Why You Can Trust CNET OnePlus 7 review: A fast 7 Pro alternative that’s cheaper but with less features
It lacks the OnePlus 7 Pro's bells and whistles and it's not available in the US, but its lower price makes it a great affordable choice.
- Shortlisted for British Photography Awards 2022, Commended in Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022
The OnePlus 7 is either a more affordable, less exciting OnePlus 7 Pro , or a souped-up OnePlus 6T , depending on how you look at it. At £549 in the UK (with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage, as reviewed), it sits below the £699-equivalent 7 Pro, and a touch under the £579-equivalent 6T. You do lose some of the pizzazz of the Pro with that extra money you're saving, but the additional power makes it a better option over the older 6T.
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
If you're looking for an even more affordable option, the OnePlus 7 comes in another storage variant -- a 6GB RAM and 128GB model that costs only £499.
The OnePlus 7 is not currently available in either the US or Australia, but for reference, that £499 price for the base model converts to $631 and AU$912, respectively.
OnePlus 7 vs. 7 Pro?
The notable difference between the two 7 models is that the standard OnePlus 7 doesn't have the cool pop-up camera found on the OnePlus 7 Pro. Instead, the 16-megapixel front camera is tucked into a teardrop-shaped notch on the front of the phone, exactly like you'll find on the OnePlus 6T. It's less flashy, sure, but it's not exactly a feature you can't live without.
Around the back, the standard OnePlus 7 loses the additional ultrawide lens found on the Pro. I personally love this lens for those dramatic, sweeping landscape shots, and it's really the main benefit of splashing out for the Pro. The OnePlus 7 keeps the same 48-megapixel main camera, which takes great outdoor shots, with vibrant colours and good exposure. It uses the Pro's Nightscape mode too, which lets you capture surprisingly bright and sharp images even in very low light situations.
OnePlus 7 outdoor camera test
OnePlus 7 outdoor camera test
Inside, things are less different. It packs the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, which delivers excellent results on benchmark tests -- unsurprisingly, on par with the 7 Pro, and a step above the 6T, which uses an older chip. Like the Pro, the OnePlus 7 has no headphone jack, but it does have dual stereo speakers which help give a bit of volume boost to podcasts when you're cooking. Both phones aren't IP rated for water resistance, but we dunked the OnePlus 7 Pro underwater for 30 minutes and it survived without a problem.
Physically, the phone is almost identical to the 6T, with the same 6.4-inch, 2,340x1,080-pixel display, with in-screen fingerprint scanner, same 3,700mAh battery and pretty much indistinguishable design -- it's only available in a shiny grey colour, which looks somewhat drab against the vibrant blue of the 7 Pro.
Speaking of the battery, the OnePlus 7 put in a great performance on our benchmark tests, with a run-down time of 17 hours 30 minutes. That puts it roughly alongside the 6T and above the 7 Pro, which only managed a little under 16 hours. Needless to say, you'll comfortably be able to get a full day of use out of it.
Which phone should you buy?
If you want the latest and greatest tech, the 7 Pro is the one to go for. An extra £200 is a lot, but if wide-angle photography is important to you, and you want to show off with that cool pop-up selfie lens then it's worth considering. If you want a generally high-performing phone for everyday use and you don't give a flying fiddle about the bells and whistles, go for the standard 7.
If budget is a particular factor then you should also consider the new Pixel 3A . This most affordable of Google 's offerings doesn't compete with the 7 in the performance stakes, but you will get a great camera and a headphone jack.
It's a no-brainer between the 6T and the 7 though -- go for the 7. It's more powerful, has a better camera AND it's more affordable. If you already have the 6T, the 7's only marginal changes should not tempt you to upgrade.