The OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are official. They’re no longer “affordable” to iPhones and Samsung’s Galaxy phones, they pack in killer specs, 120Hz displays, 5G connectivity, and brand new design. Below is everything you need to know…


They used to be flagship killers, now they’re just flagships. The OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are now official, following OnePlus’ online launch event on April 14. As expected, the phones are A LOT more expensive than the OnePlus 7T which is now heavily discounted; you’ll pay $1000/£1000 for a top of the line OnePlus 8 Pro and £699/$699 for the entry-level OnePlus 8 model.

OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 8 Pro Specs – How They Compare

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OnePlus 8 Price: 

OnePlus 8 Pro Price: 

You can now buy the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro – in the UK. If you’re in the USA, you’ll have to wait until April 29. The handsets will begin shipping out to customers within six days of purchase.

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When the OnePlus 8 gets its US release date it will be available via OnePlus’ online store. However, this year it will also be available from a variety of carriers – including T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint.

To give you an indication of carrier deals for the OnePlus 8 in the USA, Verizon is offering the OnePlus 8 from $33/month of 24-month contracts. We’ll update with T-Mobile and Sprint deals as soon as they’re confirmed.

OnePlus 8 Colors – What’re Your Options?

OnePlus 8

  • Onyx Black
  • Interstellar Glow
  • Glacial Green

Verizon will have an exclusive Polar Silver edition OnePlus 8 that will not be available anywhere else.

OnePlus 8 Pro

  • Onyx Black
  • Ultramarine Blue
  • Glacial Green

Our Initial Analysis of The Phones

There were so many leaks around these phones prior to launch there were hardly any surprises during the launch. Perhaps the biggest omission was the rumored “cheaper” model, although that could launch in a few month’s time (especially if sales for the 8 and 8 Pro don’t hit expectation).

The handsets themselves look great. I like the color options and the industrial design. I love that they both have 120Hz OLED panels. I like that they both use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 CPU and its separate, super-speedy 5G modem. With respect to specs, the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are up there with the best of them, as expected.

For me, the standout features are as follows:

  • 30W wireless charging on the OnePlus 8 Pro
  • 5G connectivity for both models
  • Gorgeous new design for both models
  • Both run Snapdragon 855 CPU
  • OxygenOS looks and functions brilliantly

But all that spec and hardware comes at a cost; both phones have been subjected to massive price hikes. A top of the line OnePlus 8 Pro will cost your almost $1000/£1000. Yes, you get 12GB of RAM, 5G, a mega-fast chipset, and a beautiful OLED display. But you could, for the same money, get a Samsung Galaxy S20 or an iPhone and this, as we move through 2020, could create problems for OnePlus.

Initial word on its the OnePlus 8’s camera seems to all agree that it isn’t up to the standard of the iPhone 11 Pro Max or Google Pixel 4 XL, and this doesn’t bode well. It’d be forgivable if OnePlus was using its old pricing strategy. But it isn’t; it’s using its new, expensive pricing strategy.

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And that will bring with it A LOT more scrutiny, as users opting for these phones will expect them to perform in line with other, similarly priced handsets from Apple and Samsung. Failure to pull this off could be very damaging for the OnePlus brand.

Initially, I do like what OnePlus is doing here. But I think I would have preferred it had the company stuck to its bargain-basement guns and released a 5G phone with 120Hz OLED displays that retailed for the same price as the OnePlus 7T (which is now SUPER cheap by the way). Had OnePlus somehow managed to pull this off, I think you’d be looking at one of the most popular Android phones for 2020 and beyond.

With these prices, however, I feel like OnePlus might have just shot itself in the foot by alienating its entire install base – you know, the people that bought into its FLAGSHIP KILLER motto. Fancy picking one of these handsets up? Pre-orders are now open via the OnePlus Store.

You can read ALL of our pre-launch OnePlus 8 content below. As you’ll see, most of the rumors and leaks turned out to be true!


OnePlus 8 Range Rumors – Three Models (8, 8 Pro, 8 Lite)

OnePlus – if rumors are to be believed – will release three OnePlus 8 models in 2020, so you’ll potentially have the choice of the OnePlus 8, the OnePlus 8 Pro, and the OnePlus 8 Lite. But how will they be different? Let’s investigate:

  • OnePlus 8 – The OnePlus 8 will be the base model, though it will site above the OnePlus 8 Lite. Expect to pay £549 for this phone (possibly more). It will have a triple-lens camera on the rear, 5G connectivity, a QHD OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 6/8GB of RAM, 128GB storage, a 4000mAh battery with 50W Super Warp Charge, and Android 10 at its core.
  • OnePlus 8 Lite – The OnePlus 8 Lite is said to be very similar to the OnePlus 8. The big difference, however, is that the OnePlus 8 Lite will apparently use MediaTek CPUs instead of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 and this could mean it will not support 5G. The Lite model will also be the cheapest too, coming in at around £400.
  • OnePlus 8 Pro – The OnePlus 8 Pro will be the biggest and most expensive model, retailing for £699 or more. It will have the largest display, the largest battery, the most RAM, a triple-lens camera on the rear and a dual-lens camera on the front, as well as support for 5G, the biggest storage options (up to 512GB), and it will run the latest Snapdragon 865 CPU.

On paper, and in practice, the OnePlus 8 Pro will be the best performer, as you’d expect. But it will likely be around £200-£300 more expensive than the OnePlus 8 model. If you can live without higher MP cameras and crazy amounts of RAM, the OnePlus 8 will almost certainly be the one to go for. If you want the best of the best, the 8 Pro model will serve up a metric ton of performance.

OnePlus 8 Latest News (Latest First)

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March 26 – Full OnePlus 8/OnePlus 8 Pro Specs Leaked

Another week, another MASSIVE OnePlus 8 leak. This time it concerns the specs for the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. The leak came via Twitter, and outlines exactly what both the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro will carry in terms of specs and hardware. You can see the full breakdown below:

OnePlus 8 Pro Specs

  • Display: 6.78in OLED 120Hz
  • Colors: Blue, Black & Green
  • Storage: 128GB or 256GB (UFS 3.0)
  • RAM: 8GB/12GB (LPDDR5)
  • CPU: Snapdragon 865 5G
  • Main Camera: 48MP + 48MP + 8MP + 5MP
  • Selfie Camera: 16MP
  • Battery: 4510mAh
  • Fast Charge: 30W Warp Charge
  • Water-Proofing: IP68

OnePlus 8 Specs

  • Display: 6.55in OLED 90Hz
  • Colors: Blue, Black & Green
  • Storage: 128GB or 256GB (UFS 3.0)
  • RAM: 8GB/12GB (LPDDR5)
  • CPU: Snapdragon 865 5G
  • Main Camera: 48MP + 16MP + 2MP
  • Selfie Camera: 16MP
  • Battery: 4300mAh
  • Fast Charge: 30W Warp Charge
  • Water-Proofing: No IP Rating

March 12 – OnePlus 8 Price – Three Models, Three Distinct Price Points

The OnePlus 8 range will potentially hit three distinct price points with three models (the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, and the OnePlus 8 Lite). This would be the first time OnePlus has released three handsets at once too. And the reason? I think it’s to do with pricing…

Releasing three phones gives OnePlus the ability to target three distinct types of user with one release cycle. You can attack the lower end of the market with the Lite model, the mid-to-upper with the standard OnePlus 8 model, and the higher-end, flagship market with the OnePlus 8 Pro model.

And this is what I’m expecting the pricing to look like:

  • OnePlus 8: £579
  • OnePlus 8 Lite: £400
  • OnePlus 8 Pro: £699/£799

February 15 – Super-Fast Warp Charging Coming To OnePlus 8 Range

Fast charge is great. But Super-Fast Warp Charging is EVEN better, and if rumors are to be believed, this will be one of the OnePlus 8’s newest features. How fast is Warp charging? Well, current rumors suggest it will allow up to 50W fast-charge. If true, that is a TON of power and would result in seriously rapid charging.

The feature will also likely come to ALL OnePlus 8 models too, not just the Pro model. The benefit of using this kind of fast charge is simple too: OnePlus can use smaller batteries in its phones without having to worry about performance. If all you need is 10 minutes to add in hours of battery life, the necessity of large batteries kind of goes away. Although I’d still expect all models to feature a minimum of 4000mAh.

January 27 – OnePlus 8 Series WILL Have Wireless Charging (Finally!)

Up to now, one thing missing on ALL OnePlus phones has been wireless charging. But all that is set to change with the release of the OnePlus 8 series – which will include two models (the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro), if rumors are to be believed.

Right now, wireless charging for the OnePlus 8 series is still very much a rumor but the recent slew of leaks (most notably from Samsung News’ twitter account) adds further credence to the idea, especially since this isn’t the first time this rumor has circulated online.

One of the main reasons that phone makers use glass back panels on phones is for things like wireless charging; wireless charging requires RF-transparent materials (glass and/or plastic) to function. The odd thing about OnePlus, though, is that its phones have used glass backs since the OnePlus 6 but have yet to embrace wireless charging…

Perhaps OnePlus has been holding back deliberately? Wireless charging is the #1 most requested feature ever year for new OnePlus phones, so adding it aboard the OnePlus 8 series would almost certainly help the company drive greater adoption and more sales – even by those using newer OnePlus releases like the OnePlus 7T.

December 23 – OnePlus 8, 8 Pro Specs Leaked (In Full)

One of the biggest questions about the OnePlus 8 series of phones is where they will improve on the current OnePlus 7T models. Well, thanks to a variety of leaks over the past few months, we now have a pretty good idea about what the specs will look like for both the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what you can expect:

OnePlus 8 Specs:

  • Display: 6.4-inch AMOLED, 2400 x 1080, 90Hz
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  • X55 modem for 5G
  • 8/12GB of RAM
  • 128/256GB storage
  • 4000/4500mAh battery
  • Triple camera –  64/20/12-megapixels

OnePlus 8 Pro Specs:

  • Display: 6.7-inch AMOLED, 3140 x 1440, 120Hz
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
  • X55 modem for 5G
  • 8/12GB of RAM
  • 128/256GB storage
  • 4000/4500mAh battery
  • Triple camera (64/20/12-megapixels); Front ToF sensor

As you can see from the above spec lists, the main differences between the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro, at least according to the rumors, are to do with the display, the Pro has a 120Hz panel, and the camera, the Pro has a front-facing ToF sensor. Other than that, things look more or less the same.

December 20 – OnePlus 8 FACE ID Unlock System Revealed

OnePlus phones have used facial recognition for years, however, with the advent of the OnePlus 8 range, things will be improved dramatically thanks to the inclusion of 3D facial recognition, which will make the technology closer to Apple’s FACE ID, which has been used on iPhones since the release of the iPhone X.

This is why the 8 Pro features a ToF (Time of Flight) camera on the front. It’s also why the OnePlus 8 has been shown with a wider front-facing camera punch-hole. However, reports suggest ONLY the Pro model will feature the front-facing ToF sensor which obviously begs the question: will this new 3D facial recognition be exclusive to the OnePlus 8 Pro?

November 16 – OnePlus 8 Camera Will be Quad-Array Setup…

Wondering what the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro will look like? These sketches of the handset, leaked online in China, show the OnePlus 8’s new quad-camera array and wider punch-hole on the front of the device.

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Because they’re CAD drawings, you’ll have to use your imagination to fill in the blanks, but what’s going on with the camera tech us patently obvious…

November 1 – OnePlus WILL Release Two Phones Again In 2020…

If you’ve got a winning formula, why mess with it? Multiple sources have now confirmed that OnePlus will, once again, release two handsets inside its OnePlus 8 range inside 2020 – the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro.

Here’s what OnePlus CEO, Pete Lau, told the Times of India: “I think moving forward we are going to – at least for now – stick with a current strategy by introducing two products; wherein one will be affordable and the other one be priced higher.”

Richard Goodwin avatar