OnePlus 8 & OnePlus 8 Pro Launched! Flagship Killer is now a Flagship.

After months of leaks and teasers, OnePlus has launched the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro in an online-only event. They are the successors of the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro that was launched last year. The latest smartphones come with bigger display and camera improvements. Founder and CEO Pete Lau said the company plans to stay heavily-invested in the technology.

OnePlus has switched to 120Hz display, a good improvement over the 90Hz display of the OnePlus 7 Pro. This will help with smoother animations, scrolling, and gaming. There are sensors at the front and back of the display to aid in automatic brightness. The OnePlus 8 Pro features a 6.78-inch QHD+ while the regular one gets a 6.55-inch one with a 20:9 aspect ratio and a punch-hole. There is a fingerprint sensor under the display and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. OnePlus said it has been awarded an A+ rating by DisplayMate breaking 13 records.

Both the handsets are powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 865 processor. The Pro variant gets up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage while the regular one tops at the same configuration. The company is partnering with Verizon to launch a special OnePlus 8 5G UW variant that is designed to support the faster mmWave 5G speeds providing access to Verizon 5G network coverage. 

The smartphones also come with huge improvements in the photography department. OnePlus offers a 48MP primary lens, a 48MP ultra-wide lens, a telephoto lens and a color filter camera on the OnePlus 8 Pro. The ultra-wide lens has a 120-degree angle while the telephoto lens offers 3X hybrid and 30X digital zoom. The new color filter camera brings lightning effects and filters for photography. The company claims that it improves low light photography and even compared it to a photo from an iPhone 11 Pro to the new OnePlus 8 Pro at the event today. 

The regular variant has a triple camera system instead of the quadruple on the Pro variant. It consists of a 48MP primary lens paired with a 16MP ultra-wide lens and a 2MP macro lens. Both the smartphone sport a 16MP camera on the front for selfies and video calling. Connectivity options include 5G, 4G LTW, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.1, GPS/A-GPS, NFC and a USB Type-C port. The 8 Pro has dual stereo speakers that support Dolby Atmos technology and offers Audio 3D and Audio Zoom features.

OnePlus has finally introduced wireless charging with the 30W “Warp Charge” feature that will pump up 50 percent battery in just 30 minutes. The Pro variant has a 4,510 mAh battery which will charge 60 percent battery in 30 minutes with a regular charge. The regular variant lacks the wireless charging option sporting a 4,300 mAh battery. The former also sports the IP68 rating while the later misses one.

On the software front, OnePlus also announced its improvements in the OxygenOS Android on smartphones. According to the company, there are 280 “new optimizations” that are designed to make the Android experience smoother on the 120Hz display. A dark theme is also introduced along with dynamic wallpapers that change with the weather.

Both the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 will be available in Black, Blue and a new Green color option. There is an “Interstellar Glow” color option for the OnePlus 8 that mixes color at the rear which sounds a lot like Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10 “Aura Glow” option. The company is planning to launch smartphones in the US on April 29 and April 21 in Europe. The pre-orders are live in Europe while the customers in the US have to wait a while. The OnePlus 8 will be priced at $699 (Rs 53,000 approx) for the 8/128GB variant and $799 (Rs 60,000) for the 12/256GB variant. The OnePlus 8 Pro will come at a price tag of $899 (Rs 68,000 approx) for the 8/128GB variant and $999 (Rs 75,000 approx) for the 12/256GB storage.

OnePlus 8 specifications

• 6.55-inch QHD+ 120Hz display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor
• 8GB, 12GB RAM
• 128GB, 256GB internal storage
• 48MP + 16MP + 2MP rear
• 16MP front
• OxygenOS based on Android 10
• 4300 mAh

OnePlus 8 Pro specifications

• 6.78-inch QHD+ 120Hz display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor
• 8GB, 12GB RAM
• 128GB, 256GB internal storage
• 48MP + 48MP + 8MP + 5MP rear
• 16MP front
• OxygenOS based on Android 10
• 4510 mAh battery with wireless charging