OnePlus 7T Preview
- Paul Thurrott
- Sep 26, 2019
-
24
I’m hoping to review the OnePlus 7T soon, but in the meantime, here’s a quick peek at how it compares to the OnePlus 7 Pro, which I reviewed back in June.
To be clear, the OnePlus 7T is not a direct successor to the OnePlus 7 Pro, despite its name—OnePlus has been using the “T” designation for its mid-year replacements for a few years now—the timing of its release, and a few specification improvements over that other flagship. Instead, it is a replacement for the OnePlus 6T in the U.S. (and the OnePlus 7 elsewhere) and is a new stablemate for the OnePlus 7 Pro.
Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox
Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!
"*" indicates required fields
The primary reason for this designation, I think, is the display.
Yes, the OnePlus 7T provides the same silky-smooth 90 Hz display type that graces the 7 Pro. But it is also smaller—6.55-inches vs. 6.67-inches for the 7 Pro—and offers both a lower resolution (2400 x 1080 vs. 3120 x 1440) and a lower pixel count (402 PPI vs. 516 PPI). On the plus side, OnePlus says it emits an astounding 1,000 nits of light, well above the 583 nits emitted by the 7 Pro.
The displays are also slightly different aspect ratios, though both are quite tall and thin: The OnePlus 7T lands at 20:9 while its predecessor is 19.5:9. I believe the screen technology is identical, though OnePlus marketed the OnePlus 7 Pro as Fluid AMOLED and is calling the OnePlus 7T display AMOLED. Both support sRGB and Display P3, and both provide a video enhancer, reading mode, and night mode.
There is one other display-related difference: Where the OnePlus 7 Pro is notch-free thanks to its unique pop-up selfie camera, the OnePlus 7T features a small teardrop notch, like the 6T, to accommodate its own camera.
Looking past the display, the OnePlus 7T does improve on the 7 Pro in the processor department: It is the first smartphone to feature the Snapdragon 855+, whereas the 7 Pro featured a suddenly pedestrian Snapdragon 850, just like the rest of the planet. Both devices feature super-fast UFS 3.0 storage, but the 7T is locked at 128 GB and is non-upgradeable; with the 7 Pro, there are 128 GB and 256 GB models. And where the 7 Pro can be outfitted with 6, 8, or even 12 GB of RAM depending on the model, the OnePlus 7T provides 8 GB regardless of model. That is, of course, more than ample and is quite future-proof.
The OnePlus 7T comes in a frosted matte glass design that looks similar to the 7 Pro, though I’ll need to examine them side-by-side to be sure. It can be had in Frosted Silver or Glacier Blue, and both look quite attractive in photos.
There is, of course, the camera system.
Housed in a unique (for OnePlus) circular design—where the 7 Pro offered a more traditional vertical row—the OnePlus 7T camera system feature three lenses, a 48 MP main lens with an f/1.6 aperture and optical image stabilization, a 16 MP ultra-wide-angle lens with a 117-degree field of view, and a 12 MP telephoto lens with an f/2.2 aperture and a 2x optical zoom. OnePlus says that it is “improved,” but perhaps they are comparing it to the 6T, since those specifications closely resemble those of the camera system in the 7 Pro. Which was lackluster. So we’ll see.
One feature carried over from the OnePlus 7 Pro that should be ideal is the in-display fingerprint reader. It may even be better, as OnePlus says it’s been improved with an upgraded haptic driver and a new vibration motor.
The Warp Charge 30T also looks improved: OnePlus says it will charge the 7T to 70 percent in just 30 minutes; by comparison, the Warp Charge 30 that came with the OnePlus 7 Pro could charge that phone to 50 percent in just 20 minutes. This is a fun math problem if you’re bored, but OnePlus says the 30T is its fastest Warp Charge yet. (I believe this is true because math.) It may be the fastest smartphone charger yet, period. (The OnePlus 7T comes with a 3800 mAh battery, while the OnePlus 7 Pro comes with a larger 4000 mAh hour.)
Finally, the OnePlus 7T ships with Android 10, whereas the 7 Pro came with Android 9. That said, OnePlus is rolling out Android 10 to the OnePlus 7 Pro right now.
I’m looking forward to reviewing this one, and when you consider that the OnePlus 7T costs just $599, about $100 less than the least expensive OnePlus 7 Pro, you can see that the firm is serious, again, about reclaiming its value crown. This looks like a solid addition to the family.
Tagged with
Conversation 24 comments
-
PeterC
<blockquote><em><a href="#471212">In reply to rmlounsbury:</a></em></blockquote><p>Their primary sales markets of China and India are large screen fans. </p>