HDR10+ certification, pop-up front camera, faster and smoother: Here's what to expect from OnePlus 7 Pro

OnePlus is trying to pull of three difficult tasks. First, they’re doing simultaneous launch events across the world: London, New York & Bengaluru. Second, these are going to be followed up by pop-ups and road shows in multiple cities. Third and the biggest challenge of all: to launch two different flagship phones in different colours and storage capacities and to convince people that they worth paying more for.

We’ve been seeing a lot of leaks of the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro. For the most part, they seem pretty accurate. If the leaks are anything to go by, OnePlus is opting for a two device strategy this one. As the brand becomes better known, it makes sense to cater to two distinct segments. OnePlus 7 should be visually very similar to the outgoing 6T - but with that all-important Snapdragon 855 processor and upgraded camera. The 7 Pro will the flagship that competes with the big boys - the iPhone, Galaxy S10, Pixel 3 and so on.

First, the parts that we already know - OnePlus has teased several features over the past few days on social media. Mostly, the push is around the 7 Pro because it has all the groundbreaking new features. HDR10+ certification and DisplayMate A+ rating for the display, no notch (pop-up front camera), UFS 3.0 storage (twice as fast as UFS 2.1), multiple cameras with a distinct wide-angle and telephoto lens, low light shooting and more.

Next, the things we're expecting. The focus is on a much faster and smoother experience. The only way to make it visibly ‘smoother’ than other devices is to increase the display refresh rate. Most screens around us (phones, tablets, laptops, TVs) have a 60Hz refresh rate. That means they can refresh content on the screen up to 60 times a second. There are multiple advantages of having a higher refresh rate screen: smoother motion, better animations, reduced blur and sharper visuals. This time around, there's also greater focus on the software experience - OnePlus' Oxygen OS (OOS for short). Specifically, we're expecting some India-specific OOS enhancements because of the India R&D centre.

The regular OnePlus 7 is not getting as much attention as the flashy Pro version - but the 7 might be the one that sells more since we're expecting a sub Rs40k price. Plus it should still get all the important upgrades (SD855, UFS 3.0 storage, camera upgrades), making it good value for money. It’s important to know that both of these will still be the first phones in India with the flagship Snapdragon 855 processor.

Finally, the price. Prices of OnePlus phones have been steadily rising but we expect the OnePlus 7 to take a cue from the outgoing 6T and start at under Rs 40,000. Depending on which RAM/storage variant you choose, the price could go up to Rs 50,000. The 7 Pro will be priced higher - very close to many other flagships like the Galaxy S10e and iPhone XR. We’re expecting prices for the OnePlus 7 Pro to start at around Rs 50,000.