Friends+Design
- Immaculate fit and finish, and a pleasing, premium design - very similar to the OnePlus 6T
- Pretty good ergonomics (similar to the OnePlus 6T, and better than the heavier/larger OnePlus 7 Pro)
- The in-display fingerprint reader is very good - and even a bit faster than the already good one on the OnePlus 6T
- Still not fully waterproof (there is some water resistance but it's not IP certified)
- Like all glossy finish phones (which is an increasing majority of phones these days), the glass back of the phone is a fingerprint magnet
Display
- Big, beautiful 'dewdrop' notch AMOLED display, again quite similar to the OnePlus 6T
- OnePlus’ Reading mode is still there and is as useful as ever - it turns the screen to a reading-optimized monochrome, and it can be assigned to activate when you’re in certain apps
Software
- OxygenOS continues to be one of the most thoughtfully-designed, clean (stock-like) UIs for Android
- 2 new features that make it to the latest version of OxygenOS are screen recording, and Zen Mode (for exercising more control over your screen time)
Performance
- With the super fast flagship Snapdragon 855, some ultra fast storage speed (UFS3), the OnePlus 7 is a speed beast, and matches other top-end flagships
Camera
- Good dual rear camera setup - there a primary 48MP camera and a secondary 5MP depth sensor
- Overall image quality is good - it takes great outdoor shots, with vibrant colours and good exposure - and is a decent improvement over the OnePlus 6T (though not as good, or as versatile as the camera setup on the OnePlus 7)
- It also has the new Nightscape mode, which lets you capture reasonably bright and sharp images even in very low light situations
- Good 16MP front camera too
- It's not quite a match for the new budget-flagship camera champion, the Pixel 3a, however, which is ahead by a significant margin
Audio
- Excellent stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos
- No standard headphone jack - you will need to use either USB-C or wireless headphones (none of which is included in the retail package)
Battery
- Good battery life with a 3700mAH battery - the OnePlus 7 will make it through a day of intensive use without a problem - and will give you battery life similar to the OnePlus 6T (and more than the OnePlus 7 Pro, which lasts less long because of the more battery intensive 90Hz screen)
- OnePlus's Dash Charging continues to be one of the better fast charging technologies around - it goes from 10 to 100 percent in just 1 hour and 15 minutes - though it's a step below the Warp Charge tech on the OnePlus 7 Pro
- No wireless charging support
Verdict
- Overall, OnePlus 7 retains the spot of the all-rounder, reliable, no-frills, budget flagship from OnePlus (while the OnePlus 7 Pro takes the more 'premium' flagship approach), giving you a high-end flagship experience for relatively less - and it makes for a decent update to the OnePlus 6T in the performance and camera departments
- That said though, the budget flagship segment is much more competitive now (unlike when the 6T launched), so you will have some pretty good alternatives as well, not the least of which is the Pixel 3a/XL, which while not as beautiful looking, or as fast, will provide with a much better camera experience, a more compact design, and a headphone jack
