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OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition review: the fastest smartphone around

AndroidPIT OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition Charger 2
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Once again, OnePlus has revamped its flagship with a McLaren Edition version. As always, this model promises power and luxury. We tried it for several days to see the difference between this OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition and the standard version of the OnePlus 7T Pro. So, what is the most powerful smartphone ever made by the brand (but also the most expensive) worth? Find out in our full review.

OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition

Good

  • Nice design
  • Very nice AMOLED 90 Hz display
  • Performance

Bad

  • Little differences with the OP7T Pro
  • Very high price
OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition: All deals

OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition release date and price

Announced on October 10 with the OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 7T Pro, the OnePlus 7T McLaren Edition will go on sale on November 5 at a price of £799. That's £100 more than the standard version on which it is based. Only one version is available with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

AndroidPIT OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition Charger 1
The OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition comes with a charger and a black and orange cable / © NextPit

In this review, I will focus only on the differences with OnePlus 7T Pro. To find out everything about the screen, camera, sound quality or battery life, I recommend that you read our detailed test of the OnePlus 7T Pro, the McLaren edition being identical in these areas.

AndroidPIT OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition Front 1
It's hard to differentiate the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition from the standard OnePlus 7T Pro / © NextPit

Above all, it's an aesthetic difference

Let's be clear from the beginning, the differences between the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition and the classic version are few and far between. Admittedly, under the hood, the smartphone offers a little more RAM, but it is mainly in terms of design that we can distinguish between the two devices.

AndroidPIT OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition Back 3
The McLaren logo is present on the back of the smartphone / © NextPit

Inspired by McLaren's aesthetic approach, the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition follows the lines of the OnePlus 7T Pro while adding the iconic Papaya Orange touch of the famous car manufacturer. The smartphone, available only in black, then takes advantage of the light reflections on its back to display an orange border along the lower and lateral edges of the device. Depending on how you hold the smartphone, the OP7 McLaren Edition looks different.

AndroidPIT OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition Back 2
A little beastly look, I think / © NextPit

The other major difference is found in the black back. Around the camera module that houses the three sensors stored vertically, OnePlus has added a "carbon fiber" effect that also plays with light. Personally, I'm not necessarily a fan of this effect but it's a subjective question of course.

AndroidPIT OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition Back 1
There is an orange border on the side and at the bottom / © NextPit

OnePlus has also added a different protective shell in the box to the white plastic shell usually offered. Instead, there is a cover made of Alcantara, a fabric that is pleasant to the touch, but also more durable and more adhesive. Both brands want to convey the luxury image that is often associated with Alcantara.

AndroidPIT OnePlus 7T Pro Orange Button
The mute button on the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition in orange recalls the color of McLaren / © NextPit

As you can imagine, the handling is equivalent. The smartphone retains exactly the same dimensions and weight as its brother. It is, therefore, a rather imposing smartphone that should be operated with both hands. The pop-up camera always allows you to enjoy the 6.67-inch AMOLED bezel-less screen at 90 Hz, which is ideal for multimedia use.

AndroidPIT OnePlus 7T Pro Screen
The smartphone is still as imposing to handle as ever / © NextPit

Oxygen OS customized McLaren

At the software level, OnePlus has also made some changes. The smartphone still has the latest version of Android, Android 10, with the manufacturer's in-house interface, Oxygen OS.

AndroidPIT OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition Front 2
By default, the dark mode with an orange border is present / © NextPit

The smartphone retains the same feeling of power, speed, and fluidity as the OnePlus 7T Pro, but also offers a few small additions, including exclusive animations, themes, and wallpapers. The lock screen also features a minimalist clock inspired by the McLaren dashboards, although I've never driven a vehicle of this brand before so I can't confirm similarity. By default, the smartphone also offers a dark mode, which you can change in the settings if you prefer the theme one way or the other.

androidpit oneplus 7t pro mclaren edition
The partnership with McLaren is reflected in specific animations, themes and wallpapers / © NextPit

Funny thing, the notification LED on the edges of the screen also lights up slightly with a papaya orange glow. Finally, custom icons complete the overall immersion in the McLaren universe.

AndroidPIT OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition Clock
The clock design is specific to this edition / © NextPit

More RAM than you really need

Of course, under the hood, the smartphone differs from the standard version with 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM on board. For the rest, there are also 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage as in the OnePlus 7T Pro, a Snapdragon 855+ processor, the Warp Charge 30T fast charge, a 90 Hz AMOLED display and a triple camera.

Not surprisingly, the smartphone is powerful. However, the difference in everyday life is completely imperceptible compared to the standard model. In particular, the smartphone obtains the same benchmark test scores as its brother. That is not surprising. The excess RAM is only used for multitasking and application management in the background. But the difference between 8 and 12GB is not visible on a daily basis for the moment, it can even penalize the smartphone because its management is more complicated. The only advantage will be in the long term in several years.

If you're looking for a fast and powerful smartphone, the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition is the most successful model from the Chinese manufacturer.

AndroidPIT OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition Front Camera 1
The smartphone gets slightly hot when it is very busy but nothing serious / © NextPit

You can consult the results of the benchmarks tests in the table below:

OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition on Benchmarking Tests

  OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition OnePlus 7T Pro OnePlus 7T
3D Mark Sling Shot Extreme ES 3.1 6118 5945 6020
3D Mark Sling Shot Vulkan 5306 5217 5245
3D Mark Sling Shot ES 3.0 7772 7562 6649
3D Mark Ice Storm Unlimited ES 2.0 75497 70245 72408
Geekbench 5 (Single / Multi) 754 / 2564 758 / 2707 786 / 2825
PassMark Memory 32026 32373 32960
PassMark Disk 51068 44238 50068
AndroidPIT OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition Fingerprint Sensor
The fingerprint sensor remains under the display on the McLaren Edition / © NextPit

OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition technical specifications

Final verdict

The OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition differs only slightly from the standard model. It takes back the qualities (and they are many) of the device while adding some different cosmetic elements outside but also inside. The additional RAM is welcome and allows the smartphone to stand out from the OnePlus 7T, something that was criticized for the standard OnePlus 7T Pro. However, the extra 100 pounds for this version is not necessarily worth it. It's up to you to decide if you like the black color more and want to stand out with this McLaren version. For the rest, the classic OnePlus 7T Pro will do just as well.

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Go to comment (6)
Pierre Vitré

Pierre Vitré
Head of Content

Pierre has a strong passion for new technologies and mobile since its first StarTac. Android user since 2011, Pierre became totally hooked. He never leaves his smartphone and smartwatch and still believes in the success of Google Glass. That's why he joined AndroidPIT.fr to be the head of content.

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6 comments
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  • 1
    Cos Jan 2, 2020 Link to comment

    I sold my OnePlus Pro 7 to get the latest and greatest and it was a mistake. The phones are just too similar. T-Mobile's 5G which does not use mmwaves, but their 600hz band and their 4G service are about the same speed. The Finger print sensor on the McLaren is not as good as the 7 Pro. It will not work with a glass screen protector on it. I used the same one on the One Plus 7 and the McLaren, and the McLaren only reads about 10% of the time. Big Difference


  • 1
    Superdroid Dec 4, 2019 Link to comment

    That's a superb price for a 5g phone. That's the selling point really, it's 5g


  • David Martrano 29
    David Martrano Nov 6, 2019 Link to comment

    Save a couple hundred and get the 7t? I know the 12gigs of ram & 256gb's of base storage is enticing!


  • 3
    KING DAVID Nov 6, 2019 Link to comment

    I really do


  • 3
    KING DAVID Nov 6, 2019 Link to comment

    I think that this......is a good idea


  • marco sarli 39
    marco sarli
    • Admin
    Nov 6, 2019 Link to comment

    This will appeal to rich and spoiled Asian kids. Personally I really do not see the point

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