OnePlus is far from the brand it started as. But, it has lately been switching lanes and retargeting for a target group it had abandoned in the past few years with its products' steeply rising prices. Besides inching a bit more towards the premium smartphone brand, OnePlus also entered the smart TV segment last year with two QLED TVs launched alongside the OnePlus 7T. The cheapest of the TVs cost about $990 and that invite blunt criticism for the company that once usurped other "premium" brands. Learning from this criticism, OnePlus is now launching a new, much affordable U Series and Y Series of Android TVs specifically for India.

The OnePlus TV U Series comprises three variants – a 55-inch 4K model, a 43-inch Full HD model, and a 32-inch HD-ready model, which is primarily in the same category as other smartphone brands pitting in the smart TV category. All of these TV run on Android TV Pie software with OnePlus' custom content recommendation interface called OxygenPlay.

OnePlus TV U Series 55" 4K

Out of the three OnePlus TV models, the 55" flagship variant in the U Series has evidently received more attention from the brand – and is liable to receive the same from fans – than the other two. It features a super sleek metal chassis and aluminum alloy frame. The panel hinges onto a thicker block which carries the motherboard, the speaker assembly, and the ports. This block, much like the more premium OnePlus Q1 55 and 55 Pro QLED TVs, is covered with a layer of carbon fiber textured material, giving the TV a very premium appearance. Additionally, OnePlus uses a removable cover to veil the ports, resulting in a cleaner design.

oneplus tv u carbon fiber

When it comes to the display, the 55" LED (presumably LED-backlit LCD) panel has a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. When it comes to color accuracy, the TV is claimed to support 93% of DCI-P3 color gamut versus the 96% accuracy of its more premium QLED TV range. In addition, the OnePlus TV U Series 55" 4K model also comes with support for HDR formats including Dolby Vision, HDR10/10+. and HLG. OnePlus calls the entire package a "Cinematic Display".

The OnePlus TV U Series has a dedicated Gamma Engine that uses a dynamic gamma curve to optimize the colors by recognizing different scenes and faces. In addition, the Gamma Engine also enables motion estimation, motion compensation (MEMC) for upscaling frame rates, and anti-aliasing for smoothening out sharp creases.

The OnePlus TV U1 rocks a quad-core MediaTek MT5887 chipset inside with four Cortex A53 cores. For an unhindered browsing experience, it gets 3GB of RAM along with 16GB of internal storage.

When it comes to audio, the OnePlus TV U1 comes with 30W speakers including two full-range speakers and two tweeters for boosted treble. It also comes with Dolby Atmos support to enhance the sound quality for a better surround sound experience on supported content. These speakers are rotated 90º to allow more space for reverberation.

OnePlus TV Remote

The OnePlus TV U1 also comes with a smart remote with dedicated Netflix and Prime Video buttons. The remote resembles the first-gen remote that was shipped with the brand's QLED TVs and later replaced – with the addition of Netflix support on the OnePlus Q1 series.

OnePlus TV Y Series 43" Full HD and 32" HD-Ready

Te more affordable OnePlus TV Y Series with two models – a 43-inch Full HD model and a 32-inch HD-ready (1366x768) model – tags along with the more premium U Series. The two TVs also support the same color accuracy and Gamma Engine optimizations with for improvements in colors as well as dynamic contrast, anti-aliasing, and noise reduction features but lacks the more advanced MEMC feature.

oneplus tv Y series

The OnePlus TV Y1 43 and 32 come with a 20W speaker setup along with Dolby Audio. The TVs have relatively thicker bezels and a visibly economized design as compared to the flagship model in the U series.

oneplus tv y series 2

The OnePlus Y Series TVs get 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage.

Oxygen Play and Oxygen Connect

With the new OnePlus TVs, the company is vying to project its content discovery platform Oxygen Play as a "burdenless software experience" complementing the minimally intrusive design. Oxygen Play, just like Xiaomi's PatchWall recommends you video content from OTT apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc. In addition, the interface also allows you to set reminders for movies or shows to save for later.

The OnePlus TV U1 55 also gets exclusive features such as Data Saver for low bandwidth networks and a Kids Mode so that parents can control the watch time and content for their children. These features will also be available for the Q series TVs via an OTA update.

oneplus oxygen play

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau shared their insights about software experience with us in an exclusive interview. Make sure you check that out!

The TVs also support Oxygen Connect which can be used to control the TV using an Android or iOS device. You can connect up to five devices over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to control the TV without the remote. It comes with features such as:

  • TypeSync to avert the jarring typing experience on Android TV,
  • Smart Volume Control for automatically lowering down TV when you receive a call
  • Quick App Switch to jump between apps on the TV
  • Trackpad control as an alternative to the traditional D-pad
  • Screenshot capture, and
  • Wi-Fi sharing for easily connecting to a Wi-Fi network on the TV using your phone.
oneplus tv oxygen connect

Price & Availability

The OnePlus TV U1 55" is priced at ₹49,999 (~$670). On the other hand, the OnePlus TV Y1 43" comes for ₹22,999 (~$310) and the 32" model is priced at ₹12,999 (~$175). Notable, these prices for the cheaper models are neck-and-neck with the TVs launched by sister brand Realme. All of the OnePlus TVs will be available via Amazon India starting July 5th.

On the purchase of the 55" and 43" variants, buyers can avail a free Amazon Echo Dot priced at Rs. 3,499. Meanwhile, for the 32" inch variant, the Echo Dot can be availed for ₹1,999 only. This time, the side stands will be included within the box for all the models.