OnePlus 7 Pro battery life test compilation: What's average?
Today we've done something a little bit different to judge battery life in the OnePlus 7 Pro. This device was part of a full review here on SlashGear, so that's where we've begun. To make certain our device wasn't significantly different from the other review units out in the wild, we've done some comparing. As with all battery tests, this one's subjective.
Different Camps
I say battery tests are subjective with a smartphone because there are several camps of thought. One can successfully judge battery life in a set of phones based on a single, screen-on test. This provides a good look at how each phone handles that specific test.
But we're all different. Every single person in the world whose ever owned a phone has used their phone in their own unique way. As such, the most fair way I and we have found to judge battery life is to check in on as many users' feedback as possible. That begins with our OnePlus 7 Pro review.
In said review, we put the battery life of this phone at approximately "a day and a half without breaking a sweat." That's pretty subjective there at the end – but let me be clear. Where I say "without breaking a sweat," a more objective way to put it might've been "on average."
Just like everyone else out there in the world of the end user, I use a smartphone differently each day. Some days I'd get a full day (waking hours and sleeping hours) of use out of the OnePlus 7 Pro. Some days I'd get to a day and a half and I'd have a third of the battery to spare.
So very many factors
There are a lot of factors in play with this smartphone in testing battery life. Some reviewers made sure to check image refresh rate on the display – it's got a default of 90Hz. You can also decide whether to use Battery Saver, to trip the Battery Saver at a certain battery percentage, and to activate Adaptive Battery.
The display's brightness is also a very important factor for which to account. The display gets FAR brighter than I'd ever use on an average day. If I worked outdoors in the sun, then sure, full brightness might be necessary. Otherwise I'm at around two thirds brightness throughout the day.
There's also Gaming Mode which flips several feature switches – saving battery in some places and ramping up power consumption in others. Reading Mode and Grayscale features change the level at which the display sips battery life. So does Data Saver.
Even something so innocuous as mobile carrier brand can have an effect on the battery. One can drain more because it's always connected, another can pay the battery little mind because there's no coverage no matter where you roam.
Asking Around
If you check out Android Central, you'll find that they've gotten anywhere from half a day to well over a day. It seems to do largely with the amount of screen-on time – especially when dealing with Google Maps and the phone's camera. MKBHD suggested the phone gets around 4 hours of heavy use. Linus Tech Tips said the phone had around 40% battery life at the end of an average day.
Given the following subjective criteria, reviewers seemed to find the following battery times on OnePlus 7 Pro, on average:
• Screen always on, HEAVY usage: 4-5 hours• Screen always on, standard usage: 7-9 hours• Mixed screen on, standard usage: 12+ hours• Mixed screen on, casual usage: 16-26 hours• Screen off, little/no usage: A day and a half or more, easy.SEE TOO: The OnePlus 7 Pro Review
Again, I implore you to take into account the extremely subjective nature of the tests and reviews done in attaining these results. You can find results that skew wildly outside these bounds too, if you do so dare. Outlets like Mrwhosetheboss, Engadget, Dave 2D, Mr. Mobile, The Verge, and GSMArena found anywhere from around 5 hours to over a day and a half, depending on the test.
OnePlus 7 Pro Battery Life Verdict
If you're a hardcore gamer or photographer with a OnePlus 7 Pro and you demand all features be maxed out, screen on, you'll probably get several hours usage – maybe 4-5 if you really push it. If you're an average user, like I tend to assume I am when it comes to smartphone use, you'll get at least a full day's use out of the OnePlus 7 Pro before it's time to charge up. It all depends on how you use it.