OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro are official: 5G-ready powerhouses
Last year proved to be quite eventful for OnePlus, the Chinese juggernaut phone maker, which not only released the 7 Pro and 7T Pro series, but also finally stepped on the US market officially. This certified “fresh” status brought in lots of accolades, but also raised the expectations of OnePlus’ fanbase, which now expects to be wow-ed by something extraordinary yet still moderately affordable.Announced today, the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro aim to do just that, but can they succeed to follow in the footsteps of the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro?
OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro design and display
Last year’s OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro were quite different from one another, with the OnePlus 7 featuring a notched design whereas the larger OnePlus 7 Pro utilized a pop-up selfie camera which helped it achieve a nearly bezel-less design. This strategy was reiterated by the OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro, but the OnePlus 8-series introduces a bold new direction… as the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro utilize an identical offset punch-hole design. With thin bezels, matt-frosted glass backs, curved display edges, and relatively lightweight bodies for their size, both the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro are as trendy as it gets in early 2020, and if the punch-hole displays worry you, remember that this is still the go-to design employed by the likes of Samsung, Huawei, and LG.
In terms of displays, the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro will differ a lot. The smaller OnePlus 8 will make use of a 6.55-inch Fluid AMOLED HDR10+ display with an FHD+ resolution of 1080×2400 pixels, a 20:9 aspect ratio, and the same 90Hz refresh rate that debuted with the OnePlus 7 Pro last year. There’s a new Always On option that will allow you to view your pending notifications and the time. Up until now, OnePlus phones only had an Ambient Mode feature that briefly lit up the display on incoming notifications.
The OnePlus 8 Pro top-dog employs a 6.78-inch Fluid AMOLED display that’s also HDR10+ compliant but uses a denser QHD+ resolution of 1440 by 3168 pixels in an 19.8:9 aspect ratio. More importantly, the OnePlus 8 Pro also introduces a 120Hz display refresh rate, bringing it up to par with the latest Galaxy S20-series. As a reminder, the higher the refresh rate, the bigger the hit on the battery, as proven by the Galaxy S20’s subpar battery life when used in 120Hz, but here’s to hoping that the OnePlus 8 Pro wouldn’t suffer from such a big battery hit when used with the new refresh rate mode. OnePlus
OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro specs at a glance
OnePlus 8 | OnePlus 8 Pro | |
---|---|---|
Chipset | Snapdragon 865 | Snapdragon 865 |
RAM | 8/12GB LPDDR4X RAM | 8/12GB LPDDR4X RAM |
Storage | 128/256GB UFS3.0 | 128/256GB UFS3.0 |
Connectivity | LTE + 5G | LTE + 5G |
Camera | 48MP main, F/1.75, OIS/EIS 16MP ultra wide-angle, F/2.2 2MP macro, F/2.4 PDAF Dual LED |
48MP main F/1.78, OIS/EIS 48MP ultra wide-angle, F/2.2 8MP 3X telephoto zoom, F/2.4 5MP color filter, F/2.4 PDAF, Laser autofocus Dual LED |
Camera features | 4K UHD 30/60fps, 1080 30/60fps, 720p 480fps Super slo-mo, 1080p 240fps slo-mo, Night Mode, Portrait mode | 4K UHD 30/60fps, 1080 30/60fps, 720p 480fps Super slo-mo, 1080p 240fps slo-mo, Night Mode, Portrait mode, Audio Zoom, Color filter |
Front camera | 16MP F/2.0 | 16MP F/2.4 |
Battery | 4,300mAh, 30W fast charging (Warp Charge 30T) | 4,510mAh, 30W fast charging (Warp Charge 30T) + 30W wireless charging & reverse wireless charging |
Dimensions | 160.2 x 72.9 x 8.0mm, 180gr | 165.3 x 74.4 x 8.5mm, 199gr |
Other features | IP68 water and dust resistance | IP68 water and dust resistance |
OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro hardware
OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro software
Unsurprisingly, OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro come with Android 10 right out of the box, but with the custom OxygenOS skin on top. The latter has been refreshed, says OnePlus, employing a new coat with improved Dark Mode, dynamic wallpapers that change according to the weather, and much more. OnePlus has also partnered with Google to bring full Stadia support, as well as with Amazon as the OnePlus 8 series is Alexa-ready.
OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro Camera
The OnePlus 8 Pro comes along with a quad-camera setup, consisting of a 48MP main, 48MP ultra wide-angle, an 8MP 3x hybrid telephoto zoom, and finally, a 5MP color filter camera. At the front, we have a 16MP selfie camera. The device supports 4K UHD video recording in 30 and 60fps, as well as various slo-mo modes.
OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro price and release date
Gone are the times of affordable OnePlus devices. The company has been slowly but steadily breaking apart from its affordable “flagship killer” mantra, and the OnePlus 8 series is its most expensive one yet. And rightfully so – with the expensive 5G-ready Snapdragon 865 chipset on deck, you simply can’t fault OnePlus for charging a premium.
The OnePlus 8 starts at $699 for the 8GB RAM/128GB storage version, while the 12GB/256GB version selling for $799. The 8GB/128GB OnePlus 8 Pro will start at $899, while the 12GB/256GB version will start at $999. Pre-orders in the US will begin on April 29, while customers across Europe will be able to pre-order the devices right away, with official availability starting April 21.
On the topic of availability, OnePlus said that the device will be available on T-Mobile. The device will be available on Verizon as well in the exclusive OnePlus 8 Pro 5G UW edition.