OnePlus has just unveiled the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro, but that’s not all. Since it’s 2019, there’s a 5G model too.
We first got wind of this handset around six months ago, but OnePlus still hasn’t spilled all of the beans. However, here’s everything we do know about the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G.
Read more: What is 5G?
OnePlus 7 Pro 5G specs and features
In terms of design and specs, it’s a very similar story to the OnePlus 7 Pro. There’s a full-screen display, popup selfie camera and a trio of rear camera sensors. The two phones also look identical, apart from the 5G marking you’ll see on the back of the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G.
But this version of the handset, of course, features Qualcomm’s X50 modem and will be able to connect to 5G networks once they go live (more on this below).
OnePlus says the road to the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G hasn’t been smooth. The company says it had to start from scratch after testing the initial version of the phone for durability, and had to create new designs for its 5G antennae and NFC antenna in order to ensure the final product wouldn’t be too chunky.
Keen to find out more? Check out our OnePlus 7 Pro review
After something cheaper? Then take a look at our OnePlus 7 review hands-on
The phone’s cooling area is also 50% bigger than the cooling area on the non-5G OnePlus 7 Pro.
Unfortunately, all of this could come at the expense of battery life. OnePlus recently hinted that you shouldn’t expect amazing stamina from 5G phones in general.
“It would be easy to create a workable 5G solution that would be thick and ugly but that wouldn’t be what’s ultimately desired,” OnePlus co-founder Pete Lau said ahead of the OnePlus 7’s unveiling.
“[Consumers] want the battery to last longer. To address this particular need, we could increase the battery size and make the device thicker but from our perspective this isn’t a best plan of action. Our customers want a device that is thin and light, but they also want it to last all day. That’s the ideal device. But 5G brings the challenge of a phone that’s harder to keep at the same size.”
OnePlus 7 Pro 5G release date
The OnePlus 7 Pro 5G doesn’t have a fixed release date, but OnePlus says it’s “coming soon”. In the UK it will, initially at least, be an EE exclusive. Unfortunately, we don’t yet know when EE’s 5G network will go live.
The mobile network will activate limited 5G networks in 16 UK cities before the end of 2019, but they won’t cover the entirety of these cities. Instead, the mobile network says it has adopted a “demand-led” strategy, focusing on very specific areas “where the need is greatest”.
Read more: 5G phones
OnePlus 7 Pro 5G price
The OnePlus 7 Pro 5G doesn’t have an official price either. However, you can expect to pay a good chunk more for it than the OnePlus 7 Pro.
“The forecast from Pete [Lau] is between $200 and $300 higher for the 5G device – not necessarily a problem for our users because it’s what they’re after,” Eric Gass, OnePlus’ director of global brand partnerships, told Trusted Reviews last year.
Since the base-level OnePlus 7 Pro (6GB RAM, 128GB storage) costs £649, and the top-spec OnePlus 7 Pro (12GB RAM, 256GB storage) costs £799, we can deduce that the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G could cost somewhere between £849 and £1099.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
