The launch of OnePlus’s new smartphone series is just around the corner. Just like last year, there will be two smartphones from the brand; the regular OnePlus 8, which will be the base model and the top-end OnePlus 8 Pro as the new flagship device. As announced by OnePlus, the devices will be launched on April 14th, 2020.
Watch the launch of the #OnePlus8Series live on Twitter! #LeadwithSpeed this Tuesday at 4 PM BST / 11 AM EDT / 8:30 PM IST. https://t.co/2n8JnyJfSW
— OnePlus (@oneplus) April 10, 2020
Now, for those who don’t know, OnePlus is a brand that entered the smartphone world by making capable yet inexpensive “flagship killer” smartphones. As the names suggest, these devices offered performance and feature similar to expensive smartphones while costing nearly half as much. And as far as business strategies go, giving more for less always get’s the customers’ attention.
Over the years OnePlus has evolved and so has its devices. Unfortunately, the prices have gone up but the smartphones are no longer mere flagship killers like they used to be. Instead, they are more or less flagship themselves. Their current flagship the OnePlus 7T Pro happens to be one of the best smartphones that came out last year despite costing over $800.
Despite that, we expect the upcoming OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro to introduce some amazing design cues and performance features. Thanks to some official information and leaks prior to the device launch, the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro seem to be the perfect contenders for the best smartphones of 2020.
Let’s start with what we already know about the OnePlus 8 series. It’s pretty much confirmed that the devices will have a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 865 CPU, a 120Hz Refresh Rate display, and Wireless Charging capabilities. While the OnePlus 8 Pro will have all of these features, it isn’t yet confirmed whether the regular OnePlus 8 will get the 120Hz display and wireless charging.
Apart from that, OnePlus’s CEO, Pete Lau has also dropped in a video that shows some of the design cues of the upcoming devices. As it can be seen below, the device seems to be oddly similar to its predecessors, the OnePlus 7/7T series. This may be a bummer for most people who expected a revolutionary new design. But hey, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? What is new, however, is the Glacial Green color and the OnePlus script which is in all caps now.
For the OnePlus 8 series, we tested over 100 combinations of CMF (color, material, finishing), but when I saw this, I knew it was the one. This is Glacial Green—a fresh color for making fresh starts. pic.twitter.com/iXnX2UGTh4
— Pete Lau (@PeteLau) April 9, 2020
Now that we’ve dealt with all the stuff we’re sure about, let’s take a look at the interesting bit. What we’ll now see, are all the leaks or speculations made about the device. Most of them have been made by @OnLeaks, who has proven to give reliable leaks of unreleased devices.
Similarly, we have received some specs and renders regarding the regular OnePlus 8. It will have a 6.55-inch 90Hz FHD+ Fluid AMOLED display, which means the 8 Pro might be the only one with 120Hz. The device will also have a triple camera setup with the following sensors:
- 48MP (F/1.8) Primary
- 16MP Ultra-Wide
- 2MP Macro
Gone will be the Telephoto camera from the OnePlus 8, which seems fair as it wasn’t exactly a popular option. The front camera will be the same 16MP one found in the OnePlus 7/7T series devices. Apart from that, the OnePlus 8 will have two expected memory and storage options, which are 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB.
The battery will be a 4300mAh unit with OnePlus’s 30W Warp Charger out of the box. If you take a look at the renders above, the device looks pretty similar to its predecessors with some minor changes. The first is the aforementioned change in the OnePlus script at the back of the device. Next is the inclusion of a hole-punch in the display to accommodate the selfie camera instead of a notch.
Personally, I like the idea of a hole-punch solely because OnePlus devices have had notches since the OnePlus 6. This is a refreshing change and seems to be the way all smartphones are now going. Regardless, the 8 Pro will probably keep its motorized selfie camera to have an uninterrupted display.
This was all that there was regarding the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro. We are as excited about its launch as you are and that’s when we’ll finally know what the devices have to offer. Until then, we can only wait to find out. As mentioned earlier, the event will take place on 14th April 2020 at 4PM BST, 11AM EDT, and 8:30PM IST. OnePlus will stream it live on its website and YouTube channel so don’t forget to watch it.