A trio of flagship killers is on the way.
In just a handful of years, OnePlus has established itself as one of the most exciting players in the U.S. smartphone market. 2019's OnePlus 7 Pro and 7T stand out as two of our favorite phones of the entire year, and for 2020, it looks like OnePlus is getting ready to wow us yet again.
There's a lot of talk and buzz regarding the upcoming OnePlus 8, and based on what we know so far, it's shaping up to be one heck of a phone. From a 120Hz display to wireless charging, there's a lot in the pipeline.
Whether you're interested in specs, design, or how much the OnePlus 8 will end up costing you, here's everything you need to know!
- OnePlus is preparing three versions
- The designs have been revealed
- Let's talk specs
- An April announcement is likely
- Here's how much you'll pay
- Let's not forget about the OnePlus 7T
Killer flagship
OnePlus 7T
Still one of the best deals around
Even with the new OnePlus 8 lineup looming on the horizon, the OnePlus 7T continues to be one heck of an Android phone. Between its 90Hz AMOLED display, Snapdragon 855+ processor, and triple camera setup, the 7T delivers an insane amount of value at a price you just can't argue with.
There will be three models — regular, Lite, and Pro
Typically, OnePlus releases one phone at a time — one in the first half of the year and another in the second half. Last year, the company shook things up by releasing the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro at the same time. This year, we're expecting a OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Lite, and OnePlus 8 Pro.
As the names suggest, there's a pretty clear order of how these phones will coexist with each other.
The OnePlus 8 is expected to be the middle child, offering the flagship OnePlus experience while cutting a feature or two from the highest-end OnePlus 8 Pro to keep costs low. Then, with the OnePlus 8 Lite, we'll get a slightly lower-end smartphone in favor of the smallest possible price.
This is a strategy we've seen from the likes of Samsung and Apple with great success, so it makes sense for OnePlus to also follow suit. That said, if OnePlus is committing to this three-phone release, it'll be interesting to see if we still get three more OnePlus 8T devices in the second half of 2020.
Here's what the phones look like
Now that we've talked about OnePlus's release strategy for the OnePlus 8, let's take a look at the designs we're expecting for all three phones — starting first with the OnePlus 8 Lite.
On the front of the 8 Lite, we're met with a flat display (similar to the 7T) that has a centered hole-punch cutout at the top for the single front-facing camera. Flipping the phone over, the left-mounted camera bump houses two lenses and an LED flash. There's also a time-of-flight sensor next to it.
The display of the OnePlus 8 Lite is said to be 6.4-inches, there's a USB-C port on the bottom, and OnePlus's iconic alert slider remains. Unsurprisingly, there's no 3.5mm headphone jack.
Moving over to the OnePlus 8, we step up to a display with curved edges and a triple-camera setup on the back (though it appears to lack the 8 Lite's ToF sensor). The hole-punch cutout has also moved to the top-left of the display, and the camera housing is centered.
Lastly, the OnePlus 8 Pro looks virtually identical to the OnePlus 8. It has the same curved display, left-mounted hole-punch cutout, and triple-camera system. However, the 8 Pro does benefit from an additional time-of-flight sensor.
The renders for the 8 Pro make it look like the phone has a thicker top bezel than the regular OnePlus 8, but we aren't sure if this is legit or just the way the render was created.
Speaking of the 8 Pro, January 20 is when a hands-on image of the phone leaked, revealing a design that lines up exactly with the render above.
Along with confirming the OnePlus 8 Pro's design, the picture also reveals the various screen refresh rate settings that'll be available on the phone. In addition to the 120Hz option we'll talk more about below, the 8 Pro will also let you switch to 90Hz and 60Hz if you want to conserve battery life.
Continuing with hands-on photos, OnePlus brand ambassador Robert Downey Jr. was recently spotted holding the phone. The pictures were apparently taken while he was shooting a commercial for the OnePlus 8, and from what we can tell, the phone he's holding certainly looks like the other renders and pictures we've seen.
Another hands-on image leaked on March 22, this time showing us the front and back of the OnePlus 8 Pro. The picture comes courtesy of PC-Tablet, and once again, it matches the previously leaked renders. We get a clear look at the phone's rear camera module, large display, and punch-hole cutout for the front-facing camera.
Flagship specs are expected
If there's one thing that's consistent with OnePlus phones, it's that they're equipped with top-of-the-line specs. This is something OnePlus has done year after year, and it's something we're expecting once again for the OnePlus 8 lineup.
Based on the latest news and rumors, here's what we've put together so far.
| Category | OnePlus 8 Lite | OnePlus 8 | OnePlus 8 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 10 OxygenOS |
Android 10 OxygenOS |
Android 10 OxygenOS |
| Display | 6.4-inch AMOLED 2400 x 1080 90Hz refresh rate |
6.5-inch AMOLED 120Hz refresh rate |
6.65-inch AMOLED 120Hz refresh rate |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 1000 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 |
| Rear Camera 1 | Unknown | 48MP wide | 48MP wide |
| Rear Camera 2 | Unknown | 16MP telephoto | 16MP telephoto |
| Rear Camera 3 | Time-of-flight sensor | 12MP ultra-wide | 12MP ultra-wide |
| Rear Camera 4 | ❌ | ❌ | Time-of-flight sensor |
| Battery | 4,000 mAh | 4,000 mAh | 4,500 mAh |
| Dimensions | 159.2 x 74 x 8.6mm | 160.2 x 72.9 x 8.1mm | 165.3 x 74.4 x 8.8mm |
The jump to a 120Hz refresh rate is quite exciting, and something that OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed for the OnePlus 8. We assume this means it's also coming to the 8 Pro, but it remains unclear if the 8 Lite will pick up the faster refresh rate or stick with 90Hz.
On January 15, Lau took to Twitter to share a side-by-side comparison of a 60Hz display and the new OnePlus 120Hz Fluid Display — showing just how much smoother and more fluid the increased refresh rate is.
The OnePlus 120Hz Fluid Display: The smoothest, most effortless scrolling experience ever on a smartphone. pic.twitter.com/I4FWP64NfO
— Pete Lau (@PeteLau) January 15, 2020
Another exciting tidbit is talk of the OnePlus 8 picking up wireless charging. This is a feature that's been sorely missing from all prior OnePlus phones, so we'd be thrilled to see it finally make its way with the 8 lineup.
On March 10, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirmed that the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro will both come equipped with 5G as a default feature. It's unclear if the company will also offer 4G variants similar to what Samsung does with the S20 in some countries, so we'll have to wait and see on that.
An announcement should be coming soon
For the past two years, OnePlus has announced its first phone releases in May. The OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro were unveiled on May 14, with the OnePlus 6 getting its big announcement on May 16.
Based on that and the detail in which the OnePlus 8 lineup has leaked so far, we'd anticipate another May announcement this year.
On March 3, however, reliable leaker Ishan Agarwal noted that the the OnePlus 8 lineup will be launched either on or around April 14 — suggesting the phones will hit the market a month sooner than expected.
More price points than ever before
Next, let's talk about price. One of the main draws to OnePlus phones has traditionally been the insanely low prices, but year after year, OnePlus had had a tendency to increase the cost of its phones.
- OnePlus 5 starting price — $479
- OnePlus 6 starting price — $529
- OnePlus 7 Pro starting price — $669
See what we mean?
We expect the OnePlus 8 Pro to cost around $700, with the 8 and 8 Lite being more affordable. Having three price tiers for customers to choose from should lessen the sting of another price hike for the 8 Pro, but it remains to be seen if OnePlus will sell all three models in the U.S. or not.
The only thing we've heard along these lines so far is that the regular OnePlus 8 will be sold on Verizon with support for the carrier's 5G network.
The OnePlus 7T is still a great buy
We're undeniably excited to learn more about the entire OnePlus 8 lineup, but that doesn't mean the OnePlus 7T is irrelevant. In fact, if you're shopping for a new Android phone right now, the 7T continues to be one of the best ones you can get.
The 7T has a fantastic 90Hz AMOLED display, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855+ processor, and a triple-rear camera system that works quite well. There's also a healthy 8GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, and a reliable 3,800 mAh battery with OnePlus's excellent 30W fast charging.
Sure, you could wait a bit longer to see how the OnePlus 8, 8 Lite, and 8 Pro turn out, but you can also pick up a 7T right now and rest assured it'll be a reliable phone for years to come.
Killer flagship
OnePlus 7T
Still one of the best deals around
Even with the new OnePlus 8 lineup looming on the horizon, the OnePlus 7T continues to be one heck of an Android phone. Between its 90Hz AMOLED display, Snapdragon 855+ processor, and triple camera setup, the 7T delivers an insane amount of value at a price you just can't argue with.
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