Look, a tale of two shades!
We are going to be blunt about it – these have got to be two of the most interesting phones in terms of color. We had the Ocean Green variant of the Oppo Reno and the Nebula Blue variant of the OnePlus 7 Pro, and both turned heads with their subtle and classy sheen. Importantly, even though both phones used the now-almost-universal glass back, both did so in a manner that made them look strikingly different. Both phones have avoided the slippery slope of glossy shine and while they will pick up smudges and scratches, there is no chance of either being confused for another device. If we had to pick one, we would go with the Reno 10x Zoom, mainly because of an additional design element on its back – a thin strip containing the Oppo branding and a tiny sphere (very Sony Ericsson) which keeps the phone slightly off the surface, ensuring the cameras do not get scratched. Incidentally, the Reno also has its camera set up flush on its back, while the 7 Pro’s cameras protrude. Yes, the 7 Pro is slimmer (8.8 mm against 9.3 mm) and marginally lighter (206 grams against 210), and it is handsome in its own right, but we are picking the Reno.
Am AMOLED, Am fluid AMOLED
Both phones come with almost identical sized displays – the Reno has a 6.6-inch display, while the 7 Pro has a 6.7 inch one. However, there the similarity ends. For, while the 7 Pro follows a Samsung-type edge to edge design ethic, tapering over the sides, the Reno is more conventional. What they both have in common, though, is a severe butchery of bezels – there are hardly any, resulting in very high screen to body ratios in the region of 93 percent. We found the Reno’s display to be slightly brighter and more vivid, but the 7 PRO’s display steals the march with a higher (quad HD, 3120 x 1440) resolution as compared to the Reno’s full HD+ (2340 x 1080). And while the difference might not be discernible to mainstream eyes, the OnePlus 7 Pro’s display also has a higher refresh rate of 90 Hz as compared to the more conventional 60 Hz on the Reno, which should give it an edge in videos and gaming.
Due Processors: We are chipping together
When it comes to processors, the two phones are pretty evenly matched – both are powered by the current flagship darling, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855. In simple English, both gents/ladies pack enough processor-wise to easily handle anything the app community or users can throw at them, from high definition gaming to productivity apps to multiple tabs. There is not too much to choose between the two here.
And we connect similarly too
Both phones are very well stacked when it comes to connectivity options. 4G, Wi-Fi. Bluetooth 5, GPS and even NFC – all are present and accounted for on both!
Gig Bytes: The Pro’s got the RAM, the Reno’s got storage
When it comes to RAM, OnePlus has always been in a zone of its own. And that seems to continue with the OnePlus 7 Pro, with variants that pack 6 GB, 8 GB and even 12 GB of RAM. The Reno 10x Zoom, on the other hand, has 6 GB and 8 GB RAM variants. When it comes to storage, both devices have 128 GB and 256 GB variants, but the Reno has a slight edge – it has expandable memory (one of the two SIM card slots is a hybrid one). In terms of sheer value, we would say that the advantage here is with the Reno.
Rear cameras that fight on zoom
Both phones come triple camera setups on the back. And both have a large 48 megapixel main sensors, although the 7 Pro has a larger aperture at f/1.6 as compared to the f/1.7 on the Reno. There the similarity effectively ends. For the 7 Pro has an 8-megapixel telephoto lens that claims to deliver 3x optical zoom and a 16-megapixel ultrawide lens. On the other hand, the Reno has a 13-megapixel “periscope” telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and 10x hybrid zoom as well as an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor. On paper, it would seem that the OnePlus has a slight edge with the larger aperture, but in real life performance so far, the Reno has been doing much better and the 10x hybrid zoom (and 60x digital zoom) really adds a lot to the experience. OnePlus could turn it around with a software update but as of now, the rear camera force is with Oppo, in terms of performance rather than specs.
Front cameras that rise differently
Both phones have 16-megapixel front-facing cameras, but as in the main rear sensors, that’s where the similarity ends. The selfie snapper on the 7 Pro is a conventional, square-shaped pop-up camera that rises from behind the display when needed, while the one on the Reno rises in the shape of a triangle, giving the name “shark fin.” Once again, in terms of performance, we think the Reno has a slight edge here – we found detail to be sharper on its selfie camera than on the OnePlus 7 Pro.
Displays with fingerprint scanners? Check!
Both the Oppo Reno and the OnePlus 7 Pro come with in-display fingerprint scanners and face unlock mechanisms. While we thought that the fingerprint scanner on the Reno was marginally quicker, the face unlock on the 7 Pro came with OnePlus’ legendary speed. It is a case of each canceling the other out.
Stereo speakers? Check! No 3.5 mm audio jack? Checkmate!
Both phones come with dual stereo speakers. The Reno’s “Shark Fin” accommodates the earpiece while the 7 PRO’s earpiece is a thin strip right on top of the phone. Both phones have the second speaker on the base. In our experience, the Reno 10x Zoom had a slightly richer sound than the 7 Pro but the difference was marginal! Incidentally, neither phone sports a 3.5 mm audio jack.
Big batteries…that charge fast
The Reno and the 7 Plus both pack in large batteries. And their own versions of fast charging. The Reno comes with a 4065 mAh battery with VOOC charging, while the 7 Pro has a 4000 mAh battery with Warp Charge. Both will easily last you through a day of heavy usage. But it is the charging speeds that are fascinating – the Reno’s 20W charger took less than an hour and a half to go from zero to hundred and had no drip charge at all – there was no discernible change in charging speed at all. The OnePlus 7 Pro’s 30W charger also took about the same time to charge it fully from zero, although it did slow down a little over the final ten percent. A slight edge to the Reno 10x Zoom again, but really slight.
Breathe Oxygen…or See Color?
Both phones come with Android 9 (Pie) out of the box. But there – yes, you have heard this before – the similarity ends. The OnePlus 7 Pro runs on the minimalistic Oxygen OS that OnePlus is famous for while overshadowing Pie on the Reno is Oppo’s more feature rich Color OS. Which one you opt for is really a matter of personal choice – we can see geeks liking the OnePlus 7 PRO’s cleaner look, even while mainstream users will love the plethora of options and features the Reno gives them. OnePlus’ very good software update record, however, gives it the edge here.
So, Rs 39,999 or Rs 48,999?
Yeah, it boils down to that. The OnePlus 7 Pro is OnePlus’ unabashed premium segment play and starts at Rs 48,999 for the 6 GB/ 128 GB variant, with the 8 GB/ 256 GB priced at Rs 52,999 and the 12 GB /256 GB variant priced at Rs 57,999. The Oppo Reno 10x Zoom on the other hand starts at Rs 39,990 for the 6 GB/ 128 GB variant and Rs 49,990 for the 8 GB/ 256 GB variant. The difference in the 8 GB/ 256 GB variants might not appear to be that much – slightly more than Rs 3,000 – but the almost Rs 9,000 price gap between the 6 GB/ 128 GB variants is significant.
OnePlus or Minus?
So should you go for the OnePlus 7 Pro or the Oppo Reno? Based on this super casual and quick catch up, it is really going to depend on what you value. The 7 Pro has the more modern looking, higher looking display and vines with a 12 GB RAM option, as well as very clean software, but the Reno hits back with better cameras, THAT distinct shark fin design touch, and perhaps more than matches the 7 Pro in most departments and comes at a much lower price. Your call, really, but our hearts are currently with the Reno – that price edge cannot be ignored.
