OnePlus had recently introduced two smartphones which are a part of its OnePlus 7 flagship series, the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro. These two phones are not as similar as some may think, even though they do share some design cues and some of their specs are identical. In general, though, OnePlus opted for two different approaches here.
On one hand, the OnePlus 7 is basically a reincarnated OnePlus 6T with better internals, while the OnePlus 7 Pro users in a new design for the company, along with some bells and whistles you wouldn’t usually expect from the company. That being said, the difference in price tags between the two phones is not exactly negligible, so if you’re interested in purchasing either of the two devices, read on.
Specifications
Design
These two phones are quite different when the design is concerned, even though they sport a really similar back side, and the in-hand feel is not all that different, save for the size difference. Both devices are extremely slippery in the hand, and the “Pro” unit will be more difficult to use, as it’s larger and it features a curved display.
The OnePlux 7 includes two cameras on the back, while the OnePlus 7 Pro sports three cameras back there, and that is pretty much the only difference when back sides are concerned.
If you take a look at these two devices, you will immediately notice that the OnePlus 7 Pro does not include a display notch or hole, which is not the case with the smaller OnePlus 7 unit. The OnePlus 7 is a spitting image of the OnePlus 6T, and it sports the same waterdrop display notch as its predecessor.
Both devices include a really thin “chin” below the display, but their bezels are basically non-existent except for that. The OnePlus 7 Pro includes a pop-up selfie camera, unlike the OnePlus 7, and that camera activates when you select it in the camera application.
The OnePlus 7 Pro does include a larger display than the OnePlus 7, and despite the fact it has a curved display, it is both taller and wider than the OnePlus 7, not to mention that it is a bit thicker as well. If you don’t like heavy phones, you should avoid the OnePlus 7 Pro, as it weighs 206 grams, while the OnePlus 7 measures 182 grams.
All things considered, the OnePlus 7 is considerably easier to use with one hand, but it recycles the OnePlus 6T’s design, and truth be said, it does not look more appealing than its sibling. The OnePlus 7 Pro both looks and feels more premium with its notchless display, and is a winner in this category.
Winner: OnePlus 7 Pro
Display
This is probably the easier comparison to make between the two, as the OnePlus 7 Pro is in a category of its own when it comes to displays. The OnePlus 7 sports the same 6.41-inch fullHD+ Optic AMOLED panel as the OnePlus 6T, while the OnePlus 7 Pro includes the company’s very first QHD+ display.
The OnePlus 7 Pro features a 6.67-inch QHD+ Fluid AMOLED display, which is not only curved, but it is HDR10+ certified. That’s not all, though, this display has a 90Hz refresh rate, and everything you do feels extra smooth on it, and that’s something most of you will notice, especially while gaming.
You can change the refresh rate of the OnePlus 7 Pro’s display back to 60Hz, as keeping it at 90Hz will drain the battery faster. The OnePlus 7 Pro’s display is also curved, unlike the OnePlus 7’s panel.
Both of these displays are more than good enough for most users, they both offer deep blacks you’d expect out of an OLED panel, while you will get nice, contrasty colors as well. All of that looks considerably better on the OnePlus 7 Pro’s display, which is not exactly surprising considering its resolution, and everything else.
Winner: OnePlus 7 Pro
Performance
Both the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro are fueled by the Snapdragon 855 64-bit octa-core processor, the most powerful chip Qualcomm has to offer. In addition to that, OnePlus equipped both handsets with UFS 3.0 flash storage, which is a considerable upgrade over UFS 2.0 and 2.1 modules. These two phones are actually the very first smartphones to hit the market with UFS 3.0, trumping the Galaxy Fold.
Those two components, in addition to plenty of RAM, and OnePlus’ software optimizations via OxygenOS, make these two phones buttery smooth. OnePlus’ phones were always amongst the best out there when it comes to performance, so that’s not exactly a surprise.
You’re probably wondering which one of the two is better, though… well, we didn’t exactly have a chance to spend much time with the OnePlus 7 just yet, but it’s safe to presume that its performance will be a match for the OnePlus 7 Pro… if not better.
The OnePlus 7 has to push way less pixels considering it has a fullHD+ display, so in theory, it should be even faster than the OnePlus 7 Pro, but considering the sheer power of the two phones, that’s not something you’ll be able to notice, quite probably.
It is also worth noting that the OnePlus 7 Pro’s display, with its 90Hz refresh rate, offers smoother animations and things do feel smoother on it when compared to the OnePlus 7 side-by-side, but in general, you can expect buttery smooth performance out of both devices.
Winner: Tie
Battery Life
OnePlus’ flagships were always known for solid battery life, and the same can be said for these two phones, though if you use the OnePlus 7 Pro’s high display refresh rate, your battery will suffer. The OnePlus 7 Pro comes with a 4,000mAh battery, while the OnePlus 7 includes a 3,700mAh unit. The OnePlus 7 does sport a lower-res display, and a smaller display at that, with a regular refresh rate, so… a 3,700mAh unit should be more than enough.
The OnePlus 7 Pro does not exactly offer stellar battery life if you use its display at QHD+ resolution and have a 90Hz refresh rate on at all times. Depending on your usage, you will be able to get somewhere between 4.5 and 5.5 hours of screen on time in that mode, though usage differs from one person to the next, of course. If you revert back to 60Hz, you should be able to cross the 6-hour mark.
The OnePlus 6T offered great battery life with a 3,700mAh battery, and the OnePlus 7 comes with that same display, and a more power efficient processor, so… the logic dictates it should offer even better battery life than the OnePlus 6T. All in all, we do believe that the OnePlus 7 will ultimately be a better choice in terms of battery endurance, due to screen resolution and size.
Neither of these two phones offer wireless charging, but they do offer fast wired charging. The OnePlus 7 Pro includes 30W Warp Charge, while the OnePlus 7 comes with 20W fast charging. Both are plenty fast, but the OnePlus 7 Pro’s charging is a step ahead.
Winner: OnePlus 7
Cameras
These two phones have different camera setups on the back. They both come with the same main sensor, but the lens attached to that sensor is different in these two cases. Both include a 48-megapixel (Sony’s IMX586 sensor) main camera on the back, though the OnePlus 7 Pro ships with an f/1.6 aperture lens, while the OnePlus 7 includes an f/1.7 aperture lens.
In addition to that 48-megapixel unit, the OnePlus 7 Pro comes with 16-megapixel (ultrawide) and 8-megapixel (telephoto) rear cameras, while the OnePlus 7 includes a 5-megapixel (depth sensor) secondary rear camera.
Cameras have always been the weak point of OnePlus’ devices, and the company did manage to improve things here, but it’s still not the best out there. The OnePlus 7 Pro is capable of competing with other flagships, but in most ways, it’s still behind the Huawei P30 Pro, for example. The phone’s cameras are quite capable in all situations, though, and the vast majority of users will not really have any complaints to it.
The OnePlus 7 Pro’s camera setup tries to keep colors in images accurate, and its night mode actually works really well. The front-facing camera is nothing to write home about, but it does the job well. The OnePlus 7 should be able to shoot solid images as well, but it’s expected to be a small step behind the OnePlus 7 Pro, and offer less versatility due to its camera setup.
Winner: OnePlus 7 Pro
Conclusion
In addition to everything we’ve mentioned, it’s worth saying that both phones offer stereo speakers, while none of them ship with a 3.5mm headphone jack. That being said, both of these two phones are quite compelling, and if you don’t want to deal with a pop-up camera, larger body, and don’t need a QHD+ 90Hz refresh rate, you may be better off getting the regular OnePlus 7.
If you want the absolute best that the company had announced to date, the OnePlus 7 Pro is the device for you, and is the winner of this comparison. The OnePlus 7 Pro does come with a considerably better display, more appealing design, and a better camera setup, amongst other things.
Winner: OnePlus 7 Pro