I was so excited to get the OnePlus 7 Pro review unit. It was my first time trying a OnePlus device for more than a couple of hours. Reading about the rumors got me hype and I wanted to see if the OnePlus hype was real. The specs were promising and the phone looked beautiful at launch.
OnePlus 7 Pro Specs
Display: 6.67” Fluid AMOLED 2340 x 1080 (516 ppi)
Cameras: Triple Rear: 48 MP (OIS) and 8 Megapixel / 16MP (ultra-wide)
Front-facing camera: 16MP Pop-up camera
Processor / RAM: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | 6GB / 8GB / 12GB RAM
Memory: 128GB / 256GB Internal Memory
Battery: 4,000 mAh with Warp Charge Technology
Connectivity : Bluetooth 5.0/ Wi-Fi / NFC / USB-C
OS: Android Pie 9 with OxygenOS
Features:
Design and Build
OnePlus did not hold back when it came to the build of the phone. It’s fantastic. The right side has the silent/sound slider, with the power/standby button under it. The left side has the volume buttons. The bottom has the usb-c charging port. The back of the phone has three cameras lined up vertically. The back is so slippery though. I snapped the OnePlus in the case that came with it ASAP. It’s crazy how slippery it is. Regardless of the slippery back. The large display with the nice blue back cover feels of premium quality. That Nebula Blue color definitely gives off the wow factor.
Experience
Display: The display is beautiful. Rarely will you find a bad display on a 2018 or 2019 flagship, but the OnePlus 7 Pro doesn’t have a notch or a punch-hole camera. The bezel-to-bezel display is refreshing, to say the least. Pair that with the 90hz refresh rate and using the 7 Pro feels so nice to use. So quick and zippy. You don’t really realize it until you go from another device to the OnePlus. Then, you see the difference! As expected a large display means that it’s difficult to use the OnePlus 7 Pro one-handedly. Completely love the display!
Fingerprint Scanner: The on-screen fingerprint scanner is great. It works quickly and it has a cool little animation when you press it. No complaints there.
Camera
There are three cameras on the OnePlus. You have your regular ( 48 MP with OIS), 3x zoom lens ( 8MP with OIS), and wide-angle lens (16MP 117 degree) I’ve been spoiled with great cameras on lots of Android devices. I was satisfied with the OnePlus 7 Pro camera, but it wasn’t all that great. It by no means a bad camera. It takes decent pics and gets the job done, especially if you have good lighting. I didn’t get the camera update that is supposed to make the camera better.
The star of the show is, of course, the pop-up selfie camera. Having the selfie camera pop-up is what allows for the near bezeless display. The camera does pop-up pretty quickly.
Battery Life
This massive phone has a large 4,000 mAh battery. The QuadHD screen along with the 90Hz refresh rate gives the OnePlus a mediocre battery life. Some days were better than others. I ranged anywhere from 4.5 hours to 6 hours of screen-on time. You can always get more battery life by not using the 90Hz refresh rate and lowering the resolution of the display. If you don’t, I suggest carrying the Warp Charger everywhere.
The OnePlus doesn’t have wireless charging and I don’t see how that is a deal-breaker for some. The Warp-charging you get from the OnePlus charger is enough to not want to use wireless charging. It just works so well and it doesn’t get super hot either.
Pricing and Availability
This is where the OnePlus shines. Even though this the most expensive OnePlus yet, you get many of the flagship features for under $1000, even under $800. I was surprised T-Mobile didn’t have any deals to get the device at launch. However, OnePlus does have some trade-in offers on their site. The OnePlus 7 Pro starts at $649 and goes up to $750 depending on which model you choose.
Mirror Grey
- 6GB RAM / 128GB Storage $669
- 8GB RAM / 256GB Storage $699
Nebula Blue
- 8GB RAM / 256GB Storage $699
- 12GB RAM / 256GB Storage $749
Verdict
For my first round with OnePlus I was very impressed with the full list of features it offers at an “affordable” price. I don’t think wireless charging should be a deal breaker, while for some IP certification will be what stops them from getting the device.
The fluid performance and smooth display make for a dope experience every time you pick up the device. If you want the feel of a flagship phone without the flagship pricing, the OnePlus 7 Pro is the right choice.
More details at oneplus.com
OnePlus 7 Pro
$649
Pros
- Fluid experience with 90Hz refresh rate
- Near-bezeless display (no camera cutouts or notch)
- Pricing under $800
Cons
- No Wireless Charging
- No IP rating
- Beautiful color but very slippery material
