The OnePlus 8 Review: Is it the value flagship?
OnePlus is always known to be the flagship killer but with the prices increasing for heavy flagships, OnePlus had to adopt a new pricing strategy and went for a more premium approach this time. They went all in with the OnePlus 8 Pro which has all the required specs to be a true flagship (Check out the review on my page).
But still OnePlus needed to deliver a flagship like experience for the masses as not everyone can afford the OnePlus 8 Pro and so they did with the launch of the OnePlus 8 which is an upgrade from the OnePlus 7T but with an increased price. This time all the coverage was taken by the Pro version and so not many people know about the OnePlus 8. It might not be the best phone on the market but it still has many interesting features which can take on other flagship devices at this price range.
Price and Release Date
The OnePlus 8 is priced at $699 / £599 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant and $799 / £699 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant. It way expensive compared to the launch of the OnePlus 7 (£499 / $640) and the OnePlus 7T ($599 / £549).
For this also, the OnePlus 8 is much cheaper in India/China markets due to local manufacturing units. They have 3 variants available for the OnePlus 8. The price in India starts at Rs41,999/$550 for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant which is exclusive for the India Market, Rs 44,999 / 590$ for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant and Rs49,999/$655 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant.
It is expected to release on April 21 (Europe/UK), April 29 for USA market and May 15 for India Market.
Design and Color Options
The OnePlus 8 is a design upgrade from the OnePlus 7T with better improvements. The OnePlus 7T had a dew drop notch and a circular rear camera cut out. The OnePlus 8 has a similar design with that of the OnePlus 8 Pro. It also has the punch hole selfie design and waterfall curved edged display with a vertical rear camera setup. It has one USB -C port with no headphone jack. The volume keys sit on the left side whereas the Power button and the alert slider are on the right side
The OnePlus 8 is not a compact phone like how we expected. It is a tall phone with dimensions of 160.2mm x 72.9mm x 8mm and weighs at 180g but it is lighter as compared to the Samsung S20 series and the iPhone 11 series.
It comes in three color options — the Onyx Black and Interstellar Glow colors come with glossy glass finish and Glacial Green which has a matte finish.
Display
OnePlus always has good displays for its devices and this is year is no less. The OnePlus 8 has a 6.55-inch AMOLED fluid display with Full HD+ resolution with 20:9 ratio and HDR10+ support. It is good but it is only at 1080p and not 1440p. It is not the best display out there as its competitors offer WQHD+ screens as compared to the HD+ screen on the OnePlus 8 which results in lesser sharper images.
The OnePlus 8 display is brighter compared to its previous phones which makes it easier to use in outdoor environments where there is sunlight. It also has an in-display fingerprint scanner which is also very responsive and quick.
Another talking point of the display is that it has a maximum 90Hz refresh rate screen whereas its 120Hz on the OnePlus 8 Pro which offers a more smoother scrolling experience but still 90Hz is also good on a display as there is a minor difference only between 90Hz and 120Hz displays.
Camera Setup
OnePlus always used to lack in the camera department before but this year they have perfected it with the OnePlus 8 Pro which is in par with the other heavy flagships. For the OnePlus 8, they went with triple camera setup like last year instead of the quad camera setup as seen on the OnePlus 8 Pro.
The primary camera is the 48MP f/1.75 Sony IMX586 sensor which takes good enough shots.
The secondary camera is the 16MP f/2.2 Ultra-wide lens with 116° field of view
For the third camera, they have removed the telephoto lens (which is the first time a brand will not have a telephoto lens) and replaced it with a 2MP Macro camera. It is good but I don’t see the use of this much and felt that they should have gone for a more useful lens option. They have gone for digital zoom over optical zoom this time.
They have a 16MP f/2.45 Sony IMX471 selfie camera and it supports upto 4K video recording also for both front and rear cameras. It comes equipped with all modes and features which we have seen in the OnePlus 7T. The OnePlus 8 camera is good for an upgrade but it is not the best out there as it tends to capture slightly warmish tent and over exposure images at times.
Software and Performance
There is no compromise in terms of internal specs for the OnePlus 8 as it has the same specifications with that of the OnePlus 8 Pro. The OnePlus 8 comes equipped with Qualcomm’s latest top of the line Snapdragon 865 Chipset with Adreno 650 GPU and also comes with X55 modem for 5G connectivity which makes the OnePlus 8, the cheapest phone with 5G connectivity.
It also has 8GB/12GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB/256GB UFS 3.0 2-LANE Storage which makes it a very powerful and fast device and is future proof in terms of the specs.
For the software, it uses its custom Oxygen OS which gives a stock android experience and feel and runs on Android 10. The best part of OnePlus is its software which is very smooth and comfortable to use in daily life. It comes with an updated version of the Oxygen OS on the OnePlus 8 with few improvements.
Battery Life and Other Features
The OnePlus 8 comes equipped with a big 4,300mAh battery which can easily last throughout the day and is bigger compared to what its competitors are offering. It comes with Warp Charge 30T charger in box which offers upto 23% faster charging compared to its previous devices and charges the OnePlus 8 from 10% — 41% in just 15minutes which is very impressive.
It misses out on other flagship features which the OnePlus 8 Pro has such as the Wireless charging and IP68 Certification but it is fine considering the lower cost. It would have been better if OnePlus could have included Wireless charging as that is expected from a flagship like device which would have also allowed reverse charging capabilities and would have brought added value. It also comes with Dual Stereo Speakers with Dolby Atmos Technology.
The Major differences between the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro
· The OnePlus 8 has a 90Hz display whereas the Pro version has a 120Hz display
· The OnePlus 8 Pro has flagship specs like Wireless charging and IP68 certification which the OnePlus 8 does not have
· The OnePlus 8 is slightly smaller, thinner and lighter than the OnePlus 8 Pro
. The OnePlus 8 has triple camera setup compared to the quad camera setup on the OnePlus 8 Pro
My Verdict
The OnePlus 8 might not be the best OnePlus launch this year as compared to OnePlus 8 Pro but it is still a very good and powerful device overall with top of the line internal specs, 90Hz display, improved design and battery life which can take on other heavy flagships in the market.
But the main issue here is the price as it has increased quite a bit compared to last year and that is why I feel it does not offer value at the current price as compared to its competitors and what they are offering. Yes, I agree it has the best internal specs and has 5G connectivity but that is for the future and is not needed at the moment.
I feel the OnePlus 7T delivers actual value to its price as it is also discounted more after the launch of the OnePlus 8 and it is also almost similar to the OnePlus 8 in terms of its performance and camera setup. The OnePlus 8 is slightly better than the OnePlus 7T but it is hardly noticeable in day to day performance and hence I don’t see the reason to pay an extra 150$-200$ to buy the OnePlus 8 over the OnePlus 7T.
It all comes down to personal choice and preference. No doubt the OnePlus 8 is a beast of a device and if you are satisfied with its price, then it is the best option in the market rite now for its specs. For those who can afford to go little extra, I feel they should get the OnePlus 8 Pro as it offers a true flagship experience and for those who dont want to spend that much and are looking for an affordable and powerful device, the OnePlus 7T is the best value for money device in the market currently.
