Phone Comparisons: Google Pixel 4 vs OnePlus 7T

We’ve compared the OnePlus 7T vs Google Pixel 4 XL recently, and the time has come to pit the phone against the smaller Pixel 4 device as well. In this article, we’ll pit the Pixel 4 vs OnePlus 7T.

Some aspects of this comparison will be extremely similar to the previous article. The Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are very similar, but there are some differences that we’ll note here. The Pixel 4 does come with a smaller battery, lower-res display, and it is smaller in general, compared to the Pixel 4 XL.

We’ll compare the Pixel 4 vs OnePlus 7T across a number of categories, as per usual. This will, hopefully, give you a better idea as to which phone suits you best. They’re both great devices, no doubt about that, but each of them has its strong and weak aspects.

Google Pixel 4 vs OnePlus 7T: Specs

Google Pixel 4 vs OnePlus 7T: Design

The design section will be similar to the one we talked about in the previous comparison. The Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL do look identical, so… yeah. Both of these devices are made out of metal and glass, though they’re quite different in comparison.

Google applied some paint on top of the metal frame, making it considerably less slippery than the OnePlus 7T. The Pixel 4 is also less curvy than the OnePlus 7T, and it looks completely different in general.

The OnePlus 7T comes with a tiny waterdrop notch at the top of the display, and a really thin ‘chin’. The Pixel 4 does not include a notch, but it does have a rather large ‘forehead’. A thin ‘chin’ is a part of this phone’ design as well.

The OnePlus 7T has thinner bezels in general, and it includes a triple camera setup on the back. Those cameras are placed inside a round camera module, along with an LED flash. The Pixel 4 has two cameras, and those are included in a square-ish camera module, along with an LED flash.

The OnePlus 7T does look more appealing, at least we think so. The Pixel 4, on the other hand, is considerably less slippery, and it may appeal to people who design that stand apart. The two phones are on the same level as far as the design is concerned, in our eyes.

Winner: Tie

Google Pixel 4 vs OnePlus 7T: Display

Both the Google Pixel 4 and OnePlus 7T include flat displays. Both phones actually feature fullHD+ displays, but they’re not identical, not at all. The Pixel 4 includes a display with a 19:9 aspect ratio, while the OnePlus 7T sports a display with a 20:9 aspect ratio.

The Pixel 4 features a 5.7-inch fullHD+ (2280 x 1080) flexible OLED panel. The OnePlus 7T, on the other hand, sports a 6.55-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) Fluid AMOLED display. Both of these displays have a 90Hz refresh rate, but the OnePlus 7T’s will be active more often.

The OnePlus 7T’s 90Hz refresh rate will work with any app that supports it, and most of them do. The Pixel 4 does limit its 90Hz display, so it won’t work with everything you use. This is a considerable advantage for the OnePlus 7T.

Both displays are protected by the Gorilla Glass 5. The OnePlus 7T also supports HDR10+ content, while the Pixel 4 is limited to HDR content. The OnePlus 7T’s display does look better to our eyes, as OnePlus managed to drastically reduce blue light emission. This display did great in technical tests as well.

All in all, we’ll give this one to the OnePlus 7T. That display looks better to us, supports HDR10+, has drastically reduced blue light emission, and it allows for a 90Hz refresh rate to be active whenever needed.

Winner: OnePlus 7T

Google Pixel 4 vs OnePlus 7T: Performance

The Pixel 4 and OnePlus 7T are definitely amongst the best-performing phones in the market. The Pixel 4 comes with Google’s stock Android, while OnePlus builds upon that with some interesting features.

The point is, both of these phones have really optimized software. Combined with top-of-the-line hardware, and you get great performance. Truth be said, the OnePlus 7T is more powerful from the hardware perspective, though that’s not as noticeable in everyday use.

The OnePlus 7T includes a more powerful Snapdragon 855 Plus processor, along with UFS 3.0 flash storage. It also comes with more RAM than the Pixel 4. So, if specs are your thing, chances are you’ll lean towards the OnePlus 7T.

Both devices can handle whatever you throw at them, though. Everyday use is a breeze, and the same goes for games. These two phones can handle any game that is available for Android, so no worries there.

They are on the same playing field in terms of performance, if you ask us. The OnePlus 7T does offer more powerful hardware, but that is not as noticeable in everyday use, at least not yet. The OnePlus 7T is more future-proof because of that hardware, though.

Winner: Tie

Google Pixel 4 vs OnePlus 7T: Battery

When it comes to battery life, the OnePlus 7T reigns supreme. The Pixel 4 cannot beat any major flagship in terms of battery life, pretty much. You may be able to get over 3 hours of screen-on-time if you’re lucky, maybe 4 on occasion. Intensive usage is something you can forget about with this phone (well, even medium usage), unless you want to charge it in the middle of the day.

The OnePlus 7T is not the best phone in this regard, but it does miles better than the Pixel 4. The OnePlus 7T will probably be able to get you to 6 hours of screen-on-time without a problem. Its battery life is really good, even with a 90Hz display refresh rate on. If you force the Pixel 4 to use that refresh rate all the time (via developer settings), the phone will drain battery life even faster.

The OnePlus 7T also offers faster wired charging, at 30W, compared to 18W that the Pixel 4 offers. The OnePlus 7T does not include wireless charging, however, which is a feature that the Pixel 4 does offer. All in all, the OnePlus 7T is the winner here.

Winner: OnePlus 7T

Google Pixel 4 vs OnePlus 7T: Cameras

Both of these phones offer really good cameras, but the Pixel 4 has an edge in this department. The Pixel 4 is one of the best camera smartphones in the market, without a doubt. The OnePlus 7T is miles better than its predecessors (not counting the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro, because they’re very similar in this regard).

Both devices can shoot great-looking photos in regular, daylight conditions. With plenty of detail and good dynamic range. The Pixel 4 will be able to pull off a bit more detail, though. The OnePlus 7T is better for macro shots, though. It has a special motor for macro photography, and that definitely shows. You’ll be able to get much closer to a subject with this phone.

The Pixel 4 has an edge when it comes to low light photography. It will balance more shots better than the OnePlus 7T, while it will also preserve more detail. The Pixel 4 also allows for more light to enter a shot. The OnePlus 7T is more than a decent competitor, though, it can also pull off some great low light shots, especially with its Nightscape feature… even though it’s not as good as Night Sight.

The OnePlus 7T does offer a separate camera for ultra-wide photography on the back. That camera is really good, by the way. The Pixel 4 does not, it is limited to its main lens, and a telephoto one.

The Pixel 4’s front-facing camera will also yield better results. It will capture more detail in most scenarios, but other than that, both selfie shooters are really good. The Pixel 4 is limited to 4K video at 30fps, while the OnePlus 7T can shoot in 4K 60fps. Video quality on both phones is really good. All in all, we’ll give this one to the Pixel 4.

Winner: Google Pixel 4

Google Pixel 4 vs OnePlus 7T: Audio

What about audio? Well, they’re quite similar in that regard. Both devices include stereo speakers, and those speakers are placed in a similar position as well. The main speaker is located at the bottom, on both devices, while the secondary one sits above the display.

Those speakers sound great, to be quite honest. They can get quite loud, and they remain crisp even at high volumes. Distortion is noticeable, but it is minimal, so it’s nothing to worry about. They’re also well-balanced, they do have bass, but not too much.

Neither of the two phones offers a 3.5mm headphone jack, though. For wired connection, you’ll need to use a Type-C USB port on the bottom. Luckily, both phones ship with Bluetooth 5.0 LE, with A2DP and aptX HD support.

Audio via a solid pair of headphones is really good on both phones. Both are well-balanced, and chances are that very few people will have issues with this. Both offer a decent amount of bass, that goes for both wired and wireless connections.

Winner: Tie

The overall winner

So, who’s the winner here? Well, the OnePlus 7T did win in more categories than the Pixel 4, so it is technically the winner of this comparison. The Pixel 4 has lots going for it, though. It is a better camera smartphone overall.

The OnePlus 7T does offer more in terms of display and battery life. The most drastic difference between these two devices can be seen in battery life, as the Pixel 4 is really bad in that regard. So, if you use your phone a lot, you may want to look elsewhere, and avoid the Pixel 4.

Winner: OnePlus 7T