OnePlus 7T: 5 reasons to still pick up the cut-price flagship [Video]

Damien Wilde | Jan 20 2020 - 4:00 pm PT

The OnePlus 7T is arguably the best mainline OnePlus phone to date for a wide variety of reasons.

It manages to leverage so much of what made the OnePlus 7 Pro one of the best flagship devices of 2019 with only some very minor corner-cutting for a slightly to help achieve a more palatable price-tag.

With the mid-range space hotting up, there really are very few smartphones that can match or get close to the spec sheet of the 7T in North America. You really do get one of the most enticing Android packages without having to break the bank — which as we all know is true of many previous OnePlus smartphones.

As we eagerly await the OnePlus 8 series, you might be thinking of holding out just a little bit longer to see what the frankly ludicrous six-month release cycle has to offer. Although we have to say that even with the new device on the horizon if you are looking to upgrade now is still a great time to do so.

Because we understand that you might be on the fence, we’ve whittled down what we would consider the five core reasons to pick up one of the best smartphones of 2019 at this early stage of 2020.

Price

The value proposition of most OnePlus smartphones is part of the reason they have grown in popularity so much. The OnePlus 7T is no different as you get genuine flagship tier specs in a smartphone that costs just a smidgen under $600.

We even compared the 7T directly to the Pixel 4, which sits at a slightly higher price point and comes with reasonably similar specifications. There can be no doubt that the OnePlus 7T manages to offer just as much “magic” but at a much more wallet-friendly level.

Because of that, it’s still impressive that you still get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ chipset, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of UFS 3.0 internal storage for less than half the price of what Samsung asks for the Samsung Galaxy Note 10. It’s impressive just how much smartphone you get for your hard-earned money.

Design

OnePlus has come a long way since the OnePlus One. Every material used in the 7T is definitely far more “premium” in most regards. The Glacier Blue and Frosted Silver are incredibly striking even among a growing list of more colorful handsets.

Some might balk at the large circular camera bump but it differentiates the device yet further still — plus it’s actually a pretty good camera set up all things considered. Every seam feels well crafted and precise, while the slight curve at the back and satin finish means the OnePlus 7T nestles comfortably into your hand.

You still get the awesome notification slider toggle, and the SIM card slot has moved down to the base of the phone, which I think often gets overlooked. OnePlus also increased the earpiece size quite substantially. This does make a huge difference in audio quality when in phone calls. The design is iterative but in just about all the right ways to make this nearly perfect for most people.

90Hz Display

Obviously, the jump from 60 to 90Hz is not going to be quite as noticeable as 60 to 120Hz but boy is this one gorgeous phone to use because of that high refresh rate. Everything feels that little bit smoother and more refined. Animations look amazing and gliding through Android 10 is a dream 99.99% of the time.

We’ll likely see the OnePlus 8 Pro bring a 120Hz AMOLED panel but as far as FHD+ displays go, this is one of the very best you can get right now. It’s also taller and thinner thanks to the 20:9 aspect ratio, which also makes the growing library of 2:1 content online that bit easier to consume and more enjoyable to boot.

Now when you combine that with the fact that the OnePlus 7T display is flat and you’ve got a winner in almost every single regard. There’s no issue with phantom touches and the flat display is great for typing, gaming and generally just swiping around. Flat displays really need to make a comeback and let’s hope OnePlus leads the charge.

Charging Speed

I wouldn’t consider the battery on the OnePlus 7T exceptional. It is pretty solid though, even despite the 90Hz panel needing more juice than a 60Hz option. Also, the lack of wireless charging is becoming more and more of a glaring omission with each OnePlus smartphone release.

Despite that, Warp Charge 30T is like some kind of wizardry that literally alters your entire notion of what charging a smartphone should be like. For instance, with the Pixel 4 XL, I tend to leave the device overnight on a wireless charger. I wake up and then only charge again if desperately needed throughout the day — which sadly is quite frequently.

With the OnePlus 7T, I slap the Warp Charger cable in and within 30 minutes the battery is rocketing towards 100%. Because of the sheer charge speed, it means I tend not to charge overnight or worry about having above 70% battery all the time as I do on my Pixel. I tend to just stick on charge here and there and it’s more than enough to see me through a day. Warp Charge 30T is amazing and it’s almost worth giving up wireless charging for.

OxygenOS

We can’t talk about the OnePlus 7T and not mention OxygenOS. This is the fastest Android skin out there by some margin. If you like the Pixel version of Android 10 and don’t necessarily want to give up the experience, then OxygenOS is the next best thing.

Because it contains very few major alternations, OxygenOS would arguably fly on even modest hardware. With the top-tier Snapdragon 855+ chip and 8GB of RAM — we say this with nearly every OnePlus device — the sense of speed is unlike any other smartphone.

What’s more, with regular security patches and potential OS upgrades, you can expect longevity unlike many other Android phones from rival brands that have released during the same timeframe.

Conclusion

If you want a smartphone that just gives you everything you “need” in abundance, then there are few that match the OnePlus 7T in every single department. The display is probably the best you can find for under $600 on the market right now.

Super-fast charging is amazing in practice, even without the ability to wirelessly charge and the entire although haven’t mentioned the camera, it remains solid and improves with every single update. All-in-all there really is so much to love about this phone that it actually makes you wonder how OnePlus will top it come the launch of the OnePlus 8.

Where can I buy the OnePlus 7T?

You can pick up the OnePlus 7T at quite a few online retailers including Amazon, T-Mobile, or direct from OnePlus in the US with prices now starting from around $550.