Everything You Need to Know About the OnePlus 7T — the First OnePlus with a Price Drop « Android

OnePlus, whose phones always challenge for the title of best spec-to-price ratio, releases two main devices every year. There's the primary flagship in late spring, then an iterative update with the "T" suffix in fall. Typically, there's not much difference between the two, but this year, OnePlus is mixing up the formula a bit.

The biggest change came with the spring cycle when OnePlus released the 7 Pro in the US. Other countries got a stripped down version simply dubbed the OnePlus 7. But that's changing with the fall release: the US is only getting the OnePlus 7T, not the potential 7T Pro we would've guessed. So it's an iterative update to a lower-end model we didn't get in the first place — yet it's still a great phone in its own right.

OnePlus 7T Highlights

Important Dates

OnePlus announced the OnePlus 7T on September 26, 2019. It was announced via a livestream which started at 10:30 am EDT.

The phone will be available to the public starting October 18, 2019. No preorder dates were announced. However, OnePlus did promise that they will let users purchase the phone early at the T-Mobile Signature Store in New York City. Date and time details will be released later.

Release date: October 18, 2019
Preorder date: N/A
Announced: September 26, 2019 (10 am EDT)

Storage Capacity

The 7T will be available in only one storage option, 128 GB. While this isn't a lot (especially without a microSD card), one thing to remember is that this is UFS 3.0 storage. UFS 3.0 uses dual lanes to read and write and offers higher bandwidth than the previous standard, which means saving files and loading apps will be quicker.

Storage available: 128 GB
Expandable storage: no

Price for Everything

This is probably the most important piece of info to most OnePlus users, and you're getting a treat. For the first time, OnePlus is dropping the price. That is right, the OnePlus 7T will start at $599, $70 lower than the 7 Pro. Honestly, this price drop makes sense, as the 7 Pro is still a better overall phone.

Price: $599

Body

The OnePlus 7T has a similar design to its predecessor with aluminum around the edges and glass on both sides. It will come in two colors, Glacier Blue and Frosted Silver. The back glass is a matte frosted material with a nice texture making it less slippery, but it is still prone to fingerprints. It also has an improved vibration motor that will be more accurate and easier to feel.

Frame: aluminum
Finish: Haze Blue, Frosted Silver

Everything You Need to Know About the OnePlus 7T — the First OnePlus with a Price Drop — *Image via OnePlus*

Basics

The 7T is a smaller phone than the 7 Pro thanks to the smaller display. It's also a thinner phone thanks to its smaller battery, so this may be the OnePlus phone of choice for those who struggle with the large size and thickness of the 7 Pro.

As for carriers, T-Mobile will be the exclusive carrier of the 7T. OnePlus will once again sell the GSM unlocked version on their website which will work on T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon networks.

Height: 6.34 inches
Width: 2.93 inches
Depth: 0.32 inches
Weight: 6.7 ounches
Dust/water resistance: no official rating
Supported carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless
Infrared blaster: no

The operating temperatures should be the same as most phones. However, because OnePlus doesn't post this information, so we don't know its non-operating temperature, relative humidity, or operating altitude.

Operating temp: 32°F –95°F
Nonoperating temp: Unknown
Relative humidity: Unknown
Operating altitude: Unknown

Software

It is no surprise the OnePlus 7T is running Android 10 out of the box. OnePlus just released the latest version of Android for the OnePlus 7 Pro days before the 7T announcement.

OnePlus 7T users get access to over 60 new changes including revamped full-screen gesture controls, but they'll also be rocking the first phone to ship with the new OS version.

Version: Android 10

Skin

The 7T will run the latest version of Oxygen OS, 10.0. While it will not debut the software (as the 7 Pro is already running it), it will be the first OnePlus phone to run it out of the box. As usual, OnePlus will enhance stock Android with optimizations and faster animations.

One improvement is Game Space, a dedicated area for access to all your game and fine-tuning the experience. Ambient Display can now show info based on specific times, locations and events. The full-screen gestures have been improved (which already are among the best) to include new inward swipe to go back and the ability to switch between recent apps easily with a new bottom navigation bar.

Version: Oxygen OS 10.0

Display

The OnePlus 7T has a nearly identical display to the 7 Pro with one exception: it is only 1080p. You are still getting the 90 Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ certification. Max brightness has also been increased to 1,000 nits, 200 nits lower than the industry-leading display of the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

One nice upgrade (for some) is that return of a flat display. While curved display over more immersive experience as it gives you the impression the screen never ends (at least on the side), it prone to accidental touches. That is no longer a problem with the 7T.

The 7T does bring back the notch. It's the same teardrop notch from the 6T (or the 7 from overseas), so it is minimal, but it's still there, for better or worse. The display is TÜV-certified to reduce blue light, which will put less strain on your eyes, especially at night time.

Screen size: 6.55 inches
Screen resolution: 2400 x 1080 pixels
Total pixels: 2,592,000 pixels
Pixel density: 402 ppi
Screen type: Fluid AMOLED (flat)
HDR: HDR10/10+
Notch: yes
Screen-to-body ratio: 86.5 percent
Aspect ratio: 20:9
Minimum brightness: 2 nits
Maximum brightness: 1000 nits
Refresh rate: 90 Hz (90 Hz for touch-sensing)
Color temp: 7,407 K
Color gamut: 111 percent DCI-P3, 140 percent sRGB / Rec.709

Performance

The OnePlus 7T comes with 8 GB of RAM, giving you more than enough memory for gaming and multitasking. It also comes with RAM boost technology, a feature which rejects other apps' RAM usage for a smoother gaming experience.

The 7T uses the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+. This isn't a huge upgrade from the 7 Pro's Snapdragon 855, but it's noticeable. The 855+ is an overclocked 855, with the highest Gold core clocked to 2.94 GHz instead of 2.84 GHz. The bigger change is the 15% increase in the GPU frequency, which helps with gaming, especially when games support unlocked frame rates, allowing them to reach 90 fps if the GPU supports it. With all this power comes 60 fps on PUBG mobile, adding it to the small list of Android phones which support this feature.

Memory: 8 GB
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+
Chip size: 7 nanometer
CPU frequency: 2.94 GHz (Single Gold Core) + 2.42 GHz (3 Gold Cores) + 1.8 GHz (4 Silver Cores)
CPU cores: 8 Cores (1 Gold + 3 Gold + 4 Silver)
GPU: Adreno 640 (672 MHz)
GPU cores: Unknown

Battery

The OnePlus 7T has a formidable battery size at 3,800 mAh. Thanks to improvements in battery management of Android 10 combined with the power efficiency of the Snapdragon 855+ and OxygenOS 10.0, battery life will last all day and then some.

The already-fast Warp Charge also received an upgrade. Known as Warp Charge 30T, it can charge the OnePlus 7T to 100% within one hour, 23% quicker than the previous fast-charging system. There will not be wireless charging support.

Battery: rechargeable lithium-ion
Capacity: 3,800 mAh
Wired charging: yes, Warp Charge 30T
Wireless charging: no

Front Camera

The front camera for both models is the same as 7 Pro. It is a 16 MP standard lens but now housed in a display notch. It supports HDR and EIS and is used for OnePlus' insecure (but extremely fast) face unlock.

Resolution: 16 MP
Aperture: ƒ/2.0
Pixel size: 1.0 µm
Zoom: no
Flash: yes, screen flash
Image stabilization: yes, EIS
Sensor: Sony IMX471
Sensor size: 1/3 in
Autofocus: fixed focus
Video resolution: 1080p at 30 fps
Time-lapse: yes
Face unlock: yes
HDR: yes
Face retouching: yes
RAW support: Unknown
Object detection: Unknown
Formats: Unknown

Rear Camera

The hardware for 7T is the same as the 7 Pro. It uses the same triple camera: one telephoto, one ultra-wide, and wide-angle. The wide-angle is the Sony IMX586, the same image sensor on many flagship phones this year, including the 7 Pro. The primary lens uses Quad Pixel, which means that four adjacent pixels are combined to form one pixel for an image at 1/4 of the resolution that performs better in low light situations.

The 7T has one major change and one minor one. The major difference is the new design. Instead of three cameras lined up vertically, they'll be flipped horizontally. The lenses will still be arranged in a line, but they'll be housed in a circular unit.

As for the minor change, the telephoto lens is now 12 MP. The additional resolution should help with the image quality, although how the phone processes images and the sensor are also factors. Unlike the 7 Pro, it will only have 2x optical zoom.

But the big changes are in the software. Namely, there will be a new macro mode which let you take photos up to 0.98 inches away. There is also a new hybrid image stabilization which leverages both OIS and EIS for maximum stability. This system should work similarly to the Pixel 3 and help with objects in motion, shaky hands, and low light. Finally, Nightscape is improved for brighter night shots without overexposure.

Resolution: 48 MP (primary); 16 MP (ultra wide angle); 12 MP (telephoto)
Sensor: Sony IMX586 (primary)
Sensor size: 1/2 in (primary)
Aperture: ƒ/1.6 (primary); ƒ/2.2 (ultra wide angle); ƒ/2.2 (telephoto)
Pixel size: 0.8 µm/48 M; 1.6 µm (4 in 1)/12 M
Zoom: 2x , 10x digital
Flash: yes, dual-LED
Image stabilization: yes, OIS (primary)
RAW support: yes
Lens cover: sapphire crystal
Lens quality: 7P
Object detection: Unknown
Formats: JPEG, PNG, RAW
Autofocus: multi autofocus (PDAF+CAF)
HDR: yes
Portrait: yes

Video software has been upgraded as well. You can now shoot videos using all three lenses interchangeably. And thanks to EIS, all the video will be stabilized. It will also be able to shoot up to 960 fps at 720p for super slow-motion, but this will come in an OTA after the phone's release.

Resolution: 720p, 1080p, and 4K (2160p)
Max frame rate: 4K at 30/60 fps; 1080p at 30/60 fps; 720p at 60 fps
Slow motion: yes, 1080p at 240 fps and 720p at 480 fps/ 960 fps
Time-lapse: yes
Photos: Unknown
Zoom: 10x digital zoom
Flash access: yes (same as above)
Video stabilization: yes, EIS + OIS
Object detection: Unknown
Autofocus: multi autofocus (PDAF+LAF+CAF)
Audio: WAV, AAC, AMR
Formats: MP4

Audio

OnePlus 7T retains the same dual speakers from the 7 Pro. It also supports Dolby Atmos for both a surround sound experience and louder audio. There is no headphone jack still (that is gone but never forgotten).

3.5 mm headphone jack: no
Stereo speakers: yes

Media Formats

The OnePlus 7T has the same audio and video codec support as its predecessor, including the addition of EAC3, EAC3-JOC, and AC4.

Audio: MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, WAV, FLAC, APE, OGG, MID, M4A, IMY, AC3, EAC3, EAC3-JOC, AC4
Video: MKV, MOV, MP4, H.265(HEVC), AVI, WMV, TS, 3GP, FLV, WEBM

Sensors

The OnePlus 7T will have the same sensors as the 7 Pro.

Accelerometer: yes
Ambient light: yes
Barometer: no
Color temperature: yes
Compass: yes
Gravity: no
Gyroscope: yes
Hall: no
Infrared: no
Laser: no
Pedometer: no
Proximity: yes

The OnePlus 7T will once again have dual-frequency GPS. Dual-frequency improves tracking from 16 feet on a single band to 11.8 inches. This means GPS shouldn't lose you in cities, and you'll get precise tracking to the point where your phone knows which lane you are driving in. The 7T will be only the second phone in the US to offer this feature.

GPS: yes (L1 + L5)
aGPS: yes
Glonass: yes
BeiDou: yes
Galileo: yes, (E1+E5a Dual Band)
QZSS: no

Connectivity

Right now, it looks like both models will have the same connectivity as the 7 Pro using 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) for wireless internet. However, this could be upgraded, as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ does support Wi-Fi 6, but so far nothing has indicated this change.

Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Cat13 2x2 MIMO
Modem: Cat18 /UL Cat13 (1.2Gbps /150Mbps) 4×4 MIMO
Bluetooth: 5.0, support aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, AAC
NFC: yes
Cellular: dual nano-SIM
Port: USB Type-C 3.1 GEN 1

The OnePlus 7T support AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon radio frequencies.

FDD LTE: B1,2,3,4,5,7,8,12,13,17,18,19,20,25,26,28,29,30,46,66,71
TDD-LTE: B34,38,39,41,48
UMTS: B1,2,4,5,8,9,19
CDMA: BC0,BC1,BC10
GSM: B2,3,5,8

Security

OnePlus once again decided to use the optical in-display fingerprint scanner. This scanner is less accurate than ultrasonic versions and can't be used with dirty or wet hands. However, it is faster, able to unlock the 7 Pro in 0.21 seconds.

Fingerprint scanner: yes, optical in-display
Face scanner: no
Iris scanner: no
Manual authentication: password, PIN, pattern, swipe

Box Includes

In the box will be the 7T, the power adapter, compatible USB-C cable, and documentation. There is a case and pre-applied screen protector, although we recommend upgrading the case. We also recommended buying a faster cable, one which takes advantage of the USB 3.1 Gen 1 data port since the one in the box is USB 2.0. Anker Powerline is a great option.

OnePlus 7T
Warp Charge 30 Power Adapter
Warp Charge Type-C Cable (Support USB 2.0)
Quick Start Guide
Welcome Letter
Safety Information and Warranty Card
Logo Sticker
Case
Screen Protector (pre-applied)
SIM Tray Ejector

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Cover image via MKBHD/YouTube