OnePlus has recently announced the OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 7T Pro, albeit with some pretty strange release schedules. The US didn't get the OnePlus 7, and this time we're not getting the Pro model. There's not a significant difference between the two, so they can still pretty successfully exist in a lineup together.
While we didn't have a chance to play with the OnePlus 7, we do have a OnePlus 7T to review. Let's dig in and see how it holds up next to the slightly older OnePlus 7 Pro, plus all of the current crop of flagships available on the market right now.
Design
The OnePlus 7 feels very familiar. You've got your usual button and port locations, with a volume rocker on the left side of the phone and the power and vibrate toggle on the right side. OnePlus has always stuck with that toggle, similar to Apple, and I still don't see how that hasn't caught on in the rest of the Android world.
There's a microphone up top, and a USB-C port, speakers, and SIM tray on the bottom. No headphone jack, unfortunately; OnePlus hasn't changed course on the old 3.5mm port.
The front of the phone is virtually indistinguishable from the OnePlus 7. The display is similar, including the waterdrop notch at the top, although it's a little bit bigger this time. You're getting a 6.5-inch display, which is just barely larger than the OnePlus 7 but still smaller than both Pro models.
That screen is spacious, but I think it really makes the phone pretty unwieldy to use. I had the same problem with the OnePlus 7 Pro because it's simply hard to use with one hand. The trend towards gigantic phones has slowed down in recent years, and “compact” phones are almost completely gone, but we at least still have reasonably sized devices. OnePlus doesn't offer that, with all of their phones having large screens over 6.5 inches. Fantastic if you want that, but if you don't, you're out of luck. Play to your market, I guess.
The back of the phone sports a circular camera module instead of the squared, stove-esque, and tends to look a lot less silly than something like the iPhone 11. People have made fewer memes about it, at least.
Otherwise, though, OnePlus continues the trend of making premium-feeling devices. It's weighty but not heavy, very well balanced, and generally very pleasant to use. The icy blue looks fantastic, too, and I think it's way better than the older blue paint jobs. It's the most professional-looking device OnePlus has ever cooked up, and I think they've really found their distinct groove in the market.
Hardware
| Announced | September 26, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Released | October 18, 2019 |
| Software | Android 10 |
| Display | 6.55" Fluid AMOLED 2400x1080 Display |
| Processor | Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 855+ |
| Memory | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB |
| Rear Camera | 48MP (f/1.6, OIS, EIS, Sony IMX586) 12MP Telephoto 16MP Ultrawide |
| Front Camera | 16MP |
| Audio Jack | No |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth® 5.0 LE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac 2.4GHz & 5GHz, Wi-Fi hotspot |
| Sensors | Proximity, Accelerometer, Ambient Light, NFC |
| NFC | Yes |
| Charging Port | USB-C |
| Battery | 3800 mAh with 30W Warp Charging |
| Dimensions | 160.94 x 74.44 x 8.13mm |
| Colors | Frosted Silver, Glacier Blue |
| Price | $599 |
Performance
Do we really even need to talk about OnePlus performance anymore?
The OnePlus 7T rocks a Snapdragon 855+ paired with 8GB of RAM, so you're getting an extra 2GB of RAM by default from last year. Well, sort of. You could always get a OnePlus 7 with 8GB of RAM, but the base model only had 6GB; now OnePlus has done away with the 6GB option, so 8GB is your only choice. Both are ample amounts of memory for just about anything you can throw at the device.
The OnePlus 7T did get an upgraded vibration motor to match what's in the Pro series, and it's probably the most noticeable improvement. Tapping and typing and using the phone is much, much better thanks to that tighter, more accurate feedback. That's long been a gripe of mine with Samsung phones, so it's nice to see that addressed by OnePlus.
You're also getting a 90hz display, which is another big jump in usability that's not related to raw specs and processors. Like the OnePlus 7 Pro, that higher refresh rate of the screen just makes everything smoother and more enjoyable. I still like just pulling down the notification shade and seeing how great it is. How this hasn't become more mainstream is beyond me.
The speakers are kind of middling, and slightly worse than what was on the Pro model, but they're not bad. At least not as bad as they used to be. The fingerprint scanner in the display is as fast as ever.
Battery
Battery life on the OnePlus 7T is surprisingly good, even with the display set to 90hz. I didn't toggle it much this time around and just kept it at the higher refresh rate, but I didn't notice quite as much drain as what happened on the OnePlus 7 Pro. I think a lot of that can be chalked up to the Snapdragon 855+'s better graphics capability.
Charging it up is also pretty quick thanks to that 30W Warp Charge tech that OnePlus pioneers. You're only getting a 100mAh bump over the previous OnePlus 7, but I think the combination of all of the improvements this time around make for a really compelling device that won't die on you every day.
Software
Software on OnePlus phones is usually pretty slick and unassuming. That's not changing much with the OnePlus 7.
OxygenOS has a few key enhancements, including a better launcher with a “shelf” for widgets, theme support, custom icons, cool wallpapers, and easy ways to hide apps. The entire OS can be customized a bit more than stock Android, too, and you can hide status bar icons you don't want, change the color theme of the UX, switch between light and dark modes, use different clocks on the ambient display, and now you can even change up the fingerprint unlocking animation.
OnePlus uses a few of their own apps, but it seems like most things are just an extra coat of paint on the stock apps. Gallery isn't fundamentally different, but it does have a different icon. There's a basic notes and file manager app that aren't much different than stuff you'd grab from the Play Store, and things like the calendar are actually just Google Calendar with a OnePlus icon. The software is a blank slate to do your own thing on, and that's a good thing.
You do get some under-the-hood tweaks for better performance, like RAM Boost to manage your memory efficiently, a gaming mode to maximize video game performance and minimize distractions, and Zen Mode to help you focus while keeping away from your phone. It's running Android 10, too, so you get all of that stuff as well, like navigation gestures and more privacy controls.
The software won't win anyone over that's not already on board with OnePlus, but that's hardly new for the OnePlus 7T.
Camera
OnePlus cameras have pretty much always been a mixed bag. The OnePlus 7 Pro kinda sorta got OnePlus actually in the conversation with the top dogs, but it still couldn't really compete with a Galaxy S10 or something. I don't think the OnePlus 7T made a significant jump forward, but it is an improvement nonetheless.
Images seem a little sharp, but they manage to capture a good bit of detail, especially in good lighting. For most users and social media, it's going to be just fine.
Low light shots are, well, tough. They're always tough and that's always a pain point for even the highest-end cameras. Fortunately, this will probably end up like the OnePlus 7 Pro where OnePlus issued quite a few camera tweaks and improvements with software updates over the last few months, so the OnePlus 7T will very likely take better photos half a year from now.
One issue that will likely be kind of tough to correct, though, is the differing colors on the three different lenses. They're each balanced a little differently, so you can change the tone of a shot just by using a different lens, which isn't always intentional.
Worth it?
At $599, this is another killer value from OnePlus. The prices of the phones have steadily increased year-over-year, but with the last couple iterations they've finally polished up the phones enough to make them worth the higher asking price. Better speakers, fantastic screens with high refresh rates, premium design, and more all make that $600 very palatable.
If you're not concerned with the camera, the OnePlus 7T makes more sense than almost every other flagship on the market. Obviously, though, that won't be the case for everyone, since cameras are a huge selling point on all of these phones. If you're on a budget and do care about the camera, though, the Pixel 3a seems like the better option as opposed to dropping more cash on a more expensive phone.
Compared to older OnePlus phones, though, this one's less flattering. This is an absolutely worthless upgrade for anyone that already owns a OnePlus 7 or especially the 7 Pro. Wait on the 8 before opening your wallet.
