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  OnePlus 11

  The performance king

  A battery that can keep up with you

  $550 $700 Save $150

  The OnePlus 11 offers blistering performance at an amazing price. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will be able to keep up with everything you need a phone to do, and it won't even break a sweat. The battery on the OnePlus 11 will easily last you a day, plus you can get some great shots out of the Hasselblad-tuned cameras.

  Pros

  • Great LTPO display
  • Top-tier performance
  • Great battery life

  Cons

  • No wireless charging
  • OnePlus isn't always reliable with updates
  • More expensive

  $550 at Best Buy

• 

  Google Pixel 7

  AI all-rounder

  Useful AI implemented into the software

  $449 $599 Save $150

  The Google Pixel 7 is one of the best value phones in the world. It has a great camera system, solid performance, and good battery life in a package that costs half of some other premium devices. You aren't giving up much for the price, and it's one of the best Android phones available.

  Pros

  • Amazing camera system
  • Clean UI with beneficial AI features
  • Day one updates

  Cons

  • Tensor G2 is not the most powerful chip
  • Fast charging tops out at 30W
  • Heavy for the size

  $449 at Amazon

For the past few years, Google's Pixel lineup has offered a rare combination of flagship performance for an unbelievable price. As a result, it competes with the best Android phones on the market — at a much lower price. The Pixel 7 is one of Google's latest devices to carry this torch, and it does so with fantastic results.

Other manufacturers seem to be taking notice and are beginning to release their own phones in an attempt to take on the value leader. For instance, the OnePlus 11 carries flagship-level specs at a price able to compete with Google's Pixel line. It harks back to the early days of OnePlus and its foundational underpinnings. We're pitting these flagship leaders against each other to see if OnePlus has done enough to take the value crown from Google.

Price, availability, and specs

The Pixel 7 is available from AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and many smaller carriers. It is also available from Google's website and retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. You can find the Pixel 7 in 17 countries, including France, Germany, Japan, India, Italy, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. It comes in a 128GB variant that costs $599, and the 256GB variant costs $699.

The OnePlus 11 is not being sold through any carriers in the United States, but you can purchase it from the OnePlus website, Amazon, and Best Buy. In addition to the United States, it is also sold in China, India, and Europe. It comes in an 8GB/128GB variant that costs $699 and a 16GB/256GB variant that sells for $799.

• 	OnePlus 11	Google Pixel 7
  SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Google Tensor G2
  RAM	8GB, 16GB	6.3-inch FHD+ OLED, 90Hz
  Storage	128GB, 256GB	8GB
  Battery	5000mAh	128GB, 256GB
  Operating System	Oxygen OS 13, Android 13	4,355mAh
  Front camera	16MP f/2.4	Android 13
  IP Rating	IP64	10.8MP, f/2.2, 92.8° FoV
  Price	$700	IP68

Design

Google and OnePlus went with similar design philosophies but implemented them differently. The front of the Pixel 7 and OnePlus 11 are dominated by their respective displays and have thin bezels. The Pixel 7 has a small chin, so it's not entirely uniform around the display. Google chose to go with a flat display, while OnePlus opted for a display that curves at the edges. Both companies went with Gorilla Glass Victus to help protect their screens.

Flipping the two over, you will see their love-it or hate-it design on the back of both devices. Google went with the horizontal camera bar first introduced in the Pixel 6. It runs from edge to edge across the back of the device. It does keep it stable on a table and is a natural place to rest your fingers, but it is polarizing nonetheless. OnePlus went with a large, circular camera housing that waterfalls towards the left edge. The Pixel 7 uses Gorilla Glass Victus on the back, while OnePlus went with the inferior Gorilla Glass 5 on its back, and both phones have an aluminum frame.

The Pixel 7 measures 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7mm and weighs 197g. It has an IP68 rating, offering great water and dust protection. It is available in obsidian, snow, and lemongrass colorways. At 163.1 x 74.1 x 8.53mm and 205g, the OnePlus 11 is larger and heavier than the Pixel 7. It has an IP64 rating, which will protect it from rain but offers no protection if you drop it into water. It can be found in either titan black or eternal green.

Display

The Pixel 7 has a 6.3-inch OLED display with a 2400 x 1080 resolution for a pixel density of 416ppi. Google went with a 90Hz refresh rate for its panel, which can hit a peak brightness of 1400 nits. In addition, it has an in-display optical fingerprint sensor.

OnePlus went with a larger 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with a 3216 x 1440 resolution that results in a much higher pixel density of 515ppi. It has a 120Hz LTPO display, which allows the OnePlus 11 to alter its refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz, depending on the current need. It can hit a peak brightness of 1300 nits and uses a similar optical fingerprint sensor built into the display.

Software

The Pixel 7 runs Android 13 and uses a tweaked version of stock Android. Many of the software implementations take advantage of the AI capabilities of the Pixel 7's Tensor 2 processor. Some of the best features include a call-screening feature that automatically blocks calls and a great voice-to-text implementation. In addition, Google offers three Android OS upgrades and a total of five years of security updates. Updates usually become available for the Pixel the day they are released for Android.

Like many Android phone manufacturers, OnePlus uses its own skinned version of Android called Oxygen OS. And, like the Pixel 7, this version of Oxygen OS is built on top of Android 13. Oxygen OS has more customization options than Pixel, but the number of options can be overwhelming for people who aren't as experienced with Oxygen OS. The OnePlus 11 is getting four Android OS updates and an additional year of security updates. Unfortunately, OnePlus' track record has not been great regarding update timeliness, but hopefully, they can turn that around moving forward.

Performance and connectivity

When it comes to performance, the Pixel 7 and OnePlus have very different approaches. Google went with its custom-made Tensor G2 processor and 8GB of RAM that you can get with either 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. On the other hand, the OnePlus 11 ships with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor plus 8GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage, or 16GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage.

Google designed the Tensor G2 to optimize its AI capabilities. As a result, it leaves a bit to be desired in overall performance. You won't notice the lack of performance in day-to-day tasks, but if you rely on your phone to play games or other intensive tasks, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will dominate Google's chip.

Both phones have 5G, although they only support the sub-6GHz version. Google has Wi-Fi 6E onboard, as well as Bluetooth 5.2. The OnePlus 11 offers Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 support; Wi-Fi 7 will be enabled in the future through a software update after regulatory approval.

Battery life and charging

The Pixel 7 has a 4,355mAh battery that should get you through a typical day. Heavier users may need to find a charger by the end of the day. It is capable of 30W Fast Charging over a wired connection or 20W wirelessly. Google does not include a charger with the Pixel 7.

OnePlus outfitted its device with a 5,000mAh battery capable of 80W of wired charging (100W internationally) using the included SUPERVOOC charger. Curiously, OnePlus removed wireless charging altogether on the OnePlus 11, which may upset some people. Nevertheless, the OnePlus 11 will easily last you a full day; if you run into a low battery, a quick 30-minute charge will restore it to full power.

Cameras

The Pixel 7 has a 50MP f/1.85 primary lens and a 12MP ultrawide f/2.2 lens, capable of recording 4K and 1080p videos at up to 60fps. The front-facing camera has a 10.8MP lens that can also record video at up to 60fps in both 4K and 1080p.

The OnePlus 11 has a triple camera setup that is tuned by Hasselblad. It has a 50MP f/1.8 primary lens, a 48MP f/2.2 ultrawide lens, and a 32MP f/2.0 portrait telephoto camera. It can record 8K video at 24fps, and it can record 4K and 1080p at up to 60fps. The selfie camera has a 16MP f/2.45 lens that can record 1080p at 30fps.

Google's Pixel line has been synonymous with picture quality for a long time. It uses solid camera specs along with software to produce excellent pictures. Google uses the Tegra G2 processor to apply software processing that results in top-of-the-line photos. OnePlus also has a very capable camera system, although not as reliable as the Pixel's camera.

OnePlus 11 vs. Pixel 7: Which is right for you?

The Pixel 7 and the OnePlus set new expectations for what you should get in terms of performance at a price of less than $800. Both devices are among the best 5G phones on the market and can take on phones that cost almost double their asking price. Of course, there are some sacrifices along the way, but these two devices show that you don't have to sacrifice much to get a great device at an incredible price.

These two smartphones target different customers and their needs. The Pixel 7 can currently be found for less than $500, which gives it the edge. The Pixel 7 is for those who want a great camera system, good enough performance, excellent AI features, and day-one updates.

Of course, if you are willing to spend a bit more, the OnePlus 11 offers a lot more performance thanks to its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. If you want pure performance, great battery life, and a capable camera system, then the OnePlus 11 surely delivers on those fronts. The OnePlus 11 is a great phone, but it isn't a few hundred dollars better than the Pixel 7.