Last night was a special night. Last night (it is night in Malaysia, morning or daytime in wherever the OnePlus was launched) was the big launch of OnePlus’ highly anticipated follow up to the OnePlus 7 line-up. It is the launch night of the OnePlus 8 series.
The OnePlus 7 series was something quite special to us. We like it a lot. Then again, we have always liked the OnePlus brand. We loved the OnePlus 7T, launched later in the year is a big reinforcement of the OnePlus 7.
The OnePlus 7 Pro was also the first time we praised its camera when we tested it last year. For the first time, we liked the photo quality from a OnePlus. We think that that could be thanks to some expertise borrowed from OPPO. I doubt that they will give credits to OPPO for that though.
The OnePlus 8 then, the replacement to the OnePlus 7 series. They start with the display of the device. On the older OnePlus 7, they pushed boundaries with 90Hz in refresh rate. This year, after OPPO’s Find X2 launch, we suspected that the OnePlus 8 series will get the same sort of display. We guessed right on that one. It even has the same punch hole that fits a front-facing camera. Yes, they are ditching the pop-up mechanism as well. That also means that it is an IP68 rated device now.
It is a 6.7-inch 120Hz QHD+ display, exactly same as the OPPO. It also boast 10-bit format display which produces 10-billion colours on the OnePlus 8 Pro. That 120Hz refresh rate is also paired to 240Hz in sampling rate. We loved the display on the OPPO Find X2 (review coming soon). It is ultra-responsive, ultra-smooth, and very beautiful. I personally used it for PlayStaion Remote Play for Death Stranding, and we can really appreciate its colours and resolution.
Then comes the camera, they fit a bigger camera this time too. It is a 48-Megapixel main camera that is flanked by another 48-Megapixel ultra-wide angle lens on the side. Yes, it is sounding like the OPPO Find X2 Pto. It even has Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) to pair with. In that case also, you can expect this smartphone to impress your eyes with its photos.
You also get the ultra-powerful, ultra-snazzy Qualcomm Snapdragon 865. Paired to the Snapdragon 865 is 12GB of RAM for even smoother and better multitasking. That is sort of where the similarities between the OnePlus 8 Pro and OPPO Find X2 Pro ends though.
Videos can go up to 4K. But this time, you get audio Zoom as well and 3D audio capture so you can add some dynamics to your videos. Smartphone videos have come a long way and some film makers are already starting to use smartphones in their arsenal of tools. Take us for example.
There is a new haptic feedback machine that is designed to give you more immersion during gaming. That is different from the OPPO’s haptic feedback vibration engine. It also has a wireless charging capability. Its 4,510 mAh battery is VOOC FlashCharge capable too, but you can wirelessly charge the OnePlus 8 Pro at 30W, fastest ever on a wireless charger so far. It even reverse charges other wirless charging devices.
Other things that the device comes with are software based. You can do Live Captioning with audio and video recording, which is something else really. That is also thanks to OnePlus working with Google. In that collaboration as well, you get to take advantage of Google’s extra 100GB space of Google Drive for you. You can also access to selected Stadia titles on your OnePlus. Time to spend on a decent controller for your smartphone. It is also Amazon Alexa compatible should you prefer the Amazon based assistant.
Then there is the OnePlus 8, the regular one. It is just a slightly smaller version of the OnePlus 8 Pro. It packs the same Sony IMX586 sensor that pushes 48-Megapixel. Paired to it though is a 16-Megapixel ultra-wide camera. That is also supported by a Macro lens at the other side. It has a smaller display too, at 8.55-inch. The 8.55-inch is not a 120Hz display though. It is a 90Hz Fluid display that we saw on last year’s OnePlus. That also means that it is a Full HD+ display instead of a QHD+. Still a nice display though.
Instead of the 4,510mAh battery you get on the Pro variant, it makes do with a 4,300mAh battery. It is a smaller smartphone after all. At least you still get the 30W wireless charging capability. Both OnePlus 8 devices also support 5G out of the box, which is nice.
The OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro is available in three colour choices. One of which is called Interstellar White, which is claimed by OnePlus to be a pain for photoshoots. No, not its camera, it is a pain to other cameras because apparently it does not stay in the same colour in all sorts of angles. That is not good for us. But still, we might like it.
The OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro will be available in selected markets April 2020 onward. The regular OnePlus 8 will set you back US$ 699 (MYR 3,028*) for the 8GB + 128GB variant, and US$ 799 (MYR 3,462*) for the 12GB + 256Gb variant. The OnePlus 8 Pro will set you back US$899 (MYR 3,895*) for the 8GB + 128GB variant and US$ 999 (MYR 4,329*) for the 12GB + 256GB variant. There are no word yet on when that device will reach Malaysia. If the OnePlus 7 series is any indication though, we are guessing that the distributor will start selling the OnePlus 8 by May 2020 onward. We can only wait though.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.33 as of 15/4/2020
