For me, the two features an Android phone needs to have is that it should run an unmodified version of the operating system and it should be able to get the latest Android updates as soon as Google releases them.
Those requirements have always limited me to Google's own devices — first its Nexus line and now its Pixel phones. Good thing, then, that Google's devices were always among the best Android phones you could buy.
The 5T essentially meets my first requirement. Its version of Android is about 99% the same as what you'll find on the Pixel phones. The only notable thing missing is the Pixel Launcher, which is an extra layer of features that Google reserves for its phones.
But the 5T doesn't meet my second requirement; OnePlus devices generally don't get the latest versions of Android as soon as Google releases them. As a case in point, the 5T runs Android 7.1; Google's new Pixel 2 devices run Android 8.0.
However, for the 5T, I'm willing to bend my rules. It is just such a good smartphone for such a good price that I'm not going to rule it out just because it can't get the latest Android updates right away.
In fact, I'd go farther and say that if you're in the market for an Android phone, you should buy the 5T. There's little reason to get any other device, unless you absolutely have to have the latest Android updates immediately — or you simply enjoy spending more money than you need to.
There is one big caveat I should note, though. The 5T doesn't work on Verizon's network. So, if you're wedded to Verizon, like I am, you'll have to get a different phone.
The OnePlus 5T went on sale on Wednesday, and it's available from OnePlus' site.