Build and Design
Both the OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 8 share a similar design language. Glass on both sides with the back having a frosted finish. The OnePlus 7T has a unique camera arrangement on the back with a circular module while the OnePlus 8 has a more conventional vertical alignment. You also get some pretty interesting colors with the new OnePlus 8 like Glacial Green and Interstellar Glow.
Display
This can be regarded as one of the major changes from the OnePlus 7T depending on how you perceived the notch on that phone. The OnePlus 8 gets a punch-hole AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. Not just that, but the display on the OnePlus 8 is now curved on the sides just like the OnePlus 7 Pro and the 8 Pro. The display on both phones measures 6.55-inch diagonally. The OnePlus 7T on the other hand also comes with a Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. However, the panel on the OnePlus 7T is not curved on the edges and instead of the punch-hole cutout, you get a dew-drop notch. The punch-hole implementation looks much cleaner undoubtedly, but some users prefer the flat display panel from the OnePlus 7T over the curved display on the OnePlus 8. That again is based on personal preference.
Performance
The OnePlus 8, being the latest flagship from the brand comes with updated internals which means it gets the all-new Snapdragon 865 SoC with 5G capabilities. The Snapdragon 865 is the best available smartphone chip on the Android side of things so you can expect blazing fast performance when coupled with OxygenOS. The OnePlus 7T, however, is no slouch despite the fact that it runs on last year’s Snapdragon 855+ mobile platform. In day-to-day usage, you will not notice any major difference be it while multitasking or while playing heavy games like PUBG. However, if you’re going to be using 5G and you want a phone that’s more future-proof in this regard, the OnePlus 8 is obviously the better option. Since both phones run on OxygenOS, there isn’t anything to differentiate between the two in terms of software either. The OnePlus 8, however, would probably get longer software support because it’s newer.
Cameras
The cameras on the OnePlus 8 are identical to those on the OnePlus 7T which means they’re probably going to perform similarly too. Both phones use the 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor as the primary camera and are accompanied by a 16MP ultra-wide shooter. The difference, however, is in the third camera which is actually better on the OnePlus 7T. The OnePlus 7T gets a 12MP 2X telephoto lens whereas the OnePlus 8 only gets a 2MP macro lens. The cameras on the OnePlus 7T are more versatile when compared to the OnePlus 8 which gives it an ever-so-slight edge. The selfie shooter on both phones is also a 16MP unit.
Battery and Charging
The OnePlus 7T had a 3800mAh battery with support for Warp Charge 30T rated at 30W. The OnePlus 8 gets a much-needed bump in capacity and comes with a 4300mAh battery which would surely help with the added 5G support. The charging speed remains the same with the 30W Warp Charge 30T.
Which one to buy?
Clearly, the OnePlus 8 has better performance, a cleaner looking front with a punch-hole camera, and a larger battery. The OnePlus 7T on the other hand also performs great to this date and has more versatile cameras and a flatter display which some users seem to prefer. But, more importantly, it also costs much lesser than the new OnePlus 8 which makes it a great option even in 2020. Unless you want the latest tech with 5G and a larger battery, the OnePlus 7T offers better value.
