I had high hopes for the 55" U1 series from OnePlus ever since I saw the launch event. There was a lot of talk about the design and features of the TV which seemed too good for the price.
I'm glad to say that I was not disappointed.
I finally decided to pull the trigger on this purchase during the Prime Day sale on 6th August and the product was delivered to me in 2 days. There was an option for installation, which I opted out of.
Delivery : The TV was delivered in a secure package with a good amount of protection inside. The unboxing experience was pleasant and easy and I was able to set it up on my own using the included stands.
Design : The TV screams premium build quality with its brushed metal and glass build. Once out of the box, you are greeted with a gorgeous looking TV with nearly non-existent bezels and an extremely slim profile. It looks equally stunning from the front and the back. The stands provided with the TV are also premium metal stands, which are sturdy and hold the TV securely. The design choice is an extremely commendable job by OnePlus which can hold its own and look unique with TVs several times its price. The TV is also a tad on the heavier side due to its premium metal build, so keep that in mind while setting up the TV.
The TV also comes with a no-nonsense minimal remote with all the required functionality. Despite being plastic, its made really well, with easy access to all the required functionality. Goes well with the TVs design.
Setup: The setup was a breeze, which included syncing the TV to your Google account from your phone and pairing the remote. I also received a software update immediately, which I installed during setup.
Display: There is no doubt that the display is the star of the show here. It's a beautiful and vibrant looking 4K HDR certified VA panel which I believe is made by Samsung, surrounded by virtually non-existent bezels. It is a 60Hz screen which is immersive and provides crisp picture quality. The TV is equipped with all the latest HDR formats including Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG. It also comes with multiple picture modes including an AI mode which dynamically adjusts picture quality based on the scene being displayed.
I do not watch any satellite TV content and all my testing was done on a 4K Netflix plan, Disney+ and Amazon prime. The visuals are absolutely stunning and I re-watched an entire season of Peaky Blinders due to the immersion that the screen provides. Dolby Vision is stunning and depicts beautiful images with a stellar dynamic range. This was also seen while watching 'Our Planet' on Netflix, which truly allows the Gamma Engine to flex all of its image processing prowess.
If I could summarise the display in a single word, it would be : ENGAGING
Sound quality: The sound duties are taken care of by 4 speakers which output a total of 30W. It produces a good output with decent separation between frequencies. Dialogues are easy to hear and understand and overall, the speakers do a good job in a medium sized room. However, if you do have a large room or want complete immersion and full advantage of the Dolby Atmos support, consider investing in a home theatre setup or a powerful soundbar/standalone speaker. The TV supports HDMI ARC, Bluetooth 5.0 as well as RCA/optical inputs to connect to various sound solutions.
Features and software: OnePlus is known for good software and the same can be seen here. It is running Android TV 9 with OnePlus goodies baked into it. The Connect App works well and is convenient. The UI is smooth and clean, thanks to 3GB of RAM, and a quadcore MediaTek Cortex A53 processor. There is a total of 16GB of internal storage out of which 8 is usable. Since its OnePlus, we can expect good software support for the next couple of years.
Options I considered: My other contenders were mainly the Mi 4X for 35k, Samsung Wondertainment series and Bravia from Sony. The Bravia options with Android TV and 4K retails close to 80k and still does not support features like Dolby Vision nor does it have a design as gorgeous as the U1. The Dolby Vision range with Android TV from Sony starts at 1 Lakh which is twice the price of U1. The Wondertainment series from Samsung is essentially a repackaging of an older series and has limited features compared to U1 and it does not support Android TV. The only other options from Samsung that will compete with U1 is the Serif and Frame, which again costs a good chunk of money more than the U1.
The 4X from Mi has been a bestseller for quite some time, however, if you do have the budget, get the U1 for a superior display and speakers, Dolby Vision, better software support and stunning design and build quality. All these extra software and hardware features are worth that extra 15k of investment.
Things to note: I have done the installation myself so I cannot comment on the installation service or wall-mounting aspects of this television. Also, please note that all testing has been done on streaming services and not using satellite television. Full HD upscaling was tested and it's great, however, I cannot comment on the upscaling of SD satellite content. However, a good point to keep in mind is the support of HLG format, which future proofs your TV, so you can expect great picture quality for cable TV content if your provider supports it.
Before you buy : This is a VA panel as compared to an IPS panel. That is not a bad thing, but it is important to understand the difference between the two. VA panels do not provide as wide of a viewing angle as an IPS panel, so this is a point to consider if you have a very wide viewing space in your living room. However, the advantage of VA panels are that it can produce much better contrast ratios and better blacks compared to an IPS panel. While there is no superior panel amongst these two, it is important to understand the difference and how it applies to your use case. Also, if you want a no-compromise, immersive sound experience, consider a home theatre or a high end soundbar/speaker along with this TV.
Verdict: There is no other TV that offers this much for a budget of 50k. OnePlus has ticked all the right boxes and has found a perfect balance between price and quality. The picture quality is top notch and can definitely compete with the likes of more higher priced offerings from Samsung and Sony. And the design and build quality of the TV is just superb.
An absolute winner in this price bracket! Easy recommend.
I see a lot of reviews here that have reduced ratings due to installation, or the confusion with regards to the Amazon Echo Dot offer. The TV, by itself, is a superb product.
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