In the market for a flagship-level Android device with a clean and uncluttered interface, there is a fair chance that the two phones which are going to appear on your purchase radar are going to be the just-released Google Pixel 7 and the OnePlus 10 Pro, which was released earlier this year. Both phones are available for prices in the vicinity of Rs 60,000 and both are formidable propositions in their own rights.
But which of the two is the one for you? Let us work that out:
Design: Daring to be different or subtly classy
In terms of appearance, the two phones are very different kettles of design fish.
The OnePlus 10 Pro goes with a very conventional curved glass front and back, with a subtly shiny back with a matte finish, although with a very large square-ish camera enclosure made of ceramic.
The Pixel 7 on the other hand, has a very distinct camera bar on the back and this time it is metallic as well — there is no way in which this phone can be mistaken for any other.
Google Pixel 7's back is slightly curved, but its front is flat. The Pixel 7 is also more compact than the OnePlus 10 Pro, being 155.7 mm long as compared to 163 mm size of the OnePlus 10 Pro.
In other dimensions, however, the two phones are very closely matched — the OnePlus 10 Pro is slightly thinner at 8.6 mm as compared to the Pixel's 8.7 mm, and the Pixel 7 is slightly less wide at 73.2 mm against the 73.9 mm length of the OnePlus.
Surprisingly, the weight difference between the two is not that great — the Pixel 7 tips the scales at 197 grams and the OnePlus 10 Pro is just 4 grams heavier at 201 grams.
The Pixel 7 comes in three shades — Obsidian, Snow and Lemongrass, while the OnePlus 10 Pro comes in Volcanic Black and Emerald Forest. Both phones are made of premium materials — Gorilla Glass Victus front and back and metallic frames — but the Pixel 7 has an IP68 rating, making it more resistant to water than the OnePlus 10 Pro.
We think those who want a subtly stylish phone might prefer the OnePlus 10 Pro, but the Pixel 7 is for those who want to stand out, although its back gets smudged very easily. We are going for the Pixel 7 on this one.
Winner: Google Pixel 7
Display: How refreshing!
In terms of display, the OnePlus 10 Pro has a very clear edge over the Pixel 7. It comes with a larger 6.7-inch, curved fluid AMOLED display with a quad-HD (3,126x1,440 pixels) resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate.
The Pixel 7 on the other hand has a 6.3-inch AMOLED display with a full-HD (2,400x1,080 pixels) resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. The Pixel 7's display is a good one, but the OnePlus 10 Pro has a clear edge here.
Winner: OnePlus 10 Pro
Processor and RAM: A Dragon snaps at Tensor
In terms of processor and RAM too, the OnePlus 10 Pro has a clear edge over the Pixel 7. The OnePlus 10 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Generation 1 chip and has two RAM and storage variants — 8GB + 128GB and 12GB + 256GB.
The Pixel 7 runs on Google's own Tensor G2 chip, which has a lot of photography and AI benefits but seems to lag clearly behind the Snapdragon 8 Generation 1 in terms of sheer power. The Pixel 7 has a single RAM and storage variant — 8GB + 128GB. Another win for the OnePlus 10 Pro.
Winner: OnePlus 10 Pro
Cameras: Surprisingly close
Going purely on reputation, this should have been a massacre. After all, the Pixel range is known for its photography prowess, while OnePlus is supposed to be still learning the art of making phones with great cameras.
And truth be told, if this comparison had been made with the launch version of the OnePlus 10 Pro, the Pixel 7 would have won by a mile. However, a number of updates have improved camera performance on the OnePlus 10 Pro to the extent that we can actually say that the Never Settling phone does push the Pixel 7 in photography.
The OnePlus 10 Pro's triple camera arrangement on the back comprises a 48-megapixel main sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS), an 8-megapixel telephoto sensor and a 50-megapixel ultrawide sensor, which on paper outclasses the 50-megapixel main sensor with OIS and 12-megapixel ultrawide duo on the Pixel 7. The OnePlus 10 Pro also boasts a 32-megapixel selfie snapper which seems well ahead of the 10.8-megapixel one on the Pixel 7.
And while the Pixel 7 comes with the series’ legendary reputation, the OnePlus 10 Pro has a legendary photography brand with its cameras too — Hasselblad.
The result is a contest that is much closer than many would have expected. The Pixel wins in the end with its computational photography magic delivering an amazing amount of detail and colours and also the option to easily unblur images and remove objects (Magic Eraser!).
But the point to note is that the OnePlus 10 Pro is not overwhelmed. In fact, we would say that those who prefer slightly more realistic shots might prefer it. In the videos, we felt that the OnePlus 10 Pro delivered better results. The Pixel 7 is pretty much the boss of great-looking images, but the OnePlus 10 Pro now (and we stress that word) has very good, flagship-level cameras as well, and a few Hasselblad touches of its own, including the rather impressive Xpan mode.
Winner: Google Pixel 7
Gaming and multimedia: Someone looks pixel-lated in comparsion
That more powerful processor and larger display give the OnePlus 10 Pro a clear edge over the Pixel 7 when it comes to gaming and multimedia. The Pixel 7 is very good for most games but if you really get into intense sessions of Call of Duty and Genshin Impact, you will see the odd lag and frame drop. That does not happen at all with the OnePlus 10 Pro.
The OnePlus 10 Pro also seems to deliver better sound through its set of stereo speakers. The Pixel 7 has stereo speakers as well but we felt the OnePlus 10 Pro's did better in terms of audio quality. At the time of writing, the Pixel 7 also showed a greater tendency to heat up while gaming, a trait the OnePlus 10 Pro shared initially but which has since been rectified with an update.
Hopefully the same will happen with the Pixel 7 as well. The OnePlus 10 Pro’s better processor, display, and sound win it this round.
Winner: OnePlus 10 Pro
Software: Those who breathe Android won’t prefer Oxygen
Yes, both phones come with clean Android software and run on Android 13 (the OnePlus 10 Pro just got updated), but the Pixel 7 is frankly in another league.
Not only is the Pixel 7 assured of getting Android and security updates much earlier than any other Android device, but it also comes with a number of special features such as live captions, audio transcription and a number of AI tools.
The OnePlus 10 Pro, to its credit, does come with clean software and no bloatware, but it cannot really compete with the Pixel in this department. No other clean Android phone can, to be honest. Only one winner here.
Winner: Google Pixel 7
Battery: ‘Never Settle’ for anything else
This is as one-sided as it can get. The OnePlus 10 Pro has a much larger battery (5,000mAh as compared to the 4,355mAh on the Pixel 7), but both phones last about the same on a single charge — about a day, although the OnePlus 10 Pro delivers that with a bigger display and a higher refresh rate.
The real difference comes in the charging department — the OnePlus 10 Pro charges at 80W as compared to the 21W that the Pixel 7 is capable of. What's more, the OnePlus 10 Pro comes with an 80W charger in the box, while the Pixel 7 has none.
Even in wireless charging, while the Pixel 7 charges at 20W, the OnePlus 10 Pro charges at a staggering 50W. In simple terms, you can charge the OnePlus 10 Pro from 0 to 100 twice in the time it takes to charge the Pixel 7 once.
The Pixel 7 takes close to two hours to charge, while the OnePlus 10 Pro gets charged in about 45-50 minutes. This is a round for the OnePlus 10 Pro by some distance.
Winner: OnePlus 10 Pro
General performance: A Pixel punch is delivered
In terms of general everyday performance, involving tasks such as calls, messaging, mail, browsing and social networking, we found that the Pixel 7 had a clear edge over the OnePlus 10 Pro. This is mainly due to its smaller size, and also because of a number of Android optimisations that Google has brought to the Pixel range, such as live captions and type-to-text.
However, the Pixel 7's performance was hindered by a slower in-display fingerprint scanner and occasional scrolling issues. Google has fixed the latter with a software update but the former persists. Still, all said and done, we think that the Pixel 7 is better at day-to-day tasks than the larger OnePlus 10 Pro. Just remember to slap a case on that smudge-magnet back.
Winner: Google Pixel 7
Pricing: Who saves you bucks?
The Google Pixel 7 comes in a single 8GB+128GB RAM and storage variant, which is priced at Rs 59,999. The OnePlus 10 Pro at the time of writing came at a slightly higher price tag of Rs 61,999 for the 8GB+128GB variant, and also had a 12GB+256GB variant priced at Rs 66,999.
The difference is a fine one, but for those on a tight budget, the Pixel 7 definitely seems to be the better option, although spec chasers might point out that the OnePlus does give you more for the extra bucks it charges.
It is also pertinent to point out that with a Pixel 7, you will have to shell out extra to get a charger, while the OnePlus 10 Pro has an 80W charger in the box.
Winner: Google Pixel 7
Final verdict: Which one should you go for?
The battle between the two phones is a very close one, and contrary to what many believe is not really decided by the cameras — the Pixel 7 does have superb cameras but the OnePlus is not a mook in that department either, and brings some aces of its own to the fight such as much better gaming and fantastically fast charging (with a charger too).
In our opinion, which of the two devices you should go for really depends on how you like your Android served.
If you prefer a device that's bursting with hardware muscle, then the OnePlus 10 Pro wins with its vastly superior display, processor and battery charging speeds.
However, if you are one that prefers smarts over specs and values speedy Android updates, then the subtle nuanced Android with its AI smarts on the Pixel 7 will win your heart.
Whether you opt to go with specs or smarts, whether you choose a Pixel-lated future or one that ‘Never Settles’, you are guaranteed a superb smartphone experience.