OnePlus India has finally launched the much-awaited line-up of products which include the latest flagship smartphones, the OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro and the OnePlus TV. While the company has left quite a few teasers in the past few weeks, we finally have the device in front of us and here's everything you need to know.
OnePlus 7T
OnePlus 7T is the direct successor to the OnePlus 7. However, it brings significant improvements over its predecessor. The OnePlus 7T now features a 6.55-inch fullHD+ AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate. While the display still carries a waterdrop style notch, it can now crank up to a 1000nits of brightness. The panel is also HDR10+ supported and brings the tall 20:9 aspect ratio.
OnePlus 7T is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ processor coupled with the Adreno 640 GPU. The dual-SIM handset comes with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. The OnePlus 7T comes with the company's latest Warp Charge 30T technology.
On the optics front, the OnePlus 7T features a triple-camera setup at the back consisting of a 48-megapixel primary, 12-megapixel telephoto and a 16-megapixel ultrawide lens. Upfront, there is a 16-megapixel selfie shooter.
OnePlus TV
OnePlus has launched two variants of the OnePlus TV, the OnePlus TV Q1 and Q1 Pro. While they both share the same specifications, the only difference here is the soundbar, which only comes with the Pro model. Both the TVs sport a 55-inch QLED display with Dolby Vision technology. According to the company, these TVs offer the highest colour gamut at NTSC 120%.
OnePlus TV brings 120% NTSC colour gamut.
Apart from that, they also bring Gamma Color Magic that brings the highest level of performance with MEMC and De-Contour and phenomenal image quality. The OnePlus TVs also offer smart features like Wi-Fi Sharing, Trackpad Control, Smart Volume Control, OnePlus TypeSync, Quick App switch and more.
As for the content, OnePlus brings something known as the Oxygen Play. It offers a wide range of content via YouTube, Prime Video, Eros Now, Hungama, Jio Cinema, Zee 5 and more. Alongside Oxygen Play, the company has also introduced Oxygen Video where OnePlus will local features and international content and exclusive content.
Price, availability and launch offers
OnePlus 7T will be available in two variants, 8GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB. Both these variants will be priced at Rs. 37,999 and Rs. 39,999 respectively. OnePlus TV, on the other hand, comes with a starting price of Rs. 69,900 for the Q1 while the Q1 Pro will be sold for Rs. 99,900.
OnePlus 7T will be available across OnePlus India website, Amazon India and the OnePlus Experience stores starting September 28.
Disclaimer: The author is currently in New Delhi on the invite of OnePlus India.
Since the introduction of Android Oreo (Go Edition), Google has been launching two versions of its popular mobile operating system. While the main Android version is for most of the smartphones ranging from budget to flagship models, the Go Edition is a toned down version for the entry level smartphones with 1GB or lesser RAM.
With the latest version of Android, Google is focusing on speed by faster and more memory-efficient app switching. The company promises a 10 percent faster app launch time when compared to Android Pie (Go Edition). Additionally, the company has improved the reliability of the operating system making it more stable than before.
Apart from the performance, the company has also worked on security. Since Google has made Android 10 more secure already, it is quite obvious that the Go Edition will borrow some traits here. With Android 10 (Go Edition), Google has adopted Adiantum, which is a form of encryption built for a lower power device. This allows entry-level devices to encrypt data without compromising performance.
Android 10 (Go Edition) will come pre-installed on entry-level Android Go devices launching next year. OEMs like Nokia, who already have Android Go phones might roll out an update for the users.
For those who are unaware, Go Edition is Google’s initiative in bringing a lightweight operating system that can run smoothly on entry-level devices that come with less than 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. The company has announced that in the past 18 months, they over 500 manufacturers have launched more than 1,600 Android (Go edition) devices. These devices are available in more than 180 countries today.
Camscanner is a popular mobile application available on both Android and iOS platforms. The app was accused of various security issues and it was thrown out of the Google Play Store. However, upon listening to user feedback the company has now tailored its app and has improved the privacy and security significantly. Camscanner also brings a set of new features onboard.
In order to make a major comeback, the company added a set of useful features to the application. These features include the following.
1.) Image to spreadsheet
As the name suggests, this feature allows users to click a photo and immediately convert it into a spreadsheet without any hassle.
2.) Book to e-book
While this is a feature not many people will use, it can still come handy in some instances. Users can click pictures of the pages of a book and the app will automatically split the left and right pages.
3.) Print certificates
Users can now scan their certificates and keep them print ready as Camscanner will automatically crease out the bent text and make other necessary adjustments.
4.) Search and translate
Camscanner has added a new smart OCR that allows users to search any text from their scanned documents and translate it into more than 60 languages.
Commenting on the new features, Mr. Miller, Marketing Director, CamScanner said, “CamScanner always strives to provide a world class, smart document management solution. As India embarks on a steep digital curve, CamScanner ensures that people have a simple, seamless mobile scanner solution which instantly digitizes their documents, sync across multiple devices, and collaborate by sharing with others on popular communication platforms. I am certain that the new features will expedite the digital journey of our Indian subscribers.”
The above-mentioned features will be immediately made available to the VIP account users. VIP users will also be allowed to sync documents to the cloud with up to 10GB of available storage. Apart from this, the company has made changes under to hood in order to make the app more secure.
Xiaomi has finally announced the much-awaited update to their user interface, MIUI 11. The all-new update brings a refreshed UI along with a ton of new and exciting features. Since this is just a UI upgrade, it is not necessary that every device will get an Android upgrade along with it. Here's the list of devices that will get the latest update.
MIUI 11 Supported devices
It is quite obvious that the company will be first rolling out the update for its flagship devices first. These include the Xiaomi Mi 9, Mi 9T Pro, Mi Mix 3 and the Redmi K20 Pro. Apart from the latest flagships, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer will also update its older flagship and mid-range models.
Other Xiaomi and Redmi devices that will receive the MIUI 11 update will include Mi 9 SE, Mi CC9, Mi 8 Youth, Mi 8 Explorer Edition, Mi 8, Mi 8 Pro, Mi 8 Lite, Mi Max 3, Redmi K20, Redmi Note 7, Redmi Note 7 Pro and Redmi 7.
The above-mentioned devices will receive the update in the first batch, which is expected to roll out by mid-October. The following ones will get the update in the second batch.
Xiaomi will be rolling out the update for its older smartphone models like the Mi Mix 2, Redmi Note 6, Redmi Note 6 Pro, Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro. Apart from that, tMi 9 Pro 5G, Mi CC 9, Mi CC 9E, Mi Mix 2S, Mi Note 3, Mi 6 and Mi 6X will also receive the update shortly. Redmi devices like Redmi 7A, Redmi Note 6A, Redmi 6 and Redmi S2 will get the MIUI 11 update by the end of October.
The smartphone market in India is getting really competitive. Since it is a price-sensitive market, brands like OnePlus and Xiaomi are working on bringing flagship-level experience at a much affordable price when compared to the Samsung and Apple flagships out there. Here are the top 5 flagship phones one can get under Rs. 40,000.
ROG Phone 2
Asus India has finally launched the much-awaited ROG Phone 2. It is a successor to the last year's ROG Phone. While the design looks quite similar, the internals and the new price is what makes it an even better deal. By launching it for just Rs. 37,999, the company has brought in a tough competition for other brands. Here are our first impressions on the ROG Phone 2.
Redmi K20 Pro
Redmi K20 Pro looks best in the Glacier Blue or Flame Red colour variant.
Xiaomi's latest flagship Redmi K20 Pro packs in a triple camera setup at the back and a pop-up selfie camera. It runs on MIUI 10 on top of Android 9 Pie. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor coupled with up to 8GB of RAM. All of this is backed by a 4,000mAh battery. The Redmi K20 Pro is available at a starting price of Rs. 27,999.
OnePlus 7 sports a 6.41-inch bezel-less display with a waterdrop notch. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 octa-core processor. OnePlus 7 comes with a 48MP+5MP dual-camera setup at the back and a 16MP front camera. It also features an on-screen fingerprint sensor. All of these features are priced at Rs. 32,999. However, we would recommend waiting for a bit as OnePlus 7T is just around the corner.
Asus 6z is available at Rs. 31,999 and for that price, it offers the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 octa-core Processor. The smartphone has a 6.4-inch bezel-less display. It sports a 48MP+13MP camera which flips and acts as a selfie camera as well. All of this is backed by a 5,000mAh battery with Quick Charging v4.0 support.
Oppo Reno 2
Oppo Reno 2 series start at Rs. 29,999.
Oppo Reno 2 comes with a 6.5-inch dynamic AMOLED Panoramic display. It features a 48MP+8MP+13MP+2MP rear quad-camera setup and a shark-fin style rising 16-megapixel selfie camera. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G octa-core chipset paired with 8GB RAM. All of this comes with a price tag of Rs. 36,990.
Fossil Sport doesn't look like a traditional Fossil smartwatch.
Smart wearables like smartwatches are a niche category, but the market is growing at a rapid pace with new devices entering the market and sales growing at a steady pace.
Fossil, the brand that is known for its spectacularly crafted watches, entered the smartwatch market a long time ago. What made it stand out and succeed in my opinion was that their smartwatches were primarily watches and then smartwatches.
However, Fossil didn't consider using this approach while making their newest smartwatch, Fossil Sport. It is geared more towards fitness folks, wanting to track their run and activities. It is light, durable and even comes with a silicone strap so that the leather doesn't get spoilt with sweat.
In this review, we are going to find out if the new Fossil Sport is one of the best smartwatches for fitness-oriented people or not.
Fossil Sport Review: Design
Unlike the other Fossil smartwatches, with a heavy and traditional watch-like design, Fossil Sport features a completely different look. It is made out of lightweight aluminium and comes with a non sweat absorbing silicone strap.
The watch sports two customizable buttons on the right edge along with a scrollable wheel.
On the side of the watch, you will find a big centre dial, along with two buttons on it's either side. The side buttons are customizable buttons, enabling you to launch anything from the watch face. The centre dial works as a power button and helps in scrolling with the rotation of the dial. Buttons are a little stiff, which is a good thing as it prevents accidental presses, which I had experienced with some of the earlier generation Fossil smartwatches.
Fossil Sport straps are interchangeable and can be easily taken off and put on.
Turning the watch around and you will get to see the heart rate sensor, which is made out of glass surrounding which are metal contact points for charging.
The silicone bands do no absorb sweat.
Coming to the silicon straps, unlike leather it does not absorb sweat and wear out the band in long usage. However, silicone is not one of the most premium-feeling materials you can get.
It is durable and hot-swappable if you ever wanna change the look with another colour. A good thing is that the bands are not proprietary. Any 18mm or 22mm band depending on your casing size will easily fit the watch. So this means you can put your favorite band from any watch onto the Fossil Sport.
Overall, the design of the Fossil Sport is not like any traditional watch or Fossil's main lineup of smartwatches. The look and feel of the watch is a little sporty and comfortable. It's lightweight and made out of durable material that helps you perform in the gym without any issue.
Fossil Sport Review: Display
Fossil Sport features a 1.19-inch circular OLED display with a resolution of 454x390 pixels. The OLED panels offer true blacks, good colour accuracy and saves battery when the watch face is not on or in the Always on Display mode.
The display panel is not the brightest.
The bezel is not the smallest with a considerably huge black border around the display. Bezel-less displays haven't yet hit the smartwatches, but I am sure that we all will agree that it's not required.
The display panel on the watch is not one of the brightest. Even at full brightness, it is hard to properly read outside, and in direct sunlight, you can forget about you even being able to comprehend anything that's showing up on the watch. The always-on display is much duller.
Fossil Sport Review: Performance
Fossil Sport is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor, which greatly improves battery life and performance compared to the last generation Wear 2100 processor. It comes with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage.
The newer processor helps the watch feel a lot more snappy and responsive. The Watch rarely lags and 4GB of storage means you can load up a lot of apps or even music and videos on to the watch.
The overall, fit and feel of the watch is not premium, but still good.
Fossil Sport is completely geared towards fitness. Its heart rate sensor can help you track your fitness sessions and GPS allows for accurate step tracking. Unlike the likes of other fitness bands, step tracking is fairly accurate. Google Fit tracking allows you to track your fitness with even more precision along with many predefined modes.
The watch is also 5 ATM water-resistant, which means up to 50 meters of water protection for up to 30 minutes, which is good for a quick swim session. The silicone bands mean that the straps won't get spoiled with a quick swim.
Fossil Sport also sports an NFC chip for using Google Pay, but it cannot be used for any other things as of now, which according to me is a missed opportunity.
Fossil Sport Review: Battery Life
OLED panels on smartwatches make a lot of sense. Things like the Always-on display on LCD panels drain out a lot of battery. On an OLED display, it can shut down most of the pixels for a true black experience and battery savings.
With only the device connected to the smartphone and every other feature turned off, the battery lasts around 24 hours on a single charge. With the heart rate sensor on, always-on display turned on and device connected to a phone, the watch easily lasts a workday.
The device charges via metal contact points at the back.
When the device enters its low battery, I was able to make it run for 12 hours without dying. However, in the low power mode, you can only see the time, that too with the always-on display mode being turned off. Fossil claims a two-day battery life, which feels attainable considering if when the phone is disconnected and everything is turned off, it drained only 20 percent battery during a workday.
The smartwatch charges very quickly. With a basic one amp charger, it took the watch a little more than an hour to get fully charged from zero.
Fossil Sport Review: Conclusion
Fossil Sport starts at Rs. 17,999 and is not really a budget option, but at the same time, it is also not a premium option, considering prices of some other smartwatches available in the market. This smartwatch is aimed at the fitness enthusiast who wants a little more from their fitness trackers like the ones from the Fitbit.
Overall, Fossil Sport is a good smartwatch and a good fitness tracker.
Fossil Sport doesn't come with top of the line hardware, but it is good enough to keep the watch running without any hiccup. Fossil knows how to make a watch and their smartwatches keep getting better with each generation they launch. This watch is aimed towards people who want a fitness tracker but don't want to lose the features of a smartwatch.
Overall, the watch is really good considering it performs well at what it is aimed at doing and at the same time, it doesn't cost a fortune. Whether you should go for this depends on how much you want a fitness tracker and how much you want a smartwatch. There are cheaper fitness trackers in the market, but none with smartwatch capabilities. If you are looking for just a smartwatch, then you can probably find better ones, but the Fossil Sport will do just fine. So, unless you don't need features of a smartwatch, Fossil Sport is something you won't regret buying.
ROG Phone 2 has various accessories that take the experience to a whole new level.
Asus India has finally launched the much-awaited ROG Phone 2. It is a successor to the last year's ROG Phone. While the design looks quite similar, the internals and the new price is what makes it an even better deal. By launching it for just Rs. 37,999, the company has brought in a tough competition for other brands. Here are our first impressions on the ROG Phone 2.
Asus ROG Phone 2: Specifications
The ROG Phone 2 sports a 6.59-inch fullHD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate. It is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ processor coupled with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. It runs on Google's Android 9.0 Pie operating system. All of this is backed by a massive 6,000mAh, which also supports the 30W fast charging.
It is one of the best smartphones when it comes to the spec sheet.
As for the optics, the ROG Phone 2 features a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 48-megapixel primary and a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens. For selfies, there is a 24-megapixel selfie camera.
Asus ROG Phone 2: First Impressions
ROG logo gets RGB lighting on the back.
Holding the ROG Phone 2 for the first time in my hand felt really different from other smartphones out in the market. Due to the tall aspect ratio, the phone looks and feels quite distinguishing. Though it reminded me of other gaming phones like Black Shark 2 and Nubia Red Magic 3, it had a few tricks up its sleeve. To begin with, the 120Hz AMOLED panel felt super-smooth. Yes, it does have some bezels but that makes holding the phone while gaming a little easier.
These bezels also make way for the dual-speaker setup upfront, which sounds incredible. Turning the phone around, we see a design that is solely aimed at the gamers out there. In the era where most smartphone manufacturers are including glossy backs and thin design, Asus took a whole different route. From the way the cameras are placed to the RGB ROG logo at the back, everything screams gaming here.
Though it is called a gaming smartphone, it is worth noting that it is also one of the most powerful Android smartphones available. Since it has the top-notch specs, it is no doubt that it can easily beat everyth other Android phones out there in terms of sheer performance. However, we will need to test out the phone in our full review in order to see how well the spec sheet converts in real world usage.
Asus has finally launched its ROG Phone 2 in India. This is the company's most powerful smartphone yet. The 8GB+128GB variant is priced at Rs. 37,999 whereas the 12GB+512GB variant will be available for Rs. 59,999. It will be made available exclusively on Flipkart starting September 30.
Launch offers include 10 per cent instant discount on Axis Bank Credit and Debit Cards and ICICI Credit cards. Also, buyers can enjoy no-cost EMI for up to 6 months.
Asus ROG Phone 2: Specifications
Asus ROG Phone 2 sports a 6.59-inch full HD+ AMOLED display with a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels. It has a refresh rate of 120Hz, a response time of 1ms and support for 10-bit HDR. The display also has a 240Hz touch sampling rate and a touch latency of 49ms. It is protected by Gorilla Glass 6.
The device is powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 855+ processor, which has been clocked at 2.9GHz. It is paired with an Adreno 640 GPU. The device comes with up to 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 3.0 storage.
The device runs Google's Android 9.0 Pie operating system with the company's own ROG UI on top. Users are also being given an option to switch to stock Android if they want to do so.
All of this is backed by a massive 6,000mAh battery, which is also the largest battery any major smartphone manufacturer has provided in their flagship smartphone. The phone also comes with support for Qualcomm's Quick Charge 4.0 fast charging technology.
Asus ROG Phone 2 comes with a USB Type-C port at the bottom and a proprietary connector for accessories. It also supports an in-display fingerprint sensor. The device comes with dual front-facing stereo speakers, which support DTS: X Ultra. It also features ultrasonic air triggers.
Coming to the camera department, the Asus ROG Phone 2 sports a dual-camera setup on the back consisting of a 48MP primary sensor paired with a 13MP wide-angle secondary sensor with a 125-degrees field of view. On the front, it features a 24MP sensor for taking selfies and making video calls.
Asus ROG Phone 2 launched in India: Accessories
Lastly, the company launched various accessories for the ROG Phone 2 at the launch event also. These include a dual-screen TwinView dock, the clip-on AeroActive cooler fan, Kunai Gamepad and Mobile Desktop Dock. TwinView dock, Kunai Gamepad and Mobile Desktop Dock are priced at Rs. 19,999, Rs. 9,999 and Rs. 12,999 respectively.
Redmi Note 7 Pro comes with a 48-megapixel camera and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor.
Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi recently launched the Redmi Note 7 series in India. The most expensive of all of them is the Redmi Note 7 Pro. The smartphone comes with a 48-megapixel camera and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor. But how do these specifications convert to real-world performance? Let's find out in our full review of the Redmi Note 7 Pro.
Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: Specifications
Redmi Note 7 Pro sports a 6.3-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels and a waterdrop style notch. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM. The device comes with 64GB of onboard storage, which is further expandable using a microSD card. It runs on Android 9.0 Pie based MIUI 10 out of the box. All of this is backed by a 4,000mAh battery.
As for the optics, it features a dual camera set up at the back, consisting of a 48-megapixel primary sensor along with a 5-megapixel lens for depth sensing. For selfies, it sports a 13-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture.
Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: Design
Out of all the smartphones available in this price segment, the Redmi Note 7 Pro gives a more premium in-hand feel when compared to others. The premium feel comes from the metal-glass sandwich design and a nearly bezel-less display upfront. Though the Black colour looks stealth, the company even has more flashy Neptune Blue and Nebula Red colour options.
It features a 48-megapixel camera at the back.
As far as the placements are concerned, front of the smartphone gets a notched display with a speaker grille right above it. Coming to the back, Redmi Note 7 Pro sports a dual-camera setup paired with an LED flash aligned vertically on the top-left corner. It is worth noting that the camera setup has a bump and we highly recommend slapping a case on to avoid scratching the lens. Also, the fingerprint sensor is towards the top middle of the device. At last, there is a "Redmi by Xiaomi" branding at the bottom.
As for the sides, the volume rocker and the power button sit on the right edge, whereas, the left edge only gets the hybrid SIM tray. The bottom edge sports the USB Type-C port along with the speaker and main microphone and the top edge holds the headphone jack and a secondary microphone.
Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: Software
Just like all other Xiaomi phones, Redmi Note 7 Pro runs on a customised Android skin called MIUI. The smartphone comes with Android 9 Pie based MIUI 10 operating system. While the UI offers tons of great features along with a high level of customizability, it makes things heavy on the RAM.
Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: Performance
Redmi Note 7 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor. We had the 4GB RAM variant to test out and did not face any issues while playing heavy games like PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9. Even the daily tasks were a breeze on the smartphone, thanks to the optimisations made to MIUI. However, I did face a system crash once, which is not that big of an issue.
Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: Camera
The camera section is something most of you must have been excited about, as the Redmi Note 7 Pro comes with a 48-megapixel primary sensor at the back. While 2018, was the year of notches, 2019 is all about maximising the camera megapixel count. This is why Redmi decided to go in with the Sony IMX586 48-megapixel sensor.
Outdoor shot
Selfie
With the help of a huge pixel count, the phone manages to capture some highly detailed images even in the dark. Though it is not the best camera phones out there, it surely manages to beat the most in the price range. As for the selfies, there is a 13-megapixel selfie shooter, which also does a decent job.
Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: Battery
The battery is where the Redmi Note phones tend to really shine. The Redmi Note 7 Pro, is the combination of the MIUI optimisations and the 4,000mAh battery, both of which combined make it last for more than a day.
During my time with the device, I usually pulled out the charger at around 8 AM and by 11:30 PM, I still had around 25 percent juice left most of the days. With light to moderate usage, one can easily pull off a two-day battery backup.
Redmi Note 7 Pro is one of the best smartphones under Rs. 15,000. It manages to bring the perfect balance between design, performance and price. While there are options like Samsung Galaxy M30s and Realme 5 Pro, the Redmi Note 7 Pro still outperforms them in most of the areas.
However, Xiaomi also recently announced a price drop for the Poco F1, making it a much better deal when compared to the 6GB RAM variant of the Redmi Note 7 Pro.
In a nutshell, if you are looking for a decent smartphone that can fulfil most of your needs without burning a hole in your pocket, you should go for the Redmi Note 7 Pro.
OnePlus since the launch of the OnePlus 3 has been launching two smartphones every year. While the first phone of the year gets all the bells and whistles, the second phone with the "T" branding is just a refresh. However, this year is going to be different as the company will be launching two smartphones.
Since the OnePlus 7 Pro came with all the new exciting features, the company has provided consumers with something at a lower price as well, the OnePlus 7. Let's check it out and see how it stacks up out in the real world.
Before I start introducing the all-new OnePlus 7, I would like to bring it to your attention that the OnePlus 7 is essentially the OnePlus 6T but with upgraded internals. Since I have reviewed the OnePlus 6T a couple of months ago. I wasn't that excited at first but when I spent some time with it, I realised that it is a better proposition than the 6T and even the 7 Pro in a few ways.
OnePlus 7 Review: Design
As mentioned above, the OnePlus 7 looks quite identical to its predecessor. It also sports a metal and glass sandwich design. Even though the fragile glass back is here from the last generation, the company has still not added wireless charging support. It is also worth noting that the phone still comes with a pre-applied screen protector and a soft TPU case bundled inside the box.
Just like the OnePlus 6T, the OnePlus 7 also does not come with a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The company launched two colour variants at the time of the launch, namely, Mirror Red and Mirror Grey. We received the Mirror Blue colour variant for review, which was launched a month after the phone was announced.
While all these colours are reflective, Mirror Red and Mirror Blue make the phone really stand out and look different from the OnePlus 6T. However, I personally loved the Thunder Purple colour variant of the 6T and expected the same to arrive with the 7 as well.
The dual-camera setup tells the difference between the OnePlus 7 and the 6T.
While most of the design elements are imported from the OnePlus 6T, the company has made a few changes here and there. The speaker grille on the top of the waterdrop notch is now bigger. The alert slider is now a little smaller and smoother. Lastly, the flash is now included inside the camera bump on the rear and is a circle instead of a pill.
From the front, OnePlus 7 looks exactly like its predecessor.
OnePlus has introduced a higher resolution and a higher refresh rate display on the 7 Pro but sadly the OnePlus 7 gets the same display panel as the 6T. It is still a 6.41-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels. While the panel is not as mesmerising as the Samsung ones, but it is still one of the best in its segment. Also, the AMOLED display makes room for an in-display fingerprint scanner, which is now much faster than before.
OnePlus 7 Review: Software & UI
OnePlus has been the king of this segment for quite some time now. The company's OxygenOS brings stock Android experience with an essential set of features added on top of it. Just like the OnePlus 6T, the OnePlus 7 also runs on Google's Android 9 Pie operating system with OxygenOS layered on top of it.
OxygenOS is one of the smoothest user interfaces.
In terms of bloatware, the phone only includes a Netflix app as they have collaborated with OnePlus. Rest of the phone is left clean with a lightweight UI resulting in a fast and smooth user experience. Also, the OnePlus 7 gets support for the Android Beta program, which means the users can already try the Android 10 operating system.
OnePlus 7 Review: Performance
Where OnePlus 7 really distinguishes from its predecessor is in terms of internals. OnePlus 7 comes with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor. It is available with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. It also gets UFS 3.0 based storage with up to 256GB capacity. All of this combined brings blazing fast performance on board.
With the Snapdragon 855 on board, OnePlus 7 offers incredible performance numbers.
As far as the real-life usage is concerned, the great hardware when coupled with smooth and optimised software delivers an amazing user experience. In the 10-15 days of my usage, I never faced any lags even while playing heavy games like PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9. OnePlus 7 keeps up on the brand's identity when it comes to sheer performance.
OnePlus 7 Review: Camera
OnePlus 7 sports 48-megapixel primary sensor coupled with a 5-megapixel secondary depth sensor. Upfront, there is a 16-megapixel selfie shooter. Since the launch of the smartphone, the company has released a couple of software updates that have significantly improved camera performance.
1 of 8
While the phone does not come close to the likes of the Google Pixel 3a or the Samsung Galaxy S10e in terms of camera performance, it still manages to take some really impressive shots. The images taken from the phone are great for social media posts but where the cameras lack is in the details of the images shot.
While it is not a two-day phone, it easily lasts one full working day.
OnePlus 7 is backed by a 3,700mAh battery, which supports the company's 20W Dash Charge fast charging technology. Since the battery capacity is similar to the OnePlus 6T, the results are also more or less the same. Yes, the Snapdragon 855 chip inside is more power-efficient and the phone still manages to last through a complete workday. Even when a top-up is required, Dash Charge is quick enough to bring enough power in just half an hour.
OnePlus 7 Review: Verdict
The speaker grille is now larger.
OnePlus 7 is a confusing smartphone, to begin with. The Chinese smartphone manufacturer picked up the OnePlus 6T and made improvements to it, called it the OnePlus 7 and started selling it at a cheaper price. While it might have triggered the OnePlus 6T buyers, others were totally impressed with the new pricing since not everyone can afford the more expensive OnePlus 7 Pro.
However, soon after the launch of the OnePlus 7, Asus and Xiaomi brought in the Asus 6Z and the Redmi K20 Pro respectively. This might confuse the buyer since the competitors are now bringing a much more impressive set of features. While this will not stop OnePlus fans from considering the OnePlus 7, it will open up their minds to look at other brands as well.
