Unlike many other brands, OnePlus is a young company, yet it has managed to create a perception. In my view, brand OnePlus is an amalgamation of three ideas — first, it’s a smartphone, second, it’s not just a smartphone company, it’s known for its quality and last but not the least, this brand demands a premium for the commitment it shows to the aspirational consumers.
Around September last year, OnePlus revealed to the world that it has decided to go beyond smartphones. In a few weeks, the first OnePlus TVs were launched. There were two variants, and I got a chance to test one of them — the OnePlus TV 55 Q1 Pro. Like many of you, I am also a OnePlus user. So while reviewing this TV, I wanted to test whether this smartphone brand still stands for quality and commitment towards the consumer that reflects in a premium price of Rs. 99,900.
Let’s find out what the first premium OnePlus TV is all about.
The facts
OnePlus TV 55 Q1 Pro specifications
- 55-inch (3840 x 2160) 4K QLED panel with 120% NTSC color gamut
- Gamma Color Magic picture processor
- 50W 2.1 channel speaker (8 units in Q1 Pro, 4 in Q1), DTS-HD DOLBY ATMOS, DOLBY DIGITAL PLUS
- Android TV 9.0 with OxygenPlay, Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play Movies, Hotstar, ErosNow, Zee5, Hungama, SonyLiv
- Google Assistant built-in; Work with Alexa
- WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4 GHz/5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.0 LE, 4 x HDMI (1 x support eARC), 3 x USB (1 x USB2.0, 1 x USB3.0, 1 x USB Type-C)
Coming to the ports, Q1 Pro offers an AV-in, an optical connector, an Ethernet port, four HDMI ports, USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, and an RF connector on the rear. Also, there is a USB Type-C port covered with a small flap.
Apart from all the necessary connectivity options, the rear panel also features a soundbar that dramatically slides down upon turning on the TV. To make it more classy, OnePlus has installed LEDs called TV horizon light, that light up elegantly when turned on.
Assembling the TV
At 24.2 kgs (with stand), assembling this hefty device is not a one-person job, especially if you’re not used to lifting heavyweight. It comprises two stands with chrome finish — vertical tube and elliptical rim on the base made of solid metal. OnePlus includes the vertical brackets required for the wall mount in the packaging itself. Even for a novice, the assembling of the OnePlus TV is an easy job, but make sure you have people around.
The experience
Design and onboarding
The OnePlus TV 55 Q1 Pro is contemporary, sublime, and stylish at the same time. Just like the company’s philosophy, minimalism reflects in the bezels. The bottom chin, which appears metallic, is comparatively big and houses the OnePlus logo in the middle. The single-button in the bottom right corner works as the on/off switch.
The backside of the OnePlus TV is thick plastic with a carbon fiber finish. It is clean, durable, and does not flex. The even weight distribution and thoughtfully-made stand make it secure as well. The only other thing you will see is the cutout at the back that houses all the ports covered with a plastic plate. It snaps into its place magnetically. It also has one of the best cable management solutions.
The main feature that separates Q1 Pro from Q1 is the integrated soundbar that mechanically slides down every time the TV switches on. The sliding mechanism is almost silent, but the sound is audible if you are in a quiet room. The soundbar has three vertical strips of light that shine in a breathing pattern, which is something very unique about this TV. This uniqueness in OnePlus TV reflects the quality and style all over.
Display quality
The OnePlus TV 55 Q1 Pro sports a 55-inch 4K QLED panels with 120% NTSC Color Gamut, Gamma Color Magic (with MEMC and De-Contour) picture quality chipset. The company uses a panel of the VA variety, which brings a better contrast-ratio and a reasonably fast refresh rate.
The panel on the OnePlus TV is bright, displays good color rendition and contrast. As per the company claims, the TV comes with anti-glare glass, meaning the light that falls on it doesn’t spread across the display. This is one primary reason why, despite being an LCD panel, it comes close to OLED. In this case, reflection handling is satisfying. It also supports Dolby Vision and HDR 10 support, meaning you can enjoy these features only when content supports either of these.
The TV has a range of tunings, including Vivid, Picture, Sports, Cinema, Film, and four different slots for custom settings, so you don’t have to change it manually every time. The Q1 Pro includes the ‘Gamma Color Magic’ processor that is supposed to increase saturation and image quality by analysing onscreen content. Also, there is an adaptive contrast boosts brightness and improves detail in shadow areas, at the cost of increased noise in the video.
Sound quality
The OnePlus Q1 Pro comes with an eight-speaker audio system with four full-range speakers, two tweeters and two woofers, offering a voluminous 50W sound output. The soundbar has mesh fabric with higher transparency that makes sure the sound passes through without any blockage. It also features an integrated 2.1 audio channel configuration for an immersive acoustic experience. Notably, the users can make use of Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, and DTS-HD audio formats. On top of that, there are other benefits from features like Volume Leveler and Dialog Enhancer, but these are unusable unless the content you’re using supports Dolby Atmos.
In our usage, we didn’t find any creak or distortion at a higher volume. The sound is, let’s say, crystal clear. The woofers deliver a wide range of deep bass and powerful beats, while the tweeters and full-range speakers provide the best ‘surround’ effect to make sound rich and consistent. It comes with presets such as Standard, Surround, Clarity, and User to choose from for the sound output. But of course, it doesn’t come close to high-end soundbars, but it is a given that you wouldn’t need one while buying this TV.
Software experience
Just like its smartphone, OnePlus TV 55 Q1 Pro provides a minimalistic overlay on Google’s Android TV interface. As per the company, both the OnePlus TV’s, in this case, will get three years of updates. On top, there is OxygenPlay with sincere cooperation with international and local content providers, including Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Eros Now, Hungama, Jio Cinema, Zee 5.
The Oxygen Video application covers local features and international content, exclusive content on shelves, high-quality recommendation, convenient content search (voice search + search aggregation). This interface is much like Xiaomi’s PatchWall UI, and it’s not dynamic. But what is dynamic is the way OnePlus changed its remote. Read more about the remote here.
In addition to it, the company has developed a OnePlus Connect app that lets you use your smartphone as a smart remote. It helps you switch from different applications quickly and find the most-frequently-used applications smoothly on the dock bar. Also, the Smart Volume Control reduces the volume of the TV automatically during incoming calls, will recover the volume when calls end.
Additionally, the OnePlus TV can also run games supported on Android TVs, and some of the examples include Asphalt 9 and others. But it needs a gamepad.
Conclusion
Now you have the fact, and the slice of my experience, so let’s revisit the questions. In terms of quality, the OnePlus TV is a no-compromise experience, the panel is great, the design is unique, and the sliding soundbar is an attraction that you cannot find on any other TV. When it comes to the brand’s commitment to the consumer, they have delivered in quality of the display, sound, and design. However, when it comes to commitment to offering a unique software experience, OnePlus TV is entirely dependent on how the Android TV ecosystem moves forward.
The OnePlus TV Q1 Pro has a long way to go in differentiating itself through software unlike its smartphones, which are already there. If you are concerned only with display and audio, there are so many brands that already offer this kind of quality experience at similar price points.
So, in my opinion, OnePlus has taken a gamble in a segment in which it has no experience. Hence, I see OnePlus TV as a beginning and would suggest it highly for the brand’s aspirational enthusiasts. If you believe in the OnePlus commitment, this TV will be a great experience in a living room adorned with other well-designed products.