OnePlus 7 Pro: You can’t get any faster than this

OnePlus has finally unveiled its latest OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro. While it isn’t the same flagship killer that we used to know, the latest OnePlus 7 series aims to set a new benchmark for speed and fluidity.

OnePlus 7 Pro

The biggest star of the show is the OnePlus 7 Pro. No doubt this is the best smartphone OnePlus has ever made and it’s also their largest device yet. In front, it comes with a 6.67″ Fluid AMOLED display that boasts a 93% screen-to-body ratio. There are no notches or punch holes, allowing you to get a more immersive edge-to-edge viewing experience.

OnePlus didn’t just stop there. They went out to fit the best display possible with a Quad HD+ curved AMOLED panel that has a fluid 90Hz refresh rate. With a high refresh rate, OnePlus says scrolling will be super smooth and this is normally offered on gaming-centric smartphones like the Razer Phone 2 and ROG Phone. The display also supports HDR10+ and has a brightness of 800 nits. The OnePlus 7 Pro’s display even gets an A+ rating on DisplayMate.

For notification, the device also features a Horizon Light which illuminates the edges of the display. Similar to the OnePlus 6T, the OnePlus 7 Pro also features an in-display fingerprint sensor.

Since there’s no space on the front, the OnePlus 7 Pro comes with a 16MP pop-up selfie camera. It takes just 0.53 seconds to elevate and the pop-up module has been extensively tested for 300,000 times. That’s equivalent to 50 times a day for 16.5 years.

If you’re unconvinced, OnePlus has even uploaded a 12- hour video of the pop-up camera being tested non-stop. In case you’re wondering, 12 hour is the maximum duration that’s permitted on YouTube. If it detects that the smartphone is in free fall, the OnePlus 7 Pro will automatically retract the camera to prevent damage. This is a similar safety mechanism that’s offered on the Oppo Find X.

For taking photos, OnePlus wants to provide the best camera experience on a smartphone. For the first time, the OnePlus 7 Pro comes with a triple-camera setup and it has scored 111 points on DxoMark Mobile. This is the second highest score and it’s one point behind the Huawei P30 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G edition.

The device features a main 48MP f/1.6 main camera with Sony IMX586 sensor that’s assisted with OIS. During the launch, OnePlus says that the new sensor is 29% larger than the OnePlus 6T and with Pixel Binning technology, they have increased the pixel size by 70% compared to its predecessor.

To get closer to the action, there’s also an 8MP f/2.4 telephoto camera with OIS which offers 3X optical zoom. The device also features a 16MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens with a 117-degree field of view.

The device offers a total of three modes of focus. Depending on the detected scenario, it can choose between PDAF, CAF and Laser AF. The OnePlus 7 Pro also comes with a Nightscape 2.0 for better low light photos.

As you would expect with any new flagship for 2019, the OnePlus 7 Pro runs on a top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor that’s based on a 7nm process. It’s 45% faster and consumes 20% less power than its predecessor. Meanwhile, the Adreno 640 GPU also provides 20% better performance and 30% better power efficiency.

The OnePlus 7 Pro can be configured from 6GB and up to 12GB of LPDDR4x RAM. With RAM Boost, the device can seamlessly configure its available RAM to preload your frequently used apps and games. As a result, you’ll get faster loading speeds, especially when loading games.

For the first time on a commercial smartphone, the OnePlus 7 Pro uses UFS 3.0 technology for its internal storage. OnePlus claims that it offers 79% faster performance compared to UFS 2.1 technology that’s currently used in most flagship smartphones.

To keep things cool during intense gaming, the device features a 10-layer Liquid cooling system. It also gets the largest ever battery on OnePlus device with 4,000mAh capacity. This should last a full day for most users.

If you need to top up power quickly, there’s also Warp Charge 30 that charges via USB-C. According to OnePlus, 20 minutes on the cable is enough to charge from 0-50%. According to OnePlus, you can game during charging while still maintaining low heat levels. Unfortunately, there’s still no wireless charging support.

Stereo speakers are said to be a most wanted feature by OnePlus fans and it’s finally here. The OnePlus 7 Pro has stereo speaker playback with added Dolby Atmos enhancement for an immersive theatre experience. Too bad, it still doesn’t come with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The device also gets a new haptic vibration motor that’s both stronger and more precise.

One of the contributing factors for a snappy experience on OnePlus devices is its Oxygen OS. On the latest Oxygen OS 9.5, it offers a built-in screen recorder with native sound recording along with 90Hz app support. There’s also navigation gestures and a new Gaming Mode that’s developed in partnership with Fnatic. The new Fnatic Mode offers advanced DND, background restriction and network enhancement, while at the same time enhances the device’s RAM, CPU and GPU resource for gaming.

To help users to be self-aware of their smartphone usage, they have also introduced a new Zen Mode. When enabled, it allows you to take a 20-minute break from your phone and the device is restricted only for emergency phone calls and taking pictures.

Out of the box, it runs on Android 9.0 Pie and it will receive two years of major software updates and 3 years of security patches. The OnePlus 7 Pro is also among the devices that are in line to get a taste of Android Q beta. The OnePlus 7 Pro is available in Mirror Gray (6GB RAM and 12GB RAM variant), Nebula Blue (8GB RAM and 12GB RAM variant) and Almond (8GB RAM).

In the UK, they have also announced a OnePlus 7 Pro 5G edition that will be exclusive to EE. This is their first 5G smartphone and the high-speed connectivity is enabled with the additional Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 modem. While it looks similar to the standard OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus had to redesign the antennas including NFC for the 5G edition.

OnePlus 7

During the launch event, OnePlus says they want to provide the best technology at all levels. For those that are looking for an affordable option, they have also announced the regular OnePlus 7 that’s available in vibrant red for the 8GB RAM variant.

The screen is smaller at 6.41″ and it uses an Optic AMOLED panel that pushes a Full HD+ resolution. Like the Pro model, it also comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor. Under the hood, it runs on a Snapdragon 855 that’s mated with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. Despite being the cheaper device, it still uses UFS 3.0 technology for its internal storage which can be configured with either 128GB of 256GB capacity.

In the photography department, it shares the same 48MP IMX586 sensor with OIS for the main camera but its aperture is slightly smaller at f/1.7. Instead of having a telephoto or ultra-wide-angle lens, the non-Pro model settles for a secondary 5MP f/2.4 shooter for depth effects.

Fortunately, it also has stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos enhancement. Powering the device is a smaller 3,700mAh battery and it gets a previous gen 20W Dash fast-charge via USB-C.

Pricing and availability

The OnePlus 7 Pro will go on sale first as early as 17th May in India, while the more affordable OnePlus 7 will be available starting in June.

In India, OnePlus 7 series is priced as follows:

OnePlus 7 Pro
6GB RAM + 128GB storage – 48,999INR (about RM2907)
8GB RAM + 256GB storage – 52,999INR (about RM3,145)
12GB RAM + 256GB storage – 57,999INR (about RM3,442)

OnePlus 7
6GB RAM + 128GB storage – 32,999INR (about RM1,958)
8GB RAM + 256GB storage – 37,999INR (about RM2,255)

Meanwhile, in the UK, the OnePlus 7 series is priced as follows:

OnePlus 7 Pro
6GB RAM + 128GB storage – 649GBP (about RM3,497)
8GB RAM + 256GB storage – 699GBP (about RM3,767)
12GB RAM + 256GB storage – 799GBP (about RM4,306)

OnePlus 7
6GB RAM + 128GB storage – 499GBP (about RM2,689)
8GB RAM + 256GB storage – 549GBP (about RM2,958)

For Malaysia, the local launch is taking place on the 21st of May 2019. Previously, OnePlus smartphones were distributed by Brightstar, followed by Mihan. Today, the sole authorised distributor for OnePlus in Malaysia is XianFeng Technology and they are on the lookout for new dealers to join the OnePlus family. At the moment, they have 8 service centres located in Selangor, Perak, Melaka, Sabah, Pulau Pinang, Kelantan, Johor and Sarawak.