At the time, OnePlus TV pricing hadn't been revealed, which is why we held back on giving a final verdict. Now, the pricing is out and the OnePlus TV 55 Q1 Pro costs a whopping Rs 99,900, but there's a cheaper non-Pro model at Rs 69,900, which loses the sliding soundbar. The billion-dollar question everyone is asking now is whether these new TVs from a promising premium smartphone brand are worth buying.
Design
OnePlus is known for its minimalist yet grand design and we can see every bit of that commitment in the OnePlus TV 55 Q1 Pro. Of course, there are some areas OnePlus could improve, but considering this is their first TV, we can already see great potential in this space.
We had the chance to review the OnePlus TV in both wall-mount and TV stand position and honestly the wall mount option not only felt safe but looked pleasant. The centre stand holding that ultra-sleek panel naturally makes the TV to wobble on the sides, but it sure had a firm grip holding the TV down. Even then, the wall-mount option looks like the go-to option, unless you have a high table that's away from kids' reach.
The design of the OnePlus TV Q1 Pro is stunning. The bezels are practically invisible and the panel is so sleek, it looks like a wall painting. The TV stand with a circular base is a nice touch and very OnePlus-like. But the fact that OnePlus thought of giving a nice kevlar finish to the entire back panel of OnePlus TV Q1 Pro is just going the extra mile on the design.
But that's not even the best part. The mechanical soundbar that slowly slides out from the bottom of the TV with a horizon light is a work of art. It's a nice feature to show off when you have friends and family over for gatherings. And it's bound to impress.
Picture quality
But you're probably not looking at all those details while buying a TV. It is the picture quality that matters and OnePlus doesn't disappoint. There's a 55-inch 4K QLED panel with a high colour gamut of NTSC 120 percent, HDR10+ support and Dolby Vision. But is the TV really good to watch a nice high-res, probably 4K movie on a weekend? Let's get to it.
Firstly, the panel, when turned off, is pitch black and that's the beauty of QLED (OLED is better) as compared to LCD. As you turn it on, you can see those pitch blacks, which will be carried on throughout your viewing experience. You won't notice those blacks, but if you do while watching some content, you'll know exactly what we are talking about.
Then, there are the colours. QLED is not OLED, not by a long shot, but it is so much better than LCD. For someone who wants to upgrade their LCD TV must try QLED if an OLED TV is out of budget. The colours are vivid and punchy on the OnePlus TV Q1 Pro with decent viewing angles. The contrast is great and you can get a really bright output, even with the default setting. But nothing like tweaking the display settings to your preference from the get-go.
You'll instantly notice the difference switching from an LCD TV to OnePlus QLED TV as the picture quality is so much better. But you'll also be able to tell it's not an OLED if placed next to one. The reds appeared a tad bit saturated, especially in high-res content, but nothing you can't fix with the right settings. The upscaling feature does an excellent job at improving those low-res videos to high-res. The TV is not ideal for low-resolution content as you will start counting pixels, but it makes a winning argument when it comes to Full HD, 2K or even 4K content.
Audio
This is where the big money is. That sliding soundbar in the OnePlus TV Q1 Pro is mesmerizing to watch and pleasing to the ears. We are so glad it's not a gimmick. The audio is punchy, has strong bass and excellent details, even while picking those lows. OnePlus TV Q1 Pro's audio is by far one of the best setups we've seen in TVs recently. In fact, directional tuning gives the perfect sense of surround - all thanks to Dolby Atmos.
OnePlus certainly puts all of those four full-range speakers, two tweeters, and two woofers to full use, delivering a brilliant 50W output. This is good enough to fill a large living room and make sure everyone can hear those softest dialogues. What I also loved about the TV is the fact that the speaker can be used independently to simply set the mood or party all night. The mufti-purpose sound-bar in the OnePlus TV surely gets a huge thumbs-up.
Interface and Interaction
OnePlus tried to redefine interaction with a TV through its OnePlus TV. The redesigned TV remote, despite striking an uncanny resemblance to the Apple TV remote, lacked the basic elements. Loved how simple the remote looks, but it challenges decades of muscle memory while using a TV remote. You'll constantly go looking for buttons and the volume controls are placed on the side. The sheer lack of dedicated buttons to go about different screens can be challenging unless you get used to it.
To overcome that challenge, OnePlus introduced Connect app, which makes interacting with the OnePlus TV seamless. Everything from switching between apps to typing out the name of the show you're looking for has been simplified to the maximum extent. Another interesting feature that no brand has ever done is automatically lowering the TV volume when you pick a call on the paired phone. It works like a charm, and you don't even have to yell at someone to decrease the volume.
OnePlus TV is based on Android TV 9.0 with a layer of OxygenPlay services to give users access to a wide range of content from popular OTT apps like Zee5, Hungama Play and Eros Now in one place. The TV comes with built-in Chromecast and users can use voice commands to invoke Google Assistant. There are Prime Video and Hotstar apps pre-loaded on the TV while you can install any other app you'd like from the Play Store, except Netflix, which hasn't been added to the TV support yet. But it will be happening soon, so don't lose hope so soon.
Interacting with the TV was seamless, but some apps would take longer to launch. You won't notice the delay unless you've used a really good Android TV. The software still needs refinement to squash a few bugs. A software update arrived during the review, which made things smoother, but things can always improve - a notion OnePlus thrives on.
The interface is a single-page layout, with everything in the front and centre. All your content takes up the majority screen, while the settings, power and other functions can be accessed from the top right corner. Everything is kept similar to the stock Android TV so users won't have a hard time navigating.
Final thoughts
OnePlus TV 55 Q1 Pro ticks several right boxes in the premium smart TV checklist. While the pricing is obviously a major concern, where OnePlus loses those brownie points, the non-Pro variant of the OnePlus TV is a solid choice if you can forego the sliding soundbar.
The soundbar is too good to be missed, but it commands a high price. Probably a price cut in the future could make the OnePlus TV Q1 Pro compelling. But if you're really looking for that cutting-edge, superb display, the OnePlus TV 55 Q1 is worth checking out. If there's no budget constraint, the "Pro" model can be a sound fit to your living room. But OnePlus still has a tough race ahead of itself as legacy brands like Samsung, LG and Sony don't make it easy for the newcomer.
