OnePlus 7 Preview – Little innovation, same price

What’s new?

There’s less new than you’d expect with a new OnePlus device that doesn’t end in a T, but the fingerprint scanner is definitely a step forward. It’s the same one that’s in the OnePlus 7 Pro. That means that it measures 7x7mm and has an extra lens compared to the OnePlus 6T. According to OnePlus, this should be 38 percent faster. That could very well be. In any case, we can confirm that the scanner in the OnePlus 7 is also the fastest behind-the-screen scanner we’ve tested to date. We were able to do that extensively at the event in London.

The OnePlus devices lacked stereo speakers, but fortunately the OnePlus 7 Pro’s stereo speaker is also in the OnePlus 7. These sound great at first hearing and go quite loud. That is in line with the experience Arnoud had during the 7 Pro review. Unfortunately, the 3.5mm jack is also missing on the regular OnePlus 7. OnePlus would like you to buy the second version of the wireless OnePlus Bullets, but if you prefer wired listening, it’s still a shame.

If you think OnePlus is an interesting brand because of the speed that the manufacturer strives for with its devices, then the OnePlus 7 is the right choice. Just like the OnePlus 7 Pro, the device has a Snapdragon 855-soc, but also UFS 3.0 memory. The OnePlus 7 devices are the first to use this fast storage memory. Our tests with the OnePlus 7 Pro showed that the memory, especially in the sequential tests, is indeed a lot faster than ufs 2.1 and that’s good news. For example, you will notice it when launching apps or saving photos and videos.

In any case, the OnePlus 7 feels fast, as we are used to from the manufacturer. Switching apps is fast and the device responds quickly to actions. Still, we are a little less pleased with the speed of the camera app. There is quite a bit of shutter lag when printing, and we would have expected it to be smoother when switching to another mode as well.

A not unimportant element that has also been upgraded is the camera. The primary camera sensor is the same as the OnePlus 7 Pro: the 48Mp IMX586 with quad-bayer layout. Strangely enough, the lens opening is slightly narrower than with the Pro: namely f/1.7 versus f/1.6. The regular OnePlus 7 also lacks laser autofocus, which is a shame because laser autofocus is useful in moderate lighting conditions. In addition, it lacks the ultra-wide-angle lens and telephoto lens. Fortunately, the OnePlus 7, just like its big brother, has optical image stabilization and of course the improved software algorithms, but you make a lot of sacrifices in terms of camera compared to the OnePlus 7 Pro.

That’s not the only thing missing from the regular OnePlus 7, but one thing isn’t necessarily a loss. The OnePlus 7 Pro has rounded screen edges and they are quite wide compared to other devices that have that. It is seen by manufacturers as a luxury feature, but reflections and discolorations can occur due to the curvature.

The OP7 also has a slightly smaller OLED screen with a lower resolution. It seems to be the same screen as that of the 6T, including the drip notch. That’s still a nice screen, but it doesn’t have the 90Hz refresh rate of the OP7 Pro. The battery capacity and 20W charging speed have also remained the same as the 6T, as has the design.

Conclusion

The price has not been increased compared to the OnePlus 6T, but unfortunately, the improvements are also somewhat meager if you do not have 709 euros left for a OnePlus 7 Pro. We are happy with the stereo speakers, the faster fingerprint scanner and of course the overall speed of the device. Also, the camera quality is hopefully well improved. Still, the lion’s share of OnePlus’ innovative power has clearly gone to the Pro smartphone. That doesn’t necessarily mean the OP7 is a bad phone, of course, but we think this phone would have been more interesting if the Pro hadn’t existed. Maybe it would have been a few tens more expensive, but we would have paid for it. For example, the OnePlus 7 would be a lot more interesting if only the camera setup were a bit more versatile,

Our first impression is that the device, just like the 6T, is a nice device and if you come from a OnePlus 5 or older, it is a nice improvement. For an extra 150 euros, however, you get substantially more with the Pro and we therefore lean towards that device. We cannot yet say whether the 7 will survive in its price range compared to the Xiaomi Mi9, for example, because we have yet to experience the quality of the OP7 camera in practice. We do have more doubts about the price-quality ratio of this device than about that of its predecessors, even though the OP7 is probably just another nice and fast device with fine software and an excellent OLED screen, to name a few. Only: the competition has not been idle either.

We hope that the manufacturer does not shoot itself in the foot by coming up with two devices that both just fall short of the price-quality ratio for which the brand is known. The OP7 is affordable, but not very innovative, and the OP7 Pro is sexy, but a bit more expensive than its predecessor. However, it can also be a smart move, increasing the price, but also the number of nice features. Either way, OnePlus is taking a bold step into smartphone maturity.