The follow-up to the genuinely superb OnePlus 7 Pro is right around the corner even with delays and setbacks due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Despite that, the rumor mill has been in full flow with the OnePlus 8 series.
Leaks have actually been kept to a minimum, which is one thing that OnePlus actually manages to do better than most manufacturers. By that, we mean the physical device itself, as there can be no denying that OnePlus likes to build the hype by teasing new features and the core experience of any of its upcoming products.
The Chinese firm has teased a few of the upcoming features but, as you’d expect, hasn’t divulged a great deal of concrete information on the OnePlus 8 series. We’ve decided to sift through the noise and rumors to give you the best indication of what to expect ahead of any unveiling — whether that is a physical launch or a live-streamed event instead.
Design and device features
We need to start with just what models we are expecting, as the OnePlus 8 is set to come in three flavors: OnePlus 8 Lite, OnePlus 8, and OnePlus 8 Pro.
The affordable OnePlus 8 Lite definitely feels like a throwback to 2015’s OnePlus X, which was an even more budget-conscious version of previous OnePlus devices. It will measure in at 6.4-inches, which is not exactly small by most smartphone metrics. As for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, they will measure in at 6.5-inches and 6.65-inches respectively.
Only the OnePlus 8 Lite will come with a flat FHD+ display, the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro will feature QHD+ displays. OnePlus has confirmed on social media that at least one device will feature a 120Hz display. With that in mind, we believe that the only the OnePlus 8 Pro will have the ultra-high-refresh rate panel, the OnePlus 8 Lite and standard OnePlus 8 are likely to be capped at 90Hz — which is still super smooth.
None of the OnePlus 8 series will come with a pop-up camera or teardrop notches this time around. We will see the punch-hole prevail, which does mean that if you’re not a fan, then a display cutout might be a dealbreaker for you. The pop-up camera might not have been the best quality, but it really did give you a full-screen experience with absolutely no loss of real estate.
Every single model in the lineup will come with an in-display optical fingerprint reader for biometric security. It’s not yet known if the punch-hole selfie camera will come with any added tech to enhance the native OxygenOS face unlock feature or not yet though.
There are rumors that the OnePlus 8 Pro could finally come with official IP68 water and dust resistance. The fact that the pop-up camera is set to be removed does hint that we might have “proper” resistance for the first time on a OnePlus device. Although with that said, the OnePlus 7 Pro does have a level of water resistance. We don’t yet know if the OnePlus 8 Lite or standard OnePlus 8 will come with water resistance or not yet.
Another addition that has been a long time coming is that of wireless charging. The rumors suggest that only the OnePlus 8 Pro will gain the ability to wirelessly charge — at 30W. It’s disappointing that we might not see all models gain the ability but Warp Charge 30T will still be included.
OnePlus 8 specs rumors
Recently leaked spec sheets have given us a more concrete level of confidence as to what to expect from the OnePlus 8 series wholesale.
Starting with the OnePlus 8 Lite, this will be more of a mid-range device that will rely on the MediaTek Dimensity 1000 chipset. This will make it the first OnePlus smartphone to come without a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset at its very heart. It will also come in just two SKUs, both with 8GB of RAM. You’ll have the option of 128 or 256GB of internal storage — but this is likely to be UFS 2.1 rather than the faster UFS 3.0 standard.
Now the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro are rumored to be more closely aligned. Expect the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset at the core of both handsets. You’ll have plenty of options, as both devices will have 6GB RAM/128GB, 8GB RAM/128GB, and 12GB RAM/256GB variants.
As we mentioned, wireless charging will not be included on the standard OnePlus 8 or 8 Lite, instead, you’ll get Warp Charge 30T and 4,000mAh batteries on both models. The 8 Pro will include a slightly larger 4,500mAh cell.
Camera
Camera rumors have been rife for the OnePlus 8 series, but we do have some reasonably solid information on the camera upgrades coming. There is likely to be some differentiation between each device this time around.
Starting with the OnePlus 8 Lite, the more affordable handset is said to include a 48-megapixel primary sensor, a 16-megapixel secondary lens, and a third 12-megapixel lens. That should result in camera performance similar to the OnePlus 7T’s current setup.
The OnePlus 8 will sport a triple-lens setup that includes the same 48-megapixel main sensor, 16-megapixel secondary lens, but will include a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Now the OnePlus 8 Pro camera specs are rumored to slightly more beefy, with a proposed quad camera setup. However, we have no solid information on just what might be thrown in there.
If OnePlus can improve the post-processing across the board, the OnePlus 8 series should be a solid step up over previous generations.
Colors
At the moment, it’s not clear just what colors we might see but given the impressive two-tone matte glass finishes on recent OnePlus, we expect to see some more gorgeous smartphones come launch.
OnePlus 8 series pricing rumors
Always a point of contention for Pricing of the 8 and 8 Pro is still unknown, but the suggested UK retail pricing for the OnePlus 8 Lite could be as low as £400 (~$515) — according to leakster Ishan Agarwal.
One would assume that the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro will come in at a similar price-point to the OnePlus 7 Pro or OnePlus 7 Pro 5G. That could mean a start price close to $749 for the base model.
Release date and availability
The original release date for the OnePlus 8 series slipped due to the spread of the coronavirus, which means that an exact launch and subsequent release date are still up in the air.
A rumored mid-April launch prior to an early May 2020 release is one potential scenario but with the COVID-19 virus affecting vast portions of the planet, we will have to bide our time until we learn more.
What the OnePlus 8 series won’t include
Pop-up camera
There’s no return of the pop-up camera, which means that fans will have to deal with a punch-hole notch on all three models.
Flat display
As we have mentioned, only the OnePlus 8 Lite is set to come with a flat display. If you want a flagship experience with a flat display, then it’s the OnePlus 7T or the Pixel 4.
SD card support
Even though the OnePlus 8 Lite is a spiritual successor to the only OnePlus device to come with micro SD card support, expect to leave disappointed.