OnePlus 7 Pro vs OnePlus 7: Is the Pro worth the extra dough?

We’re used to getting a new OnePlus phone every six months, but this time around there are two options (three if you count the forthcoming OnePlus 7 Pro 5G). The OnePlus 7 Pro is the new headliner, and it’s the most expensive “flagship killer” yet, but you may prefer to go for the plain, old OnePlus 7, which is a straight upgrade of the OnePlus 6T. We’re here to compare the 7 and 7 Pro and break down all the differences between them.

Before we get started it’s important to note that only the OnePlus 7 Pro will be offered in the United States. The OnePlus 7 is only going to be available in select markets including the U.K.

Specs

Performance, battery life, and charging

Both of these phones boast the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor backed by either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. That means lightning-fast performance and plenty of multitasking talent. You can get a version of the OnePlus 7 Pro with 12GB of RAM, but that’s more than you really need. The 7 Pro has a larger, higher-resolution screen, so the OnePlus 7 may have more spare processing power, but we don’t think you’ll see much difference between them.

The OnePlus 7 Pro has a 4,000mAh battery, which sounds big, but we have found it generally lasts about a day and needs to be charged nightly. The OnePlus 7 has a smaller, 3,700mAh battery, but may actually last a bit longer because of the smaller, lower-resolution screen. Both support fast charging, but not wireless charging.

Winner: Tie

Design and durability

With an all-screen front and a pop-up selfie camera, the OnePlus 7 Pro is a minimalist dream. Glass in front and back curves into a solid metal frame. The central camera suite is the only detail on the back. The OnePlus 7 looks very similar from the back, with a curved glass design and a vertically stacked camera suite, but the screen is a bit smaller and there’s a teardrop notch to accommodate the front-facing camera. Since the screen is slightly smaller, the OnePlus 7 is also a bit shorter.

Neither phone has an IP rating and both will benefit from a case for drop protection.

Winner: OnePlus 7 Pro

Display

The headline feature for the OnePlus 7 Pro is the 6.67-inch Fluid AMOLED display, which boasts a resolution of 3,120 x 1,440 pixels and a 90Hz refresh rate. It’s very sharp at 516 pixels per inch (ppi), and it’s extremely smooth, whether you’re navigating around or playing a game. The 6.41-inch AMOLED in the OnePlus 7 is no slouch, but its resolution translates to 402 ppi, it has a conventional 60Hz refresh rate, and there’s a teardrop notch carved out at the top.

Winner: OnePlus 7 Pro

Camera

OnePlus has hit new heights with a versatile triple-lens camera suite in the OnePlus 7 Pro. It comprises a 48-megapixel main lens, a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens. That’s an impressive combination that gives you plenty of options, and we’ve found it to be very capable in good conditions. The OnePlus 7 combines a 48-megapixel lens with a secondary 5-megapixel lens. If you like the idea of cramming more in or you crave the ability to zoom, then the 7 Pro is going to be the better choice for you.

Both phones have a very capable 16-megapixel front-facing camera.

Winner: OnePlus 7 Pro

Software and updates

You’ll find Android 9.0 Pie with Oxygen OS over the top on both these phones. It offers some interesting gestures and customization options, without deviating too far from Google’s vision of Android. There’s also a screen-recording option and a Zen Mode to help you unwind. Both should be updated fairly regularly and swiftly. Since the experience is identical, there’s no dividing the phones here.

Winner: Tie

Special features

Priding itself on providing value, OnePlus doesn’t tend to offer a lot of bells and whistles in its phones. The OnePlus 7 Pro has that impressive display and the nifty pop-up camera, but both phones feature an in-display fingerprint sensor, so there isn’t a great deal else to separate them.

Winner: OnePlus 7 Pro

Price and availability

The OnePlus 7 Pro starts from $670 for the mirror gray version with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. If you want the nebula blue handset with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, you’ll have to pay $750. You can buy it from the OnePlus website or from T-Mobile in the U.S.

Sadly, the OnePlus 7 won’t be released in the U.S. but it will be available across Europe and in the U.K., where it will cost 500 British pounds (around $645). That doesn’t sound like a bargain until you consider that the 7 Pro costs 650 British pounds (around $840) in the U.K.

Overall winner: OnePlus 7 Pro

The OnePlus 7 Pro is the clear winner here, and that’s largely due to the superior display, which is bigger, sharper, smoother, and notch-free. The Pro also has a much more versatile camera, and the pop-up selfie camera is fun. If you’re in the U.S., then there’s no dilemma — you should buy the 7 Pro, because the OnePlus 7 isn’t officially available stateside.

If you’re in the U.K. or somewhere else in Europe, you have a tougher decision because the OnePlus 7 is much more reasonably priced and will give you the same lightning-fast performance. It’s also worth bearing in mind that the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, with support for the next generation of mobile networks, is coming soon.

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