OnePlus will officially take the wraps off its new OnePlus 7 series on May 14. The launch event is being held in 3 cities (New York, London, Mumbai), in three different continents, simultaneously. It’s a big deal for the company and an even bigger deal for the millions of OnePlus fans across the globe.
However, this year, OnePlus is going to take a different route. The company has decided to release an additional ‘OnePlus 7 Pro’ model alongside the standard variant. So, unlike the ZTE Axon 10 Pro (where the ‘Pro’ is actually unnecessary because there’s just one model in the lineup), here the ‘Pro’ tag is justified by releasing two flagship grade smartphones.
The OnePlus 7 Duo: A Road Not Taken
OnePlus’ decision to release a ‘Pro’ version isn’t surprising. The company has built a huge fan base across the globe eagerly looking forward to their smartphones every six months. However, it also has been slowly but steadily raising the prices of each iteration (OP5T – $499 | OP6 – $529 | OP6T – $549 ). OnePlus’ recent flagships have come close to breaking their popular ‘affordability‘ quotient. But the dilemma here is that OnePlus also wants to be known as a top-tier smartphone maker.
So how do you offer cutting edge technology in your flagship without raising its price?
Well, you can’t, not in this age!
So what you do instead is release two models, a standard OnePlus 7 that keeps your affordability quotient intact and then offer another model, the OnePlus 7 Pro that houses high-end features. Matter solved.
OnePlus 7 Pro Design
Now that the company has decided to offer a ‘Pro’ variant, they have to ensure it’s worth every additional penny. The very success of this higher-end variant will depend on the perception of the device amongst the top-tier flagships in the market.
You can’t slap an average FHD+ AMOLED screen with a notch and get your fan’s attention. So, what OnePlus is planning to do is use a custom made AMOLED panel with a full-screen notch-less design. The OnePlus 7 Pro is said to use a pop-up mechanism to house its front camera, keeping its front super clean. There should be a thin bottom bezel, but overall, it will be a bezel-less design.
The back of the OP7 Pro is going to be refined as well. The company is opting for a symmetric theme, that goes well with most users. So, the triple camera setup at the back will be vertically arranged at the center followed by its flash and the OnePlus logo. It’s definitely one of the more refined designs from OnePlus in recent times.
The power button and alert slider will be on the right, while the volume buttons should lie on the left.
Further, there should be three colors available at launch — gradient Nebula Blue (the renders look beautiful!), Almond (more like soft gold), and a Mirror Grey (more like black).
For the standard OnePlus 7 model, not a lot has changed as compared to its predecessor. You’ll get a waterdrop notch, and a dual camera setup at the back.
OnePlus 7 Pro Display
OnePlus’ displays have been good but nothing extraordinary. When top-tier flagship models featured Quad HD+ displays, OnePlus had to stick to FHD+ panels on its flagship models to keep the pricing affordable.
With the OnePlus 7 Pro, the company can actually afford to take the display game a step higher. In this regard, OnePlus has already confirmed that the OnePlus 7 Pro will feature a ‘breakthrough’ display. In fact, CEO Pete Lau went on to say the phone features:
‘a whole new display which has to be seen to be believed’
OnePlus CEO, in an interview with the Verge, revealed that the company has spent nearly three times as much as its previous displays in order to bring something that “redefine fast and smooth”. Official specs are not yet available, but earlier leaks have revealed a 6.64-inch Quad HD+ custom-made AMOLED curved panel for the Pro version. Yes, it would be a curved panel, as hinted by the recent tempered glass panels for the device.
Recent OnePlus teasers were all about ‘smooth‘ and this could be a way to hint its 90Hz refresh rate. Such a high refresh rate would make images and animations extremely smooth and snappy on its large screen. Gaming should be a treat as well! It is being said that the phone can automatically switch between 60Hz-90Hz based on the content and usage.
Talking about treats, did we mention that the OnePlus 7 Pro is confirmed to support HDR10+ content?! Watching Netflix on its large 6.6-inch display should be a delight! Also, that 3X price for the new screen seems to be paying off as the OnePlus 7 Pro has earned DisplayMate’s A+ — its highest rating for smartphones.
So, what about the standard OnePlus 7 model?
No custom-made display for this cheaper variant, so expect things to be very similar to the OnePlus 6T. Basically a 6.2-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED panel. Nothing extraordinary.
OnePlus 7 Pro Camera
Recent OnePlus 7 Pro camera leaks have converged to this: a triple camera setup with a 48MP f/1.6 primary lens with OIS, an 8MP f/2.2 telephone lens with OIS and a 16MP f/2.2 Ultrawide lens with PDAF. In line with recent smartphones, the phone will feature 3X optical zoom. We have already seen a few samples of its zoom capabilities, you can check it out here.
There should be a 16MP camera up front. As mentioned above, it should be housed in a pop-up design. A recent newspaper ad by the company further confirms this notch-less all display design.
The setup looks good, right? But what about the quality?
OnePlus’ imaging director, Simon Liu had some more information to share about the ‘Pro’ model’s camera. While talking to Wired, he said that the OnePlus 7 Pro’s camera samples will be visibly better than its predecessors.
“Our pictures are a lot more detailed compared to our previous phones” — Simon Liu
He added that the new model will retain the simple camera UI seen in the current models. While there should be a significant increase in the quality of the samples, Liu says that the OP7Pro might not be able to beat the top-tier flagships. Still, there should be significant upgrades in elements such as HDR, portrait mode, and night mode.
Like with the display, the standard OnePlus 7 should be overshadowed by its elder sibling in the camera department as well. The standard edition is said to feature a dual camera setup with a 48MP primary camera with f/1.7 and a 5MP secondary sensor likely for depth information. So, no fancy stuff like a wide angle or telephoto lens. Expect camera performance similar to the OnePlus 6T.
OnePlus 7 Pro Specs
Here’s the summary of what to expect in terms of specs for both the devices.
SPECS | OnePlus 7 | OnePlus 7 PRO |
DIMENSIONS | 157.7 x 74.8 x 8.1mm | 162.6 x 76 x 8.8mm |
DISPLAY | 6.2-inch AMOLED FHD+ | 6.64-inch AMOLED Quad HD+ 90Hz |
CPU | Snapdragon 855 | Snapdragon 855 |
MEMORY | 6GB + 128GB
UFS 3.0 |
6GB+128GB
8GB+256GB 12GB+256GB UFS 3.0 |
CAMERAS | REAR: 48MP f/1.6 OIS + 5MP depth sensor
|
REAR: 48MP f/1.6 OIS + 8MP f/2.2 OIS + 16MP f/2.2 UW
Front: 16MP |
COMMS. | No headphone jack
No IP rating Stereo speakers |
No headphone jack
No IP rating Stereo speakers |
BATTERY | 3700mAh battery with 30W Warp Charge
No Wireless charging |
4000mAh battery with 30W Warp Charge
No Wireless charging |
SOFT. | OxygenOS based on Android 9 | OxygenOS based on Android 9 |
COLORS | Mirror Black | Mirror Grey, Almond, Nebula Blue |
LAUNCH | May 14, 2019 | May 14, 2019 |
It’s worth adding that the 12GB RAM OnePlus 7 Pro passed through Geekbench a few days back with a spectacular score of 11012 in its multi-core test, beating even the Galaxy S10+.
Notably, the OnePlus 7 Pro won’t feature 5G. The company will launch its 5G model separately later this year.
OnePlus 7 Pro Price
Here’s what OnePlus 7 Pro is expected to cost in the EU based on recent rumors.
- 6GB+128GB: €699?
- 8GB+256GB: €749
- 12GB+256GB: €819
The EU prices should fluctuate by around €10 in different markets.
As for the US prices, it’s likely going to be the same figures for all variants with € replaced with $.
While in India, the pricing should be as follows (as revealed by Ishan):
- 6GB+128GB: Rs. 49,999
- 8GB+256GB: Rs. 52,999
- 12GB+256GB: Rs. 57,999
Alongside the new OnePlus 7 duo, we expect accessories like Bullets Wireless 2 and a new car charger to be revealed at the May 14 event.
We don’t have any information on the standard OnePlus 7’s pricing, but it should be close to the OP6T. Somewhere around $549 – $580 can be expected. But this is pure speculation.
This basically sums up what we know about the OnePlus 7 and the OnePlus 7 Pro!