OnePlus 7T long-term evaluation: is it still worth buying?

The 2019 OnePlus 7T was one of the most feature-rich devices the company has released in recent years. The phone was the culmination of the OnePlus experience. It delivered excellent value for money with all the specifications you could want. Indeed in Android Authority OnePlus 7T review, we called it one of the best devices ever made by the company.

How well is the phone holding up today twelve months after it was launched? More importantly, how well can the OnePlus 7T hold its own against the brand’s latest affordable flagship, the OnePlus 8?

With the OnePlus 8T on the horizon, we’re taking a long-term look at the T-series predecessor to see if the phone is still worth it a year later.

About this review: I wrote this OnePlus 7T long term review after spending a week on the phone. The device was supplied by OnePlus India.

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Summary of the OnePlus 7T report

A year has passed since the OnePlus 7T was launched, and a lot has changed at OnePlus since then. Before we take another look at the OnePlus 7T, check out our video to see what we thought about the phone when it started. Do you prefer the written word? You can take a look at our OnePlus 7T review here.

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How well has the OnePlus 7T aged?

The pace of innovation is fast, but OnePlus hardware usually keeps up with the latest trends due to the forward-looking datasheet. However, the OnePlus 7T surprises by outperforming the OnePlus 8 in several areas. In fact, the phone can easily compete with some of the best smartphones available right now.

Sure, the OnePlus 8 gets the newer Snapdragon 865 chipset, but to say it’s significantly faster would be a poor service. Together with 8 or 12 GB of RAM, the Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset of the OnePlus 7T still flies through tasks. I didn’t have any problems with daily use.

See also: The best OnePlus phones in different categories – budget, camera, and more

Indeed, a year of software tweaks has made the phone extra chic. I’ve been swapping back and forth between the OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 8 for a while, and there’s no difference in performance to the naked eye.

It also helps that the two phones are remarkably similar. The OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 8 have very similar 90Hz Full HD + panels, with the biggest difference being switching from a notch to a camera.

The OnePlus 7T and its successor are remarkably similar, which makes it an even better deal.

Elsewhere, the two phones have the same under-display optical fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers, and more.

One of my main reasons for the OnePlus 7T was the medium battery life. The company cleared that up with the OnePlus 8’s larger 4,300 mAh cell. Where the former was scared of range until late at night, the OnePlus 8’s battery life has never been an issue.

Then there is the lack of 5G support. If you’re in one of the markets where next-generation networking is currently a reality, the OnePlus 7T just isn’t going to do it for you.

Is the camera still good?

Imaging matters Really Interesting. On paper, the OnePlus 7T has the better camera with a 48-megapixel primary camera flanked by a 12-megapixel telephoto shooter and a 16-megapixel ultrawide camera. The OnePlus 7T’s camera was a competent performer when it launched, so I was excited to see how the numerous updates over the course of a year would help hold its own against its successor.

Connected: OnePlus Phones – A History of the Company’s Full Line of Products

The OnePlus 8 replaced the telephoto lens of the 7T with a 2MP macro camera. In addition, the OnePlus 8 swapped the larger f / 1.6 aperture of the OnePlus 7T for a longer focal length that brings a little more into the frame.

Hardware specs aside, OnePlus phones traditionally suffer from camera setting. I took out the OnePlus 7T with updates for a year and the OnePlus 8 with Oxygen OS 11 to see how well both phones work.

OnePlus 7T OnePlus 8

Right off the bat, there are differences in the way both cameras approach imaging. The OnePlus 7T produces a more realistic shot, though there’s still some saturation boost to add a bit of vibrancy to the foliage. OnePlus has taken steps to reduce its aggressive noise reduction with updates. However, you can still see a bit of smudging with pixel peeping.

The OnePlus 8 increases the exposure level for a brighter picture and the color temperature is a little too warm. There is also an additional sharpening layer for more clarity.

The results are also consistent outdoors. There are minor tradeoffs between the two models, but on the whole, OnePlus has done an excellent job of improving the phone’s camera setting. The OnePlus 7T’s shooters can easily compete with most affordable flagships for 2020.

In general, I prefer the more neutral processing on the OnePlus 7T over the slightly overexposed images captured on the OnePlus 8, but the differences are pretty minor.

OnePlus 7T OnePlus 8

Finally, the OnePlus 7T’s tele option blows away images captured by the OnePlus 8. The reasoning is simple: In contrast to the software-based digital zoom of the OnePlus 8, the OnePlus 7T has a special 2x telephoto lens.

Connected: The best Android camera phones you can get

Overall, the improvements made to the OnePlus 7T’s camera setting over the past year have further enhanced an excellent performance. The phone doesn’t just stop. It manages to outperform its successor in several ways, and if macro photography isn’t a priority for you, the OnePlus 7T is definitely the better option.

OnePlus 7T vs OnePlus 8: what’s missing?

The list of differences between the two phones is short and covers three areas – – Battery, processor and 5G support.

Of these, 5G support should be the only real deal breaker for most users. If you are in a supported region and If you’re looking to pay the premium for top speeds, the OnePlus 8 is definitely the way to go.

Elsewhere, the battery life of the OnePlus 7T has held up very well. I can still use a full day. However, you might want to keep an eye out for the upcoming OnePlus 8T, which is expected to have an even bigger 4,500 mAh battery as well as support for lightning-fast charging at 65W.

If you want the best, you should want the OnePlus 8 Pro with a 120Hz display, telephoto camera, wireless charging, and IP rating for water resistance. Despite the upcoming launch of the OnePlus 8T, OnePlus has confirmed that there won’t be a OnePlus 8T Pro and that the OnePlus 8 Pro will remain its true premium flagship.

OnePlus 7T Long-Term Review: The Verdict

The OnePlus 7T was a special phone when it launched. A year later, it remains one of my favorite smartphones. It struck an excellent balance between looks, performance and value to stand out from the tough competition. This competitive advantage still applies today – – This is all the more true as the phone has become more affordable.

The OnePlus 7T is still a special phone even after a year.

In North America, you can buy a OnePlus 7T for just $ 429, which makes it a bargain for the type of hardware package you get. In the UK and the EU, the phone is now available for just under £ 500 and ~€ 529. In India, the phone costs just 37,999 rupees for the top-end variant.

Apart from 5G and the absolutely best battery life, the OnePlus 7T can easily hold its own against today’s premium smartphones. In fact, it has the potential to outperform some of them, making it easy enough to recommend provided you can get good business with it.

OnePlus 7T 90 Hz liquid AMOLED display, Snapdragon 855 Plus, triple cameras