It’s been over 7 months since it was released in India. And not only the phone aged with time, it has grown and evolved to give a better experience. So, here’s how this beast holds up after 7 months.
Though, a lot of devices appeared with the claim to be faster and cheaper and hence an authentic flagship killer, but none were able to match this AMOLED panel.
OP did some great job with this panel; thanks to the QHD res and 90 Hz screen refresh rate, everything is sharp and smooth. The notch less and curved glass design one plus took for this does indeed gives that immersive feel and makes it look premium like the Samsung flagship but it has its own downsides. Protected with Gorilla Glass, the device has that traditional glass sandwich design which looks and feel good in hand. But glass is glass; and glass breaks.
Yet, device feels very premium in hand and this back is quite catchy. I like it most of the times ie when it is not having those smudges and fingerprints. Honestly, they spoil the look. To avoid them, it is always advisable to have a skin installed. This way you keep your phone brand new and you might find a combination which feels better than that of glass in my opinion.
The alert slider and buttons would’ve looked more interesting if they had this accent going on just like Google does; it’s a small touch but it is always good to have.
A good looking phone with some good hardware numbers is what creates a unique and worthy device and one plus indeed achieves that milestone sporting some best specs.
The panel here is really solid and colors are accurate; very accurate. The blacks look fine, whites are not pinkish or yellowish and this QHD resolution is so sharp. And one can tell that it is not one of those cheap panels other Chinese OEMs use because it does not has those reddish greys and blacks at low brightness levels and also, the brightness range is pretty good; it should easily fit in both late night texting or reading and outdoor cab booking.
But what might bother you is the glare you get due to that curved glass.
It’s not very annoying but you should know it’s there and the best you can do is learn to live with it or put a matte finish screen guard if they exist for this device.
Besides these little things here and there, watching content or playing games is really something you’d enjoy. The speaker on this one is above average I’d say; it competes head on head with the top tear competition in terms of audio output. Beasts are having lot of detail and even at higher sound levels, it retains the details which is a good thing even after months of abuse this has faced.
Yep, OP did release android 10 based O2 OS the same day Google unveiled their latest and greatest. Currently we are running the latest stable build and software updates are some the best things OP has to offer. It feels as of OP is having a rivalry with Google itself in terms of releasing updates. xD
As they age and as there are more and more apps in the app drawer, more apps in memory, more cache, this is how the scenario is going to be. Does it mean it is slow or not up to the mark? Nope, not at all; it is one of the snappiest device your money can buy in 2019. But with time, phone has also aged.
Android 10 update was not a surprise for us; it’s just that we were not expecting it on the day Google will unveil it. OP has effectively used Android 10 and has delivered us some good user exp. The system wide dark mode implementation is one of the best in my opinion; and then these accent options are just a sweet thing to have as an option.
You know what’s consistent besides the update cycle and this beautiful display? The performance. Yep I did just criticize OP for this xD but no, I mean the hardcore performance; this device did get really hot but I did not notice any thermal throttling or any drops during our extended gaming hours or during those multiple Antutu runs.
The UI optimizations are just something where OP aces and becomes a reason to be considered as a choice even before Samsung and Apple.
Well, OP becomes a good choice for the people who want clean software experience and some good gaming performance. As expected, gaming performance is top notch; it sometimes struggles though unlike its overclocked brother 855+. Natively, only Smooth+Extreme settings are supported in PUBG whereas HDR+Extreme is possible on 855+ which is just insane. But for those graphic crazy gamers out there, you can always use Pubg GFX tool to override the settings and play the game at highest possible, but mind you, the device gets a little more hot and the battery drain becomes a little more aggressive.
Speaking of Battery, this one has a 4000mAh battery with OP Dash charge. The number sounds pretty good but in real world things are quite different. I’ll explain.
I am that kind of person who’d keep his Bluetooth, location, wifi, and vpn on for most of my time; I’d also game and do some youtube, video caliing and voicecalling. Pretty heavy huh. Yep, and in that scenario you cannot end the day with this device even if you start with a full 100% in the morning. I was getting an average of 3.5-4 hr of SOT during my 10-12 hr work day and then I’d charge it before my night gaming session. I am not saying battery backup is bad; I just want to let you guys know that don’t get blown away with those numbers, cuz this device sports a 90 Hz panel. And that smoothness comes at a cost.
But you really don’t need to worry because the device come with this DASH charge which is so fast and can give a big battery boost with just 20-30 min charge and I totally adore that and give a huge thumbs up to one plus for this.
Also, if you are someone who does not really game, then this device may get you through a full day of work without hassle.
About the camera, yep it is a good camera and nothing has changed a lot over the time so let's skip that for this one.
The legend said, no device is perfect and that happens to be the case here also.
The Build: This glass sandwich design might seem tempting but it comes at a cost of durability which a lot of users want. The motorized camera is also concerning and we’re not sure if that can be called durable; also, moving parts means that we should acknowledge that we need to take some good care of it while handling in a dust or water prone area.
The Battery life: though it is not necessarily bad, but it might be a concern for those who look up to this device as a potential gaming smartphone. But you can always switch it back to 60 Hz.
Headphone Jack: yep, this is a deal breaker for me though I embrace OP devices. Being a casual gamer, I would like to plug in my gaming headsets and game instead of pairing a Bluetooth device; since that will only increase the battery drain and the audio output via the headphone jack cannot be really matched.
The Price: Yep, OP has placed this device in the premium segment and during the past months, phones like ROG 2, Redmagic 3s have appeared; and with a lower price point, they can be considered as a good offering over OP 7pro.
So, should you invest you bucks in OP 7pro? Well,
- If you are a non-gamer/casual gamer, who need a good UX, updates, just a day’s battery and is not bothered about headphone jack, then yes you should invest your money in here as the spots which this device misses are quite less and the features it is offering are worth it.
- If you’re a pretty serious gamer who looks for a good gaming experience then you should consider this device; though battery backup is mediocre, the fast charging fills the gap.
- If you’re low on budget and your priorities are value for money and sturdy build, then probably you should skip this one.
Well that's it folks; I hope you enjoyed reading. Thank You.