OnePlus on Tuesday announced its OnePlus 8 series smartphones promising “the most powerful and beautiful flagship smartphone series” the company has ever created. Pete Lau, CEO of OnePlus initially revealed on Twitter that the launch was pushed back three times before the company locked down the April 14 date due to COVID-19 lockdown situation. The OnePlus 8 series also becomes the company’s first full 5G lineup with the company initially launching a 5G device in Europe in 2019. The company said that “the sleek design and compact form factor of the OnePlus 8” will deliver “premium user experience like never before.” Despite being the “No. 1 Premium Smartphone Brand in India” the company hasn’t revealed the Indian prices yet. However, based on the US prices, the Indian viewers can expect the OnePlus 8 to be priced higher than the OnePlus 7T. As we wait for the official prices, here’s how the two devices fare in comparison.
OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 7T: Design and Display
OnePlus 8 is the “compact” flagship phone from OnePlus that features a 6.55-inch display that runs at 90Hz. While the display is largely identical to its predecessor, it is said to have received A+ rating from DisplayMate with the phone setting or matching 10 of its performance records.
One of the most visible differences at the front is the punch-hole for the front camera which is a departure from the waterdrop notch of the OnePlus 7T.
The camera layout at the rear is also different as OnePlus has moved from circular housing of OnePlus 7T to a vertical layout on the OnePlus 8. It has to be noted that the OnePlus 7 featured a vertical camera layout at the rear as well.
OnePlus 8 is said to weigh 180 grams and is 8mm thin. The speaker grill at the bottom has been slightly changed. However, the power, volume rocker and the USB Type-C all appear at its usual spots while the 3.5mm headphone jack continues to miss out.
Additionally, OnePlus 8 variants sold through the carriers in the US are said to have IP rating while the unlocked versions skip out on the IP rating just like its predecessor, the OnePlus 7T.
OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 7T: Battery Software and Connectivity
OnePlus 8 is powered by the Snapdragon 865 platform along with the Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System enabling 5G connectivity. The phone would be sold in two variants including an 8GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant along with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage.
The OnePlus 7T featured a Snapdragon 855+ processor and was sold in two variants including an 128GB storage and a 256GB storage variant while RAM was limited to 8GB.
While we have to wait and see how the devices fare in comparison, the Snapdragon 855+ platform on the OnePlus 7T was Qualcomm's flagship in 2019. However, Snapdragon has said that the Snapdragon 865 would deliver 25 percent performance improvement.
OnePlus 8 also gets an bump in the battery department with the phone packing in a 4300 mAh battery as compared to the 3800 mAh battery on the OnePlus 7T. However, it has to be noted that the 5G connectivity is said to deplete the battery at a quicker rate which would mean that the increase in capacity might not result in longer battery life.
OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 7T: Cameras
The OnePlus 8 has three cameras on the rear and are largely similar to its predecessor. The rear camera system consist of the main Sony’s 48MP IMX586 sensor, accompanied by an 16MP ultrawide snapper and a 2MP telephoto shooter.
The third camera on the 2019 OnePlus 7T was an 12MP telephoto shooter capable of 2 times the optical zoom.
OnePlus 8 vs OnePlus 7T: Pricing
OnePlus hasn’t announced the Indian availability or the price for the OnePlus 8. However, the phone is expected to be available in three colors namely Onyx Black, Glacial Green, Interstellar Glow. In the US, the base variant of the OnePlus is sold for US$699 (Rs 53,133) while US$799 (Rs60,734) is the price for the higher spec variant.
Meanwhile, the OnePlus7T is available for Rs 34,999 on the OnePlus site.
