Source: OnePlus press / Oneplus press
The phone wars have been raging for years with Samsung and Apple emerging the clear superpowers. But there have been other manufacturers who have been able to tap into the needs of others building a niche following. Some of these, like HTC, ASUS, and Huawei, have made tremendous inroads, while others like Sony have had limited success building a constant presence in the market. OnePlus, a relative newcomer to the market, has quickly established itself by developing a fanbase as a viable option to the mid-range offerings of the big boys. But now, with the release of the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, the company might be looking to take on the flagship devices of Samsung’s Galaxy 20 and the iPhone SE.
Source: OnePlus press / Oneplus press
The OnePlus 8 is an apparent attempt to bring the company’s devices more in-line with the flagship models of its competitors. The new design gets rid of the pop-up selfie camera and opts for a more standard hole punch inlay. It also gets rid of the flat screen of the past opting for a more refined curved display edge refining the look and feel with its 6.55 inch AMOLED FHD + resolution display. The difference? It’s not as sharp as the Samsung screens but pretty unnoticeable unless you’re looking to nitpick. The screen is much brighter than others in the market, making it easy to see both in daylight as well as night conditions.
The 8’s cameras are decent but not up to the Samsung or Apple standards yet. The 8 has three rear cameras: 48 MP, 16MP ultrawide, and 2 MP macro all utilizing digital zoom. It also shoots 4K 60 fps video. The cameras are adequate and take good pictures but are best used for close and mid-range shots. The 8 Pro model does come with a telephoto lens, which adds to the camera offerings but still doesn’t make up for the lag behind the other devices in the price range.
Source: OnePlus press / Oneplus press
Where the 8 earns its keep is in its performance. Under the hood is a Snapdragon 865 chipset with a 5G modem, and you can have 8GB of ram / 128GB storage or 16GB / 256GB. Giving you the speed to move between apps, games, and whatever else you’re doing quickly and easily. It has a 4300mAh battery, which is slightly larger than the one offered by the Galaxy s20 and should easily last a day of moderate use. It charges using a Warp Charge 30T charger capable of a full charge under an hour, but there is no wireless charging, which is a feature offered only with the 8 Pro.
At $699, the OnePlus 8 is a viable option for the user who values performance over ancillaries. It also comes in cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy S20 at $999, and while it is in line with the iPhone 11, the OnePlus 8 offers 5G. So if you’re not a fan of Samsung or Apple and want a flagship device with excellent performance, the OnePlus fits the bill. If you’re a budding influencer and camera is a priority, you might be better served looking elsewhere.
The OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro will be available April 29.
