ISSUE 66 • ANDROID ADVISOR 53BUYING GUIDE- they sound good for a phone, but y’know. There’s
even a new haptic motor – something previous
OnePlus phones have struggled with. These still
aren’t the best vibrations out there, but how many
people really worry about that?
Finally, waterproofing. OnePlus says getting an
official IP rating is a waste of money that drivesprices
up,sothere’snoofficialmeasureofhowwater‑
resistant the phone is. The company itself says the
phone can survive a splash (there’s even an extra layer
of liquid protection around the sliding selfie cam), but
doesn’t recommend you take it swimming.
Ultimately, an IP rating offers peace of mind that
the 7 Pro just won’t offer in that regard, but as OnePlus
is quick to point out, no smartphone manufacturer
coversliquiddamageinitswarranty– eventhosewith
industry‑leading IP68 ratings. So basically this should
keep working if you drop it in the bath, but I’m not
about to risk the phone and this review to find out.
Software
Let’s wrap it all up on a high note. As ever, OnePlus
excels on the software side – Oxygen OS is
probably our favourite Android skin, and the only
one that’s arguably better than Google’s own
efforts on the Pixel phones.
The look is close to stock, but with usability
tweaks across the board and subtle UI tweaks to
smooth over some of Android’s rough edges. Not
everything is perfect – swiping up for back remains
one of the less intuitive gesturecontrolsoutthere,
and the lack of a true always‑on display is still a