OnePlus has unveiled its new T Series phone, the OnePlus 7T, at a major event in India.

CEO and founder Pete Lau announced the new device on stage in India to much applause as OnePlus instils some of the features believed in the more expensive 7 Pro device, such as a triple camera lens setup and 90Hz screen refresh rate, into its standard line.

Speaking about the new device, Lau said: “OnePlus always strives to deliver the best technology and ‘fast and smooth’ experience possible to its users. The OnePlus 7T is a combination of style and substance, with industry-leading technology including the super smooth 90 Hz display, and new triple-camera set-up, and an unmatched user experience.”

We’ve had a few days to try out the new device – here are our impressions so far.

OnePlus 7T Design

The stand-out difference with the 7T is the new back design, featuring a circular camera array and the matte-frosted glass back first sported on the OnePlus 7 Pro – the company’s first premium device. That triple camera array seems a lot cleaner than other new designs on the market, whilst the glass design is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass.

On the front, the phone has a 6.55 inches fluid AMOLED display with a 90Hz screen refresh rate. The waterdrop notch which houses the front camera is 31.4 per cent smaller than the one found on the 6T – usually I’m not a big fan of this type of notch design but it feel unobtrusive on the 7T. It’s also extremely slim, a mere 8mm, making it one of the thinnest flagship phones on the front.

There’s something to be said for non-curved screen phones. Huawei says its achieved a feat of engineering with the near 90 degree curve on the Huawei Mate 30 Pro but there’s something reassuringly stable about a screen that films the frame and doesn’t go any further. Plus so many apps aren’t always so suited to the curved screen, like Instagram for example, which means it can get fairly annoying.

OnePlus 7T camera

The OnePlus 7T packs some impressive tech into its rear triple camera lens – the first time OnePlus has brought this many lenses to its standard smartphone. It has a main 48MP camera, a 12MP telephoto lens, and a 16MP ultra-wide angle lens. In comparison, Apple’s new iPhone 11 Pro has a 12MP telephoto lens, 12MP ultra-wide angle lens, and a 12MP wide angle lens.

The rear camera can now shoot 4K video up to 60fps (frames per second) and super slow motion up to 960fps – now that is slow. TikTok fans can use the wide-angle video option to capture videos for their favourite social network.

The front camera is the same 16MP selfie camera found on the OnePlus 7.

OnePlus has also improved the camera’s software. The rear camera has an upgraded ultra shot engine and a new Macro shooting mode so you can take pictures as close as 2.5cm in full quality. For portrait shots, the camera uses the wide-angle camera as well as the telephoto zoom lens to achieve those bokeh background effects. Sometimes the portrait mode shots can seem a bit over-edited on previous OnePlus device but in practices so far, this appears to have improved.

Nightscape has also been improved and now you can take ultra wide-angle night shots.

OnePlus 7T specs and software

The OnePlus 7T is one of the first phones shipping with Google’s new Android 10 OS, with OnePlus’s OxygenOS skin built on top. OnePlus says it has made 370 optimisations to improve things like animations, visuals and unlocking speeds - you can finally switch apps in landscape mode too.

The use of Android 10 means OnePlus fans will be some of the first to get access to all the new features, such as dark mode, revamped security permissions and new gestures – I’m already appreciating this final feature.

Inside, the phone is one of the first to ship with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855+ processor, which promises to be 15 per cent faster than the standard 855 chip, like the OnePlus 7. There are updated algorithms for screen unlock so it’s better at reading thumbprints too.

OnePlus is also taking advantage about of the AI capabilities in the 855+ chipset. The Smart Boost feature means the more you use the phone, the more it gets to know your habits, so apps will load in the background that you use the most, in order to be ready for the time you need it. Check Citymapper before you leave the office every day? In theory, that should open nice and fast if the device is paying attention.

As well, the company has extended its Zen Mode feature. For the 7 Series, it locked down your phone for 20 minutes, but now you can adjust the timing for up to an hour. Excellent for when your on deadline.

OnePlus 7T release date and price

Despite unveiling the phone today, OnePlus has decided to keep the pricing and release date under wraps for now. However, it will be releasing more information about the new device at the global launch event at Magazine in London on October 10.

We’ll be on-hand at the event to see what else is new with OnePlus.

OnePlus 7T first impressions

OnePlus has kept with its formula of making high-quality devices at – what we assume will be – mid-range prices. And it’s a formula that works well. The high-end 855 chipset, coupled with the new Android 10 OS and software improvements will make upgrading from say a OnePlus 5T, still one of the company’s most popular phones, an easy choice.

The design isn’t as flashy as the 7 Pro was with the pop-up camera, but it feels good in your hands and the screen has all the makings of a more expensive device, with that 90HZ refresh rate.

I haven’t had enough time with the camera yet to judge it on these capabilities but the tech specs alone are impressive and an upgrade on the previous 7 and 6T devices.

OnePlus is one of the best Android makers around and with Huawei’s star waning, it should be able to capitalise on this with the OnePlus 7T.

What about the OnePlus 7T Pro?

There are rumours that OnePlus will be releasing a 7T Pro version, and maybe a 5G one too, as it did earlier this year with the 7 Series. Unfortunately, neither device made an appearance at the 7T launch – though we’re holding out for a glimpse at the London event in October.