The OnePlus 6 uses the fastest chip currently available from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 845. This is borne out in the benchmark numbers with the OnePlus 6 besting the Exynos 9810 based Galaxy S9+ in Geekbench's CPU multi-core test, though Samsung's chip has the edge when it comes to single core performance.
However, it's in the gaming performance where the OnePlus 6 is a real standout, achieving the highest scores we've seen on 3D Mark's Slingshot Extreme benchmark in both the Vulkan and OpenGL tests.
It's worth keeping in mind that OnePlus has been caught cheating in benchmarks as recently as the OnePlus 5 so it's best not to attach too much weight to them.
In actual day-to-day use you won't be left wanting for more speed with the OnePlus 6. It's snappy to use, with apps launching and closing quickly and little delay when switching between running apps. Admittedly, this has more to do with OnePlus' software optimisation than the underlying chip powering it.
The OnePlus 6 comes in a few different models. The base model includes 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, but you have the option to upgrade to a model with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of onboard storage. This might seem like overkill for a smartphone and it probably is, but the option is at least there for power users.
Performance isn't just a specifications game, though, with software an important consideration.
For those that like to maintain work and personal accounts on social media, the OnePlus 6 has Parallel Apps which creates secondary versions of apps like LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, allowing you to be signed in to multiple accounts at once.
There’s also the fantastic "reading mode" which mimics the monochromatic look of an ereader, making the display more comfortable for reading. Sadly, the smaller fingerprint sensor on the OnePlus 6 means that the ability to use it as a scroll wheel has been done away with.
OnePlus handsets have always been some of the fastest performing smartphones around and the same rings true with this latest entry. In fact, I would go as far as to say that I've never held a faster smartphone in my hand than the OnePlus 6.
OnePlus has also addressed my main software gripe with its handsets in that they often felt uncomfortably fast, as though you were using the phone in fast forward. However, in the latest version of Oxygen OS running on the OnePlus 6, the company has introduced slightly longer animation transitions between closing apps and opening the app switcher for multi-tasking, which feels just right.
Outside of its snappy performance, the main drawcard of OnePlus handsets has always been its deep customisation options that allow you to tailor almost every aspect of the software experience to your liking. This includes the option to remove the standard Android on-screen navigation buttons, giving you more screen space in the process and using gestures instead.
Gestures work much in the same way as on the iPhone X where swiping up from the bottom centre of the display takes you home, swiping from the left or right takes you back and swiping up from the bottom of the display and pausing brings up the app switcher for multi-tasking. As was the case on the iPhone X, it takes a bit of adjusting, but once you do, it feels completely natural and became my preferred way to use the phone.
OnePlus also claims that unlike other handsets, its phones won't slow down over time. While it isn't currently possible to test that claim with the OnePlus 6, my other OnePlus handsets such as the almost two-year-old 3T has yet to show any signs of slowdown, which isn't something I can say for my Galaxy S7.