but you can still get it on Amazon.

OnePlus 6T Pro specs:

These are the best OnePlus models you can currently get your hands on. We’ll update this post once the company announces new phones, which shouldn’t be too long from now. The OnePlus Z is just around the corner, while the 8T series will likely launch sometime this fall.