OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition hands-on review

Design

The OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition isn't that different from the regular model, but it has enough changes on its back to make a difference. And once you start plugging those orange accessories, it only gets better from there.

The OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition enjoys the same 6.41" Optic AMOLED screen at the front, with a waterdrop-like notch and Gorilla Glass 6 protection. There are no logos or patterns to suggest a special edition but given the tiny bezels - we didn't expect such.

The McLaren model retains the under-display fingerprint scanner, in case you were wondering. It even has a unique McLaren unlocking animation set as the default.

OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition

The phone has a McLaren theme preinstalled though, which allows it to stand out from the rest of the 6T models. However, it isn't difficult to emulate the dark theme with orange accents on a regular 6T - you might need to sideload the live wallpapers though.

The frame is still made of aluminum and slightly curved, but this time it has a glossy finish, which may score some points for looks, but hurts the grip a lot. And it gets smudged the moment you lay your hands on the 6T, so the effect is pretty much ruined in seconds.

The back of the OnePlus 6T is all about exclusivity and, of course, McLaren. And it's really cool. It's still made of glass, but there is a subtle carbon fiber texture underneath. The upper part around the dual-camera is painted with this navy-blue hue but it slowly fades into black towards the bottom.

OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition

The Papaya Orange accent flowing around the frame is what makes the rear panel look dazzling. At first, we thought the whole frame is orange, but no, the accent is actually underneath the glass.

The OnePlus 6T isn't reinventing the gradient paint job, but the subtle texture and the orange hue really makes it stand out. And there is a McLaren logo printed on the back, of course.

The OnePlus 6T McLaren edition has the same 3,700 mAh battery as the regular one. But it supports the new and faster 30W Warp Charge - up from the old 20W formerly known as Dash Charge. OnePlus promises this 6T will charge 50% of the battery in 20 mins with the provided charger and cable. That's not as fast as Oppo's 50W VOOC, but still faster than the vanilla version. We'll have to do more tests in the coming days to gauge just how much faster it is.

Conlusion

So, the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition doesn't really bring something new to the 6T as you may never notice the extra 2GB of RAM. It's prettier, sure, and charges a little bit faster, but if you aren't a McLaren fan or a collector with a knack for limited edition smartphones - you may as well skip it.

Then again, if you want one of the fastest Android smartphones out there with its maximum configuration of 10GB of RAM and 256GB storage, and at a special limited edition at that, you may as well consider this one. It costs $699/€699 - only $70/€70 extra over the regular 8GB/256GB 6T model, and you do get an exclusive design, faster charging, and a protective case worth $30/€30.

Sure, the McLaren model isn't as premium as the Find X Lamborghini or Mate 20 RS Porsche, but it wasn't meant to be a luxury smartphone. OnePlus has entered a long-term partnership with McLaren though, so more luxurious and exclusive models might be just around the corner.

Stay tuned for our full review of this one. We can't wait to put all those claims to test.