OnePlus just announced their newest and greatest flagships for the 2020 year, the standard OnePlus 8 and the higher end OnePlus 8 Pro.
Both phones pack the snapdragon 865 processor, which means they are 5G capable. However, let’s go over the main differences between the two phones. As the name suggests, the OnePlus 8 Pro is the more expensive with 120Hz display refresh rate whereas OnePlus 8 has a 90Hz display. The OnePlus 8 Pro also has wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, so it could charge other accessories, whereas OnePlus 8 does not. Both phones have a standard and wide angle camera but the OnePlus 8 Pro has four cameras all together, including a Telephoto and special color filter camera. The OnePlus 8 has neither but has a third macro camera. Lastly, the OnePlus 8 is thinner, lighter, and smaller than the OnePlus 8 Pro. Let’s take a deeper dive and review the different features of these devices.
The Design
The 2020 OnePlus phones look sleek and modern with thin bezels.We really do like the design of the OnePlus phones but they do look similar to the Galaxy S20, mainly because of the hole punch camera in the front. On the back, the cameras are positioned vertically but there is a camera bump and it is even bigger on the OnePlus 8 Pro. Both phones have an optical in-display fingerprint sensor. The phones no longer feature a pop out camera like the OnePlus 7 Pro, which allows the OnePlus 8 Pro to be rated as IP68, making it waterproof when submerged in 3 feet of water for 30 minutes. The OnePlus 8 does retain some waterproof capability in shallow water. The phones are availlable in three colors including Glacial Green, Ultramarine Blue and Onyx Black.
The Display
OnePlus 8 Pro’s 120Hz high refresh rate screen is super smooth, so scrolling through web pages and social media feed are bouncy and reactive. Last year, the OnePlus 7 Pro had a 90Hz screen just like the OnePlus 8, so the difference compared to a 60Hz normal display was really noticeable. However, when we don’t notice the same difference when we compare the 90Hz display on OnePlus 8 and 120Hz display on OnePlus 8 Pro. If you are leaning towards the OnePlus 8, then you won’t really miss out in the display department. If you want to save on battery life, OnePlus has also included in option to revert the display back to 60Hz. It is important to keep in mind that the phones will use 60Hz refresh rate when screen is static so they won’t keep the higher refresh rate all of time. Both phones have night mode and reading mode to reduce eye strain. The OnePlus 8 pro has an added feature called comfort tone to automatically change the tint of the screen depending on the ambient light conditions.
The Camera
The OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro have a 48 MP main camera and they take sharp and vibrant shots in outdoor lighting. In low light, the nightscape setting works great as well to brighten up the images. The OnePlus 8 Pro also has an 8 MP Telephoto lens for taking portrait shots with blurry background effect. The OnePlus 8 Pro camera also has 30x digital zoom but quality of the photo degrades noticeably after 10x zoom. In addition, the 8 Pro also has a color filter camera which can be used to tweak the colors and lighting but we are not sure if you will get much use out of it as you can achieve the same effect using software filters. The OnePlus 8 doesn’t have a telephoto lens but it can still take portrait shots and has an additional 2 MP Macro camera. On its own, the Macro camera doesn’t really work very well as colors are flat and quality poor so use tap to focus on the main camera instead. Both phones have optical image stabilization and can capture 4k video with relatively smooth and steady footage.
Performance and Software
Just like other Android phones, the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro have a snapdragon 865 processor, which provides comparable results to Galaxy S20 Ultra when tested using Geekbench 5 from Primate Labs. The OnePlus 8 has 4300 mAh battery and OnePlus 8 Pro has 4510 mAh battery. In terms of battery performance, both phones were able to get an excellent 18-19 hours of battery life when continuously playing videos on airplane mode. As mentioned before, the OnePlus 8 Pro has wireless charging, which is not available on OnePlus 8. The new OnePlus wireless charger that is able to get up to 30 watts for an additional $70. Otherwise, the OnePlus 8 Pro works with Qi wireless charger up to 10 watts. In the box, you also get a OnPlus Warp Charge 30T, which is able to charge the OnePlus devices from 10% to full charge in less than 1 hour. Both phones run Android 10 with minimalist Oxygen OS. OnePlus did add minor customization options for notification icons, accent colors and theme colors.
OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 8 Pro vs OnePlus 7 Pro: Specs Comparison
| Features | OnePlus 8 | OnePlus 8 Pro | OnePlus 7 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | 6.55" AMOLED | 6.78" AMOLED | 6.67" AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 px (402 ppi) | 1440 x 3168 px (513 ppi) | 1440 x 3120 px (516 ppi) |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Adreno 650 | Adreno 640 |
| Memory | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 256 GB (8/12 GB RAM) or 128 GB (6 GB RAM) |
| Storage Option | No | No | No |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Po 4300 mAh battery | Non-removable Li-Po 4510 mAh battery | Non-removable Li-Po 4000 mAh battery |
| Rear Camera | 48 MP (f/1.8, 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS) 16 MP (f/2.2, ultrawide, PDAF) 2 MP (f/2.4, macro) | 48 MP (f/1.8, 0.8µm, Laser AF, OIS) 48 MP (f/2.2, ultrawide, PDAF) 8 MP (f/2.4, telephoto, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom) 5 MP (f/2.4, depth) | 48 MP (f/1.6, 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS) 16 MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide) 8 MP, f/2.4 (telephoto), 3x zoom, PDAF, OIS |
| Video Recording | 2160p@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps | 2160p@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps | 2160p@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@480fps |
| Front Camera | 16 MP (f/2.45, wide) | 16 MP (f/2.5, wide) | 16 MP (f/2.0) Motorized pop-up |
| Dimentions | 160.2 x 72.9 x 8 mm | 165.3 x 74.4 x 8.5 mm | 162.6 x 75.9 x 8.8 mm |
| Weight | 180 g | 199 g | 206 g |
| Security | Fingerprint (under display, optical) | Fingerprint (under display, optical) | Fingerprint (under display) |
| Wireless Charging | No | Yes (Reverse Charging) | No |
| Waterproof | No | IP68 dust/water resistant | No |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No | No |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Infrared port | No | No | No |
| Radio | No | No | No |
| USB | 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible | 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible | 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible |
| Software | Android 10.0; OxygenOS 10.0 | Android 10.0; OxygenOS 10.0 | Android 9.0 (Pie); OxygenOS 9.5.7 |
| Cost | $699 (USD) | $899 (USD) | $670 (USD) |
Pricing and Availability
The OnePlus 8 starts at $699 (USD) for 128 GB storage and 8 GB of RAM with a release date of 29Apr2020. The OnePlus 8 Pro starts at $899 (USD) for 128 GB storage and 8 GB of RAM with a release date of 22Apr2020. The princes go up by $100 (USD) for both phones if you want the 256 GB storage and 12 GB of RAM. For the first time ever, OnePlus 8 will be available from carriers (Verizon and TMobile) and you can also get them unlocked directly from OnePlus and Amazon. In the box, you get OnePlus 8 Pro, Warp Charge 30 Power Adapter, Warp Type-C Cable (Support USB 2.0), Quick Start Guide, Welcome Letter, Safety Information and Warranty Card, LOGO Sticker, Case (OnePlus 8 Pro only), Screen Protector, and SIM Tray Ejector.
Final Thoughts
The OnePlus 8 Pro is slightly cheaper than the competition but it is no way near the prices that were offered in the past. In addition to 5G, both phones do have many features including high refresh rate displays. If you are considering purchasing the OnePlus 8, we would recommend that you consider the OnePlus 7 Pro as that device is plenty fast, packed with features, and available for a cheaper price. If you can afford the higher price tag, the OnePlus 8 Pro is definitely worth considering over more expensive Galaxy S20 ultra. The times have definitely changed because the OnePlus 8 is the same price as the the iPhone 11. Given the pricing and performance, the OnePlus 8 phones are no longer trying to be the flagship killer as they have actually become the flagships.
I am officially a tech addict and enjoy providing my views on matters related to this industry. I am always interested in trying out new tech gadgets and I have owned multiple smartphones including the legendary HTC One, SGS2, Nexus 4, iPhone 4, 5S, 6S, XR, Note 9. You can ask me any tech related questions in the comment section or on twitter @hookedNav