OnePlus has announced the OnePlus 5T, its second flagship smartphone of 2017. The new device offers very similar hardware to the OnePlus 5, but it brings with it a 18:9 aspect ratio display, putting it in the same playing field as the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Google Pixel 2 XL.

The OnePlus 5T will be available to pre-order from 16 November, with an on sale date of 21 November, but how does it compare to its rivals?

You can read how it stacks up against the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ in our separate feature, but here we are focusing on what the differences are between it and the Google Pixel 2 XL.

OnePlus 5T vs Google Pixel 2 XL: Design

  • Pixel 2 XL is waterproof
  • OnePlus 5T is lighter and smaller
  • OnePlus 5T has a headphone jack

The OnePlus 5T features an anodised aluminium build with rounded corners and chamfered edges. There is a horizontally-aligned dual camera in the top left-hand corner of the rear, while a circular fingerprint sensor is present in the middle of the rear, just above the OnePlus logo.

The front of the OnePlus 5T is almost all screen with very slim bezels at the top and bottom, while USB Type-C and a 3.5mm headphone jack are present at the bottom of the device. It measures 156.1 x 75 x 7.3mm, weighs 162g and there is no IP rating so no taking this handset into the shower with you.

The Google Pixel 2 XL also features a mainly aluminium design, though it adds glass detailing at the top of its rear, making for a slightly different finish. Within the glass section is the single lens camera setup and flash, while below it is the circular fingerprint sensor.

Like the OnePlus 5T, the Google Pixel 2 XL has an almost all screen front but the bezels at the top and bottom of the display feature front-facing speakers within them. There is USB Type-C at the bottom but the Pixel 2 XL ditches the headphone jack, including an adapter in its box instead.

The Pixel 2 XL measures 157.9 x 76.7 x 7.9mm and weighs 175g, meaning it is a little larger than the OnePlus 5T, though it does offer IP68 water and dust resistance.

OnePlus 5T vs Google Pixel 2 XL: Display

  • Both have 6-inch AMOLED displays
  • Both have 18:9 aspect ratios
  • Pixel 2 XL has higher resolution and mobile HDR support

The OnePlus 5T has a 6.01-inch display featuring a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 401ppi, which is the same as Huawei's recently launched Mate 10 Pro.

As we mentioned at the beginning of this feature, the OnePlus 5T switches to an 18:9 aspect ratio, hopping on the almost all-screen front trend we have seen plenty of this year in other flagships. OnePlus opts for an Optic AMOLED panel, which is protected by 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass, but it doesn't include mobile HDR support.

The Google Pixel 2 XL features a 6-inch display with a resolution of 2880 x 1440 pixels, offering a pixel density of 538ppi. It too has an 18:9 aspect ratio and it too has an OLED panel, though it hasn't received the highest amount of praise from reviewers with many complaining about a lack of punch in some devices.

The Pixel 2 XL does offer mobile HDR compatibility however and the display does a great job when watching HDR content from Netflix and Amazon Video. It is also protected by 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

OnePlus 5T vs Google Pixel 2 XL: Cameras

  • OnePlus 5T has dual camera
  • OnePlus 5T has higher resolution front camera
  • Optical and electrical image stabilisation on the Pixel 2 XL

The OnePlus 5T features a dual camera on the rear, made up of a main 16-megapixel sensor with an f/1.7 aperture and 1.12µm pixels and a secondary 20-megapixel sensor with 1µm pixels and an aperture of f/1.7.

There is a dual LED flash and the OnePlus 5T offers features including Portrait Mode for bokeh images and a Pro Mode for manual control of shutter speed and ISO sensitivity. The front-facing camera is 16-megapixels with 1µm pixels and an aperture of f/2.0.

The Google Pixel 2 XL features a singular 12.2-megapixel rear camera with 1.4µm pixels and an aperture of f/1.8. There is laser autofocus on board, along with dual pixel phase detection and the rear camera also offers optical and electrical image stabilisation.

You'll also find an 8-megapixel camera on the front, with 1.4µm pixels and an aperture of f/2.4.

OnePlus 5T vs Google Pixel 2 XL: Hardware

  • Both run on the Qualcomm SD835
  • More RAM on the OnePlus 5T
  • Larger battery on Pixel 2 XL but both have quick charging support

The OnePlus 5T features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 platform supported by either 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Neither offers microSD support for storage expansion.

There is a 3300mAh battery under the hood of the OnePlus 5T, which supports the company's fast charging technology, Dash Charge and is charged via USB Type-C.

The Google Pixel 2 XL also runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, supported by 4GB of RAM with a choice of 64GB or 128GB of storage. Like the OnePlus 5T, neither offers microSD support.

In terms of battery capacity, you'll find a 3520mAh cell under the hood of the Pixel 2 XL, which also supports fast charging and is charged via USB Type-C.

OnePlus 5T vs Google Pixel 2 XL: Software

  • OnePlus 5T runs on customised version of Android
  • Pixel 2 XL offers pure Android experience and quicker updates 

The OnePlus 5T runs on OxygenOS, which is a modified version of Android Nougat. Android is at the core but there are a number of OnePlus-specific features present, offering a different experience to vanilla Android. 

The Google Pixel 2 XL meanwhile, is a pure Android experience. It runs Android Oreo, which the OnePlus 5T will eventually see an upgrade too, but you get no bloatware, no extra features, just Android as it was intended.

OnePlus 5T vs Google Pixel 2 XL: Price

  • OnePlus 5T nearly half the price of the Pixel 2 XL

The OnePlus 5T starts at £449 for the 64GB model and tops out at £499 for the 128GB model. 

The Google Pixel 2 XL starts at £799 for the 64GB model, hitting £899 for the 128GB model.

OnePlus 5T vs Google Pixel 2 XL: Conclusion

The OnePlus 5T's biggest selling point is decent hardware at half the price of its rivals. You still get the 18:9 aspect ratio for a great viewing experience, along with a dual rear camera, a higher resolution front camera, plenty of power and more RAM than the Pixel 2 XL.

The Pixel 2 XL brings a higher resolution display overall with HDR, along with waterproofing, what could be considered by some as a more interesting design and it also offers a larger battery capacity. You also get a pure Android experience with quicker updates to the latest software build.

The Pixel 2 XL is nearly double the price of the OnePlus 5T though and given its higher resolution screen isn't the best out there, the OnePlus 5T is likely to be a real consideration for many.