OnePlus 7 Pro Ad Tips Phone Details, Camera Hands-On Reveals 3x Optical Zoom

OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro are all set to launch on May 14, and ahead of the launch the company is busy promoting the two phones. An extensive ad has appeared in the New York Times, highlighting the OnePlus 7 Pro's triple rear camera setup, pop-up selfie camera setup, and the bezel-less display. Separately, there's also a hand-on of a 'near final' pre-production unit of the OnePlus 7 Pro that has been published online detailing the first impressions of the OnePlus 7 Pro's triple camera setup, and features such as 3x 'optical' zoom.

The ad appears (via Android Authority) in the front and back pages of New York Times, and it says, “No bells & whistles. No bezel. No notch. No app lag. No bloatware. No $2,000 price tag. No random music.” OnePlus is trying to build the hype around the phone, as it does every year, ahead of its launch. While OnePlus is known for its limited bloatware and fast processor integration, the no random music line seems to be taking a jab at the iTunes fiasco in 2014, related to U2's album titled Songs of Innocence that was preloaded onto every users account as a promotional stunt. As you probably recall, the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro launch date is on May 14.

The ad, as mentioned, also has a schematic sketch of the OnePlus 7 Pro showing off the triple rear camera setup, the pop-up selfie camera, and the bezel-less display. OnePlus might have had to shell out quite a bit for this ad, indicating that its seriousness in doing business the US is now growing.

Separately, Wired got its hands on the "near final" pre-production model of the OnePlus 7 Pro, and has detailed its camera first impressions in a new report. The report doesn't detail the specifications on the camera sensors integrated, but confirms that the phone will support 3x zoom. It is compared with Huawei P30 Pro's 5x zoom, and while the report says that the camera doesn't match to its standard, it comes pretty close. The report further says that the OnePlus 7 Pro's 3x zoom is a more accessible field of view than 5x. While it isn't a 100 percent confirmed the 3x zoom feature will be completely optical, the company does seem to be implying it.

The OnePlus 7 Pro comes with additional 10x digital zoom support, but lacks a time-of-flight sensor that is seen on most flagships these days. The report notes that the phone has a shutter lag of 0.3 seconds, Auto HDR mode, and limits burst mode to 20 photos. The HDR mode is also improved in the OnePlus 7 Pro, compared to its predecessor. The camera app interface is kept minimal with no varied AI modes available.

“The OnePlus 7 Pro's seemingly rebranded Night mode is a little closer to the level of the P30 Pro, with less light bloom and a cleaner look close-up than the 6T. It's still not quite a match for Huawei's best and we can't tell yet whether it will handle scenes lit only by a single candle sitting 50ft away. But it also doesn't make you wait five to ten seconds to capture an image. It's only slightly slower than ‘normal' shooting: in other words, refreshingly quick,” the publication adds.

OnePlus imaging director Simon Liu tells the publication, "We're bringing a lot more clarity and density to our pictures. Our pictures are a lot more detailed compared to our previous phones.”

The OnePlus 7 Pro has also got an A+ rating from DisplayMate and teasers from the company have been regular running up to the launch.