There’s no dearth of affordable smart TVs in the market today. Everyone seems to be making them for some reason. So, you can be rest assured that you have plenty of options. That’s a good thing really, choice is nice. One of those options comes by way of OnePlus. Even though the brand started its TV journey with a premium line-up in 2019 (reverse of what Xiaomi did back in the day), it quickly branched off into the budget category.
Cut to 2022-2023, OnePlus has a smart TV product at almost every perceivable price bracket from Rs 14,999 to upwards of Rs 60,000 (and pretty soon, it will have even more). Heck, it’s making monitors, too, but we digress. The fact of the matter is OnePlus has chalked up quite a portfolio, but even more importantly, it’s been smart enough to not follow the herd and limit itself to being just another smartphone brand that also does TVs on the side. Rather, it’s a force to reckon with and does TVs pretty well, even better than some established players.
The stand-out feature in these –budget—TVs as we’ve come to highlight in multiple reviews in the past, is not a feature that’s quite evident on the spec sheet. That feature is the great attention to detail that OnePlus has put in software.
Also Read | OnePlus TV 43 Y1S Pro review: Style and substance on a budget
The Y1S Pro series is a good example to substantiate on this further. The line-up was launched last year kicking things off with the 43-inch Y1S Pro. We’ve reviewed that at length so be sure to check it out here. OnePlus followed it up with the 50-inch Y1S Pro and very recently, the 55-inch Y1S Pro was added to the mix. The TVs are priced at Rs 29,999, Rs 32,999, and Rs 39,999, respectively.
Now, it won’t be wrong to assume that not all these models must be created equal. You’d think the base model at least, would be slightly different. Less powerful maybe. But that is not the case, which makes reviewing the 55-inch Y1S Pro feel more like déjà vu. So, instead of going all in, we’ll try and keep this simple and concise much like the TV itself but do note that even though we have mostly good things to say about the 55-inch Y1S Pro, we feel that there are some areas where it could have been better.
- Software is the biggest reason to buy this TV. The 55-inch Y1S Pro may not win any awards for Android version number(s), since it’s still running Android TV 10, but the decision of going with it— over latest Android— was apparently guided by factors like consistency and experience (presumably cost as well). OnePlus tells us the hardware-software combination that it has put inside the 55-inch Y1S Pro can ensure sustained and speedy performance on this budget TV and we can attest to that. Barring a few occasional lags and stutters here and there, this TV has been mostly fast and fluid. Software optimisation is at par with more expensive rival TVs.
- You get two types of skins on this TV, pure Android and OnePlus’s own OxygenPlay version 2.0. You can switch between them on the fly with the bundled remote and transitions are fairly smooth. OxygenPlay gives you a customised home-screen of curated content that you can choose to subscribe or remain up to speed with what’s available where. The TV can smartly connect with existing OnePlus devices like phones, buds, and smartwatches to offer additional functionality. The OnePlus Connect app lets you control it with your phone, too.
- The 55-inch Y1S Pro is powered by a 4-core MediaTek A55 processor. This is paired with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. As we mentioned before, there are no major red flags as far as performance is concerned but most definitely the TV could have done with more storage for future-proofing.
- Design-wise, the 55-inch Y1S Pro looks virtually identical to the 43-inch model we reviewed earlier, which is to say that it –also— looks very classy for a TV that costs so low. The screen stretches almost edge-to-edge on three corners and the bottom bezel, too, isn’t very prominent so OnePlus has done well with the screen-to-body ratio. It gives you the impression of a single, uninterrupted sheet of glass when switched off and a great sense of immersion when it’s on. The bundled stands are striking to look at as well. They look metallic even though they’re made of plastic. The TV ships with a minimal remote that has all the essentials including dedicated hotkeys for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney +Hotstar, and Google Assistant.
- Coming to the most important bit— picture quality. Credit where it’s due, it’s nice that OnePlus is giving buyers as many screen sizes— 43-, 50-, and 55-inch— to choose from without compromising on core spec or functionality. Picture quality, too, is consistent across the board. The 4K UHD LED TV delivers nice and pleasing colours right out of the gate. Budget TVs are generally infamous for poorly calibrated screens, but there’s very little to complain here. Upscaling is mostly on point and unless you’re pixel-peeping, it’s hard to notice any artifacts or blooming in dark scenes that could otherwise hamper viewing experience. You get support for HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG formats though there is no Dolby Vision. HDR performance could be slightly better as the panel does not get very bright. There is ALLM and MEMC support as well.
- The 55-inch Y1S Pro’s 24W dual speaker setup punches above its weight class when it comes to clarity and loudness. The bass and treble delivery could be a bit better but overall, the 55-inch Y1S Pro left us pleasantly surprised— and satisfied— with the output.
- The connectivity options are generous for a TV in this class with 3x HDMI 2.1 (1x eARC), 2xUSB 2.0, optical, and ethernet ports in addition to dual band Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0.
OnePlus TV 55 Y1S Pro | Should you buy it?
Hardware today is all about the surface. The bigger the spec sheet, the better a gadget is assumed to be. Even better if you can get it at a low price. That is not to say that specs are not nice or that the OnePlus TV 55 Y1S Pro does not have good specs but it’s easy to tell that its loyalties lie elsewhere, i.e., on delivering a “fast and smooth” experience first, in line with the brand’s core philosophy. Very few brands practise what they preach this consistently.
Also Read | OnePlus TV U Series 55U1 long-term review: Blurs the line between premium and affordable
The OnePlus TV 55 Y1S Pro could have done with a few extra features, like more storage or the latest Android TV version, or even a slightly brighter panel (and Dolby Vision support maybe), but we feel those idiosyncrasies fade away the minute you power this TV on. At Rs 39,999, the OnePlus TV 55 Y1S Pro is allowed to not be perfect, but the experience that OnePlus has crammed inside it, dear reader, is priceless.
| PROS | CONS |
| Good design | Only 8GB storage |
| Rich colour and contrast | Panel could be brighter |
| Fast performance | |
| Good audio | |
| Plenty of ports |
